Low Blood Sugar - Sugar Drop.

Hypoglycaemia is caused because the body is unable to store glucose.

In an attempt to obtain a source of energy the body increases the breakdown of fat stores, and fatty acids are released faster than they can be metabolised.

The dog can start to produce Ketones, these are toxic to the brain and cause loss of appetite, vomiting, dehydration and listlessness, progressing to coma and death.

Ketones have a distinctive smell and can often be smelt on the sick dog’s breath or in the urine. They smell very sweet.

The first sign that you will probably see is drowsiness, and weakness and staggering. If you see these things suspect Sugar Drop and treat accordingly.

Initial Treatment: Dose with Honey, Glucose, or other sweet substance if neither of these two are available. Give straight into the mouth.

Most dogs will readily take this and the result is dramatic, with the dog returning to normal in a very short time.

Puppies often suffer with this problem so get into the habit of watching them daily, and by the time the pup is 5-7 months old it will probably have "grown out of it".

Long Term Treatment: First thing in the morning give the pup 1/4-teaspoon of natural honey.

About 1/2 an hour later give it breakfast this should consist of boiled rice with a little butter (& Garlic), or Egg yolk raw, or cooked minute oats with carnation milk and honey (1/4 tsp).

Last thing at night give another breakfast.

The important thing to remember is these pups can not STORE glucose so you have to make sure the puppy goes no longer than four hours MAXIMUM without food. The best food for these puppies other than the breakfast mentioned above is specific puppy foods, both biscuits and tinned meat.

It is very important to confine the puppy in a small area over night so they don't use energy playing or looking for company.

Make sure too that the temperature is "right" for a baby puppy because they use a lot of energy trying to regulate their body temperature.
 
 

When a puppy wakes it must eat, this is instinctive and necessary, so again it is very important that even at night when it should be sleeping it must have food available to it.

At around four months of age try your puppy for a 24-hour period without treatment. If there are NO signs of sugar drop go another 24 hours then return to treatment for one week. Continue doing this gradually extending the periods off treatment until the puppy maintains its sugar levels without assistance.

Please remember stress, often due to loneliness, illness, climate, and vaccination can all add to the likelihood of sugar drop.

Be aware too that the signs you may see are often mistaken for hydrocephalus. Learn to recognise the difference and learn the tests that you can do to establish whether a puppy has hydrocephalus. If you are still unsure, the only way to be certain is to have the puppy undergo ultrasound of the brain, this will reveal hydrocephalus.

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