Hypoglycemia
Low Blood Sugar and the Small Breed Dog
It's a common problem with small breeds, especially the tiny ones in small breeds. They have trouble maintaining their
blood sugar. This can be a puppy situation (due to stress), but in some cases will carry over into adulthood. It can be
a very serious situation and an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
What are some of the signs?
Loss of appetite
Shivering
Unusually quiet behavior
Unresponsiveness (get to a vet--this is dangerous at this point)
What is the remedy?
Nutri-Cal (a high calorie food supplement) It looks like brown toothpaste gel and you can get it at any good pet store.
corn syrup
pancake syrup
honey
the vet in extreme cases
Is there anything I can do to prevent this?
Not exactly, but being watchful and aware of the signs can help you ward off of a problem.
You can have the puppy free feed (food out all the time). This can slow housebreaking, but in a case like this, things
need to go more slowly anyway.
You can also offer small amounts of canned food, although this would not be part of a normal diet. (Too much
canned food is like too much candy under normal situations)
Will this always be a problem?
Probably not. Most puppies outgrow this problem. This seems to be associated with very young age and very small
size. But it can in some instances be a chronic problem.