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HYPOGLYCEMIA
(LOW BLOOD SUGAR) Hypoglycemia
is a disorder of the central
nervous system caused by low blood sugar.
It occurs mostly in toy breeds, but it can also occur in the larger
breeds as well. Hypoglycemia can
occur without warning when a puppy goes to a new home, misses a meal or
doesn't eat full meals, becomes chilled, overtired, or exhausted from too much
handling or playing. Signs to
look for are depression, weakness, being wobbly or jerky (the head appears to
be tilted to either left or right side, the neck appears stiff and in a locked
position, and the body may soon appear the same way and the teeth may be
clamped tightly), convulsions, seizures, or coma, which can result in death.
The gums will appear white or gray instead of pink.
Remember, this is only a puppy. Compare
it with an infant child, which requires extra care.
You would not wake your baby up to show your friends or neighbors, so
do not wake your puppy up as it needs rest too.
This is very important to your puppy's health. TREATMENT: The blood levels of glucose
must be restored immediately!
DO NOT HESITATE. YOUR PUPPY'S LIFE IS AT RISK.
If your puppy is conscious, give it a little Karo Syrup under its
tongue, or rubbed on its gums. Do
NOT pour excessive amounts into the mouth as the puppy could easily choke on
the straight syrup or aspirate liquid into its lungs. You can also pour Karo Syrup into a little warm water, stir
to dissolve, and dribble it into the puppy's mouth with a syringe.
Nutrical also works extremely well.
I dissolve Karo and Nutrical in water and feed a few drops at a time
with a syringe, rubbing the
puppy's throat gently after each bit of liquid to encourage swallowing if
necessary. The puppy should begin to improve within ten minutes.
If the puppy is unconscious, your veterinarian may have to administer
dextrose solution intravenously in order to save its life.
CONTACT YOUR VET AT ONCE! You do NOT have aNY TIME to waste! yorkies can die very quickly! PREVENTION:
Feed
your puppy several small wet meals a day.
Use a good grade, high quality small size dry kibble dog food.
Leave dry kibble available 24 hours a day for nibbling.
For the small meals, soak dry food in warm water if necessary (your
puppy may not have all of its teeth or its gums may be tender from teething),
add 1 teaspoon of quality canned food, and once a day add one teaspoon
of cottage cheese. MAKE SURE YOUR
PUPPY EATS! DO NOT just set the
food down and assume the puppy will eat it.
Watch to make sure it eats. Add
one teaspoon of Karo Syrup to two cups of cool fresh drinking water every day.
Stir the Karo in the water until it is
dissolved, or it will just sit on the bottom of the
bowl. NEVER feed your puppy chocolate, fried foods, or cow's milk.
(Goats milk is better for young puppies.
Buttermilk is good for diarrhea Do not allow your puppy to become
overtired or chilled. Let your
puppy rest and become adjusted to its new home.
REMEMBER…
STRESS
WILL CAUSE A SUDDEN DROP BLOOD SUGAR LEVEL.
AVOID STRESS. ANY TIME
YOUR YORKIE APPEARS SICK FOR ANY REASON, TAKE IT TO THE VET IMMEDIATELY.
YORKIES CAN DIE VERY QUICKLY. WITH
PROPER DIAGNOSIS AND CARE THEY CAN BOUNCE BACK QUICKLY ALSO.
NEVER TAKE CHANCES WITH ITS LIFE. READ THIS ARTICLE SEVERAL TIMES AND BECOME
VERY FAMILIAR WITH IT, AND YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE ANY TROUBLE.
YOUR PUPPY NEEDS YOUR TENDER LOVING CARE, AND IN RETURN YOUR PUPPY WILL
GIVE YOU A LIFETIME OF LOVE.
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