# Sticky  Article on hypoglycemia



## OzzyAndLilysMom

HYPOGLYCEMIA 


This is low sugar level in the blood. This can result in the dog having a "sugar attack". Chihuahuas, especially puppies, can suffer from this condition. Frequently, this occurs when the dog suffers stress such as weaning or relocating to a new home. 

This condition is usually easily reversed, however, if left unattended, this can become a life threatening situation. 

SYMPTOMS:

Symptoms to look for include listlessness, pale to white gums, staggering, and refusal to eat. If the dog does not receive treatment for this, the "sugar attack" can progress into the more serious stages of this condition. Behavior such as inability to hold down food and diarrhea can become progressively worse to the point of siezures, complete unresponsiveness, and even death. 

There are several remedies that can be used for a "sugar attack". Nutri-cal gel, made by Tomlyn, is one remedy that is easy to use, relatively inexpensive, and many pet stores carry this. It is a wonderful product to keep on hand at all times and it has a pretty long shelf life as long as it is kept in a cool place. We have used this product many many times and have had great results. Most dogs seem to really like the taste and therefore are cooperative when administering this. This product is great to use as a preventative and helps when a dog is already having a "sugar attack". The dog will usually just lick the end of the tube as you squeeze out about 1" of gel. In times of stress, a dose can be given every 2 hours or so depending on the dogs condition. If the dog is unable to lick the gel, sometimes you can use your finger to place a small amount of gel onto the roof of thier mouth. This will slowly dissolve and eventually enter the dogs blood stream. If the "sugar attack" is severe, this may buy some time for the dog until you can get to a vet. Nutri-cal gel is a wonderful product for those of you who like to travel with your chihuahuas in tow. It's easy to carry with you, (ladies it fits right into your purse) and it simply can be a life saver. Another product that can be used is called Pet Nutri-Drops. This comes in a pump bottle and is in liquid form. It must be kept out of direct sunlight,but need not be refrigerated. It breaks down into the blood stream in minutes. The maximum dose is 1 treatment every 6 hours. This is helpful to use when the dog is in need of more rapidly raising the blood sugar. This is also good to give once daily while a dog is under stress.

Of course the best remedy is always prevention. Close observation is necessary for the first couple of weeks until the dog settles in comfortably. Pay attention to the amount of food the dog is eating. If it seems that the dog isnt eating well, try to avoid the problems of "sugar attacks". It is much better to be safe than sorry. Preventative maintenance is much easier to deal with.

Remember this, it is very important to rule out other diseases or conditions as a cause of health problems. Sometimes these symptoms can be caused by parasites, liver malfunction, or Parvo virus. If you are ever not sure, it is always best to check with your vet. Again, better to be safe than sorry. We hope that this information is helpful to everyone. Good luck to all new pet owners. 

NB : Please remember this should not be used to treat your dog alone if you feel your dog is in danger or just not quite right please take to vets as soon as possible. Chihuahua-people accepts no responsibility for persons following this advice


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## MissMolly

I know it may be kinda late to post this but nobody ever thanked you for posting this info so I wanted to say Thanks!


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## CaliGirl

Hi, I also wanted top say thanks, These are things that you should know, just in case.


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## imdeanna

What a GREAT posting!! Thanks for the information!

I'm currently giving my new pup nutrical for her symptons you described here...(except she's doing a great job of eating!) but she seemed very lithless etc. 

How much should I give her? on the tube it states 1 & 1/2 tsp per 10lbs...well she's only 1 lb, and it doesn't mention how often to give.

She's only 6 wks old, and weighs 1 lb 12.8 oz, I have been giving her a pea size amount in the morning and again in the late afternoon. Should I be giving her more? you mentioned 1" every 6 hrs above, is that more the right amount for her age/weight? I don't want to over do! but I can see the HUGE difference in her alertness (and she's not as clumsy staggering around like a drunk man!) 

TIA!!
DeAnna


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## faewyn

Hi guys, as we are puppies arriving tomorrow are goign to be 5.5 weeks old. Would it be a good idea to go to our vets and get some nutri-gel? 

Also, what is the likely hood of a pup having this problem, and it is a temporary illness?

Thanks in Advance


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## MsStephanie

Hey all, I just read some of the posts and it is never ending in small/toy dogs. My baby got it twice! Once @ 8 weeks and then another @ 9. As long as your pup/dog is eating(well known brand food-Eukanuba,Royal Canin<--Dixie loves that one, etc.) and drinking well, it should be okay. After the 2nd time, I was advised to give Dixie a pea sized amount of Nutri-Cal 4-6 times a day. I don't give her much anymore since she has been doing great @ 13 weeks old.


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## Seren

I really have to thank you very much for posting this advice! I didnt know a thing about this condition and im so glad i have read this article before i get my dog, and know what symptoms to look for.
Does anyone know what the product name is that i should buy in the U.K and where do i get it from? Thanks


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## fizzy n kirbys mum

Any chance anyone could let me know what is in " Nutri-cal gel " 
is it calcium based ?? ( looking through the supplements made 
in the UK and trying to find a match ! ) 

Sara xx


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## Tinker

Here ya go, a list of ingredients and an analysis for Nutri-Cal

Ingredients:
Corn Syrup, Soybean Oil, Malt Syrup, Cod Liver Oil, Cane Molasses, Methylcellulose, Water, Gelatin By-products, dl-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Manganese Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Thiamine HCI, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate (Source of Calcium and Pantothenic Acid), Magnesium Sulfate, Pyridoxine HCI, Vitamin A Palminate & D3 Supplement, Potassium Iodide (Source of Iodine and Potassium), Riboflavin 5' - Phosphate Sodium (Source of Vitamin B2 and Phosphorus), Folic Acid and Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12).

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein 0.7%, Crude Fat 34.5%, Calcium 0.16 mg, Phosphorus 0.02mg, Iron 0.47 mg, Iodine 0.50 mg, Magnesium 0.38 mg, Manganese 0.90 mg, Potassium 0.15 mg, Vitamin A 940 IU, Vitamin D3 54 IU, Vitamin E 5 IU, Vitamin B1 1.7 mg, Vitamin B2 0.2 mg, Vitamin B6 0.8 mg, Vitamin B12 1.9 mg, Folic Acid 0.2 mg, Niacin 1.9 mg, and d-Pantothenic Acid 0.9 mg. Also a source of Linoleic, Linolenic, Eicosapentanoic Acid, Docosahexanoic Acid and Omega-6 and Omega-3 Fatty Acids


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## Seren

Hi Sara  If you find a match could you please let me know what its called. As i want to have something handy in case my pup gets into this situation. Thx


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## fizzy n kirbys mum

I'll let you know as soon as I find something , 
at the moment I can only find stuff for cats :roll: 

Sara xx


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## Seren

Ah ok  I wonder what other people in the U.K use for this or would they just go to the vet? :?


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## fizzy n kirbys mum

I'm gonna see my vet next week , so i'll ask her


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## Seren

Ok ...let me know how it goes :wink:


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## fizzy n kirbys mum

I found product made by shaws 8in1 and it's called 
'Enervite' ... this may work


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## Seren

Ok thanx hun :wink:


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## LuvMyChiwawas

This happened to Chico the first day that I had him because the breeder, who had at least six different types of dogs to choose from, (can we say puppy mill/backyard breeder, my only excuse is that I was uneducated at that time and I am very glad that I rescued my baby from this horrible man) sold him to me with hook worms. His blood sugar not only dropped but his potasium levels did too. He started having seizures and I rushed him to the ER and they saved him but the vet told me that he had the worms for a while because it takes a while for the potasium to drop that low. He has had one other hypglycimic fit since but luckily I knew what to do that time and I always keep honey around the house just in case.


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## KayC

I think this is a good article. I wanted to bring it up again.


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## lovmychi's

bookmarked this page really good advice


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## Cinnabar

Hi, I also have Papillons who go Hyperglyciemic within 48 hours of having their innoculations, with my last boys jabs i managed a bit of advance damage control, I made sure he had cooked Chicken (Loads) before and after the jabs, I also made sure he had as much food as i could get into him, it seems they are also prone to "Sugar" drops just like Chihuahuas are, especialy if they have a really mad run round, the vets said small but often is always the idea for food and with pups high protien is good too, just my little say lol but i am glad you broached the subject well done
Kind regards
debra


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## Litlbitprincess

I am adding my thanks for this post!! I will pick some up tomorrow!!! Thank you! Susan


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## 3l3ctric

I'm no expert or anything, so I could be wrong, and I luckily haven't had to worry about this with my boy yet... but I remember reading many times that if you don't have any of the aforementioned products on hand, then you can use corn syrup in an emergency (buys some time to get to the vet). Seeing that corn syrup is the first ingredient in one of those products, this doesn't seem that far-fetched. I heard that you can rub it on their gums or roof of mouth in small amounts.

If this is wrong or there is a better alternative, please correct me! I just thought that I'd add this in case anyone had a problem.


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## Terri

Just wondering if Honey will do the same job? I got some in a squeezy bottle the other day to have on hand.
Should i be giving a wee bit of this every day when i bring home my 8 week old pup next week?
I am also bringing home a 3 year old girl with her.
Am pretty sure they will both be stressed at the move.


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## 17428

Also free feeding helps prevent low blood sugar episodes.
This helped Dahlia a lot in her baby days.
Terri make sure Darla gets her kibble and Daisy
doesnt hog it all!! I really look forward to their
homecoming next week too!!


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## Aquarius

Terri - Honey will do the same job, just rub it on their gums and put a little in their mouth - it works very quickly.

Making sure that the very little ones eat often is the key to preventing hypoglycaemia so free feeding or feeding 4-5 times a day should work.

Bruno was just 2lbs 2oz when we got him at 12 weeks and he never had a hypo, but it is a good idea to have something like honey in the house in case!


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## Terri

Thanks Rhonda and Jane.
I will make sure Darla gets fed plenty.

I cant wait either for them to be home Rhonda 1 week today!!


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## reviewsbychy

Great article specially for new owners, My"sugar" is 1 1/2 old when I first got her she weighed 11 oz. I went through this several times with her and I kept Karo Syrup and honey and water around for her because I had to give it to her with syringe. Be careful we almost lost her twice. Its scary. I have also learned that stress cause this big time even how she only weighs 2.4 lbs.


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## crystalocean

I just brought home my 8 week old little girl on April 1st. She was not eating at all unless we coaxed her, it was exhausting. She ate the second day on her own, so we thought maybe we were home free, but no. On April 3rd I had to learn how to force feed "Sky" with a syringe and baby food after giving her sugar in a tube. I had to do this all day into the night. Today she ate on her own. We were told by the breeder to make sure she eats every 4 hours. I am really tired and have fibromyalgia on top of it. Any ideas to make this less stressful?


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## Chihuahuasloveme

What about switching her food? My new guy did the same thing we've had to play around with his food a bit until we finally got him to eat raw. He would like the new food but then at the next meal stick his nose up and walk away. He's eating much better now.


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## K.G

Wish so very much that I had seen this post earlier. I got my beautiful boy on Friday afternoon, I took him for he's health check at the vets that same day and all was well except a slight virus but the vet said nothing to worry about. He was 8 weeks and 5 days old and weighed 1lb 1oz. I took him home ready to enjoy the weekend with my new bundle of fluff but he was so very sleepy. I was a little worried but kept searching on the internet and reading over and over how puppies do just sleep alot. He didn't have any other symptoms, he was still eating, weeing and pooing normally. Sunday afternoon came and he deteriorated so quickly, he started to make strange noises and had he's tongue hanging out, he's gums and tongue were white and he's legs all stiff and out stretched. I rang the emergency vet and took him straight there, we were at the vets within 30 minutes of he's symptoms showing yet he was pronounced dead on arrival at 3:15pm. I'm heart broken and feel so guilty that I didn't know this information, if I had I might have been able to save him. 

I knew him less than 2 days but had already fallen in love. RIP my little puppy
View attachment 6928


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## Chi Nation

*This is what happened to Hotchi as a young pup. He had several seizures that almost killed him.*


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## Buildthemskywards

I read somewhere about leaving the dry food out all day for the pup to help itself but in other places read that I should remove the food once they're done (this was general advice, the first related specifically to Chis) What are your opinions guys?


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## kirstychi

great article, i am getting my pup in a couple of weeks, and have already bought nutrical, just in case.
i read somewhere that baby food works aswell, i dont know if thats right or not?


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## Wicked Pixie

No, nutrical gives a sugar boost, which you must then follow up with some protein to prevent a sugar crash and the whole cycle starting again. The baby food can be used as a source of protein, but you need to get some sugar in first (Honey, syrup, Nutrical etc)
Just make sure your pup eats regularly and you don't tire him out too much, sleep is very important for puppies. He is most at risk when stressed from the move and all the excitement of a new house and people. Make sure you have some of the exact food the breeder was feeding, as you need to make sure he eats.


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## kirstychi

thanks wicked pixie. whats the best protein stuff to follow it up with? 
i will be feeding him eukanuba, i read that its one of the best ones, and i know i can always get that.


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## Wicked Pixie

Ideally feed him some of his regular food, but a pup that won't eat and is showing signs of hypoglycemia is at risk, so tempt them with anything, baby food, scrambled egg, cooked meat, whatever they will take.
Eukanuba is not a great food, there are much better choices out there. Have a look at whichdogfood.co.uk for some better options. Generally any food you can buy in a supermarket is not a quality food. Look at 4 and 5 star rated foods, ideally grain free, especially for a puppy.


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## kirstychi

Thank you for the advice wicked pixie


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## kirstychi

Well I am going to be feeding my dog Eden food


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## Wicked Pixie

A much better food than Eukanuba  Keep him on whatever the breeder was using for the first few weeks or so while he settles in, then change over gradually.


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## kirstychi

Ok, will do that. I just want him home with me now


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## Sharrielynne

Thanks for the great info, my vet told me Max could go hypoglycemic if he misses too many meals too to stress with medications. This article has really helped me!


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