20/01/2025
For all our chihuahua owners and breeders, such a great informative read!
Thanks you for sharing this with us DV Boutiquechi Chihuahuas
I REPOST this often as hypoglycemia is the biggest killer in small breed puppies. I get calls all the time asking us for tiny tiny babies. We do not ever purposely breed for tinies but they sometimes happen as chihuahua breed standard Akc is 2 to 6 pounds.A huge misconception is also that we must be breeding tiny mothers to get tiny puppies. We don't ever do this as too much risk on death of adults. This is not how genetics work.. our Moms are not bred unless at least 5 pounds. Even with bigger females you can run into complications and need a c section. BEFORE TAKING HOME ONE OF OUR BABIES OR ANY TOY BREED PUPPY from anywhere it is ESSENTIAL YOU MUST EDUCATE YOURSELF ON HYPOGLYCEMIA.......
READ...READ...READ....READ....Everyone must read this before bringing home their new Chihuahua...Some inexperienced Vets with tinies will try to tell owners these babies have hydrocephalus or a liver shunt and should be putting them to sleep ..saying they are hydro or have a liver shunt when they are only sugar crashing with hypoglycemia.."SOME" vets do not know how to treat or recognize this in small dogs....so you must read this before buying or adopting one...The Dangers of Hypoglycemia in Small Dogs and How to Prevent It
Puppy hypoglycemia occurs in young puppies, more commonly toy breeds, that cannot yet maintain their blood glucose levels. It can even occur in adult toy breeds. When puppies transition to their new homes this can be an EXTREMELY stressful time for them and in times of stress puppies can experience hypoglycemia LOW BLOOD SUGARS because they may not eat as much as they should from stress, or they play hard and then forget to go to the bowl, they get chilled, or flea pesticides and overvaccination can also cause this issue as well as poor quality diets full of cheap fillers and ingredients resourced from China, dangerous treats, abruptly changing diet puppy was eating previously eating, and getting chilled.
Hypoglycemia can become severe QUICKLY and require hospitalization. Unfortunately, if not addressed AND treated immediately, it can lead to hypothermia, seizures, and death.
The best way to avoid this is by feeding a high quality diet every 3-4 hours, at young ages we leave access to food and water 24/7. High quality diet means high quality commercial raw if that's what you want to feed, gently cooked vet approved recipes, human grade dehydrated diet or commercial fresh diet, or vet approved Homemade diets. If you have to use kibble choose one without corn and loads of cheap fillers and add balanced homecooked as toppers,or Honest Kitchen, healthy additives like eggs, spinach, blueberries, sardines,Greek yogurt, and a great probiotic. Some tinies require small meals every two hours. With our puppies we leave access to food and water 24/7. However, it's important to ensure puppies are eating appropriate portions and not just leave meals and not follow closely as their livers are very tiny and have difficulties with glucose regulation.
Because of their super-small size, these puppies have problems with blood sugar regulation that can surface during their first several months of life.
Glucose is the main source of energy for the body and the only source of energy for the brain. When puppies use up most of the glucose in the blood hypoglycemia(low blood sugar occurs), the body responds by releasing stored glucose from the liver. As the amount of glucose supplied by the blood drops, the brain is one of the first organs affected. When no more stored glucose is available for energy, the brain can be damaged beyond repair.
Toy breed hypoglycemia is usually seen in toy breed dogs less than 5 months of age. Toy breeds are particularly vulnerable because these little guys have more brain mass per body weight compared to other breeds. They need more glucose for their size to maintain proper brain function.
There are several reasons that blood sugar issues arise in toy breed dogs.
Their tiny size makes it difficult for them to regulate their body temperature.
They cut their teeth late, and so can have difficulty chewing hard kibble – even puppy sized kibble and this is why we instruct everyone not to ever give hard kibble to soak it first with spring water until mushy and add small amounts goat milk or kefir or dog bond broth or wet food and finely ground chicken for snacks in between.
Poor food intake makes it difficult for the body to regulate blood sugar levels.
They become listless as they get cold and then they don’t even have the energy to eat.
When blood sugar drops it creates more listlessness. The brain needs glucose for energy. Without it, incoordination results and in advanced cases, seizures and death may occur.
As stated above tiny need to be fed four to six times daily. Check the food bowls to be sure the puppy is eating often and well. For our tinies at young age we allow access 24/7.
Toy breed puppies need to be kept warm even on days that don’t necessarily seem cold.
Hypoglycemia IS AN EMERGENCY. SIGNS TO WATCH
Lethargy, weakness
Lack of appetite
Incoordination
Low body temperature
Unconsciousness
Seizures
If the puppy is showing signs, refusing to eat and not responding to tempting foods, the first thing to do is to grab a bottle of Karo Syrup (corn syrup). Immediately rub a small amount directly on the puppy’s gums. Because the gum tissue will absorb the sugar directly, the puppy does not need to swallow. Following this, wrap the puppy in a warm blanket and head to the veterinarian.
At the vet clinic, the puppy will be warmed, blood sugar will be checked, and if necessary, an IV drip will be started with Dextrose (sugar) infused directly into the bloodstream. Response is usually rapid if the hypoglycemia is caught in time. The veterinarian will not release the puppy until it reliably eats on its own. At home, several days of extra care may be needed. It is extra important to watch food intake and be aware of any changes in energy level.
Other Factors That Can Complicate Things…
Although simple hypoglycemia is usually the case with toy breeds, there are other factors that can pop up and require treatment:
Viral and Bacterial Infection
Toy breed pups also need to be protected from exposure to disease-causing organisms. Viruses and bacterial infections that are a risk in canine social situations can be killers. Parvovirus and distemper are tough on any puppy, even fatal….but they can be rapidly deadly to a toy breed. they simply cannot withstand the viral onslaught. protect your puppy from disease by limiting exposure to other unknown dogs in social situations.
Stress
Stress is always rough on puppies. When stressors are present, maintaining a healthy blood sugar level is all the more difficult. Any type of stress increases the body’s demand for blood sugar, whether the stress is caused by their surroundings or bodily stress – parasites, diarrhea.
As your puppy ages, they gain in size and weight, their teeth grow in and become strong, they gain fat stores, and their immune system matures and begins to function efficiently. Hypoglycemia risks then become minimal. With a little extra care, a toy breed puppy will soon be out of the woods…and into the trouble that all healthy, happy puppies seem to get into! However, small toy breeds can still get episodes of hypoglycemia like with illness so you should always be knowledgeable what to look for.
Symptoms of hypoglycemia include: severe weakness, tremors, shaking, confusion, vomiting, anorexia and ultimately seizures. If these symptoms occur give sugar IMMEDIATELY in the form of karo syrup and get your puppy to the ER vet ASAP. Honey is contraindicated in puppies younger then a year as can cause botulism.
Save the nutrical for emergencies. It SHOULD NOT be given as a regular supplement as it causes spikes in glucose which results in insulin release from the pancreas thus causing blood glucose levels to be irregular and possible crashes.
Hypoglycemia for small dogs is one of the most dangerous and deadly conditions that a toy breed puppy can encounter. I’ve seen too many cases where a new owner is not properly educated about hypoglycemia in small dogs, and the puppy dies because the owner did not know what to do. This post does not only apply to puppies, but adult toy breed dogs as well. Hypoglycemia can occur in adult dogs if you are not careful. I feel this is THE most important piece of information that any new owner should have when it comes to a puppy’s health. It should be MANDATORY that anybody thinking of buying a toy breed dog read this article before they bring their puppy home. It could save you dog’s life! This is why our babies stay here until at least 12 weeks old..TINIES DO NOT LEAVE OUR HOME UNTIL AT LEAST 16 TO 24 WEEKS so please do not get upset with me that I don't send puppies home at 8 weeks of age. I have very good reasons why I do not ever do this.
As long as your puppy or dog eats on a regular basis they should not have any troubles with this deadly condition. However, if your puppy even misses one meal, they could fall victim to hypoglycemia. Furthermore, the following could speed up the onset of hypoglycemia even further:
1.Stress (like transfer to new home environment, )
2.Change in diet
3.Infections
4.Poor Nutrition
5.Low body temperature.
6. Vaccinations in large combos.( one vaccine at a time find holistic vet that will give one vaccine at a time then titer test.) We do not ever recommend administration of Lyme, lepto,bordatella, or flu vaccines and we do not use any oral or topical pesticides..all can be deadly in these little babies. THERE ARE MANY holistic options that work. Rabies (there are waivers available in several states do your research.) Find a holistic vet that offer thirmosal free rabies and will base vaccinations on your tiny chihuahuas lifestyle.
The signs to look out for if you suspect your dog to becoming hypoglycemic are: laziness, lethargic, shivering,vomiting, non-responsive, stumbling, and worst of all, comatose. Checking your dog’s gums is also an excellent method in detecting hypoglycemia. A healthy dog should have warm and pink gums. If your dog’s gums are cold and white, they are most likely in a hypoglycemic state. If you notice your dog experience any of these symptoms, IMMEDIATELY rub Karo syrup on gums and wrap baby in heat pad. There are some products that you can buy that are made for this purpose, such as Nutri-Stat or Nutra-Cal, but in the case of severe hypoglycemic low Karo syrup is required. I use Karo Syrup which you can find in your local grocery store.
Raising a smaller dog should be a very fun and rewarding experience. With some proper education beforehand, the process will go a lot smoother and ensure that your puppy grows up healthy. Just remember that hypoglycemia can be prevented by:
1. Keeping a close eye on your puppy’s condition at all times and his appetite and nutrition. This means setting an alarm and getting up every few hours in middle of night to check puppy and ensure they have eaten as often times when puppies do not eat good prior to bed and then nothing at night hypoglycemia occurs when sleeping and you will not know until it's too late.
2. Proper feeding healthy balanced diet and ensuring puppy eats small meals every few hours
3. Proper rest
4. Being kept warm.
5. Avoid overvaccination no large combo vaccines no leptosporosis vaccines no bordatella no lyme.. 6. NO USE OF FLEA/TICK PESTICIDES like nexgard simparica bravecto, etc..there are plenty of holistic options that are effective. SEEK A HOLISTIC VET WILLING TO vaccinations one at a time based on lifestyle And then titer test.With this information, you should be properly guarded against your dog falling victim to hypoglycemia.
I WANT TO SHARE AN EXAMPLE I read from an Er vet...this happened to a family I spoke to. A perfectly healthy pup leaves the breeder, goes about 6 weeks, undergoing several changes including food over that time frame, owner does not notice pup is not eating as much, and wakes up in the morning with the pup unconscious and cold.
Ultimately the baby couldn’t be saved, and the vet speculated that hydrocephalus or livershunt may have contributed, giving VALIDATION to the hundreds in testing that they charged while trying to identify “the root” of the problem. In the end, they have cashed in on the new parent’s lack of knowledge, and given foundation to their costly investigation process, writing off blood sugar as a secondary symptom, thereby justifying the bill, and their inability to save a pup who “likely had more going on”.
There are different ways this presents, but I assure you, if parents are made aware of the issues and are quick to act, they will never fall victim to misleading medical speculation after tragedy.”
Hopefully this has served to help at least save 1 life as hypoglycemia kills way too many puppies. By sharing knowledge and education on how to prevent it, recognize symptoms of it , and emergency treatment we can save many people heartaches. Xo....Isabella’s Christy's Chihuahuas
Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Squad5five dog apparel & accessories, Pet Supplies, Melbourne.
