Hypoglycemia
What is hypoglycemia?
Hypoglycemia is low blood sugar. It is prevalent among toy breed dogs.
It is more common in puppies than adult dogs. As a result of hypoglycemia the pup’s brain becomes devoid of essential
nutrients. The effects of hypoglycemia can be fatal if not treated soon enough.
You will probably never experience hypoglycemia but if you do it is
an emergency. You should know as much about it as possible so you will be prepared if you are ever faced with it.
What causes hypoglycemia?
Many things can cause hypoglycemia in a puppy but the most common
cause is not eating or not eating enough. It is very important to make sure your puppy eats, especially if he is real tiny.
I keep food available for the puppies at all time. A tiny puppy can not eat much at one time so they need food available to
nibble on at all times. Watch and make sure they are eating enough. If you think your puppy may not be eating enough tempt
him with a healthy snack such as Gerber baby chicken or chicken sticks for human babies.
Perfectly healthy small breed puppies can develop hypoglycemia. Absence
of fat stores in their body, or inadequate sugar produced by the liver might cause hypoglycemia. If the pancreas produces
excessive sugar and the dogs do not get enough exercise it can also cause hypoglycemia.
Stress is another possible cause of hypoglycemia. Stress can be brought
on by going to a new home, traveling, changes in the home (such as a new dog or new baby), vaccinations, worm preventatives,
change in food, weaning, and many other things.
Playing too long or hard can cause a puppies blood sugar to drop too
low. It is important to make sure your puppy eats after being very active.
Coccidiosis or parasites can also cause hypoglycemia.
Small breed puppies six to twelve weeks of age are prone to hypoglycemia.
This is a very stressful time for a puppy. They are weaned from their mother, given worm preventatives and vaccinations, and
sent to live in new homes. They also have their first bath and have their toenails trimmed for the first time around this
age which can be very stressful for some puppies. Also, the immunity that a puppy gets from the mother’s first milk
will drop off somewhere around the ninth week, and that will increase his vulnerability to virus and bacteria making a puppy
more susceptible to hypoglycemia.
What are the symptoms of hypoglycemia?
Symptoms of hypoglycemia may include excessive sleeping, depression,
weakness, staggering, seizures, restlessness, disoriented looks and glassy eyes. A puppy might even have brain damage if hypoglycemia
is not treated as a medical emergency. In some cases low blood sugar can also cause coma in puppies.
A puppy may at first just look like she doesn’t feel quiet right,
then she may not be as active as usual and start laying around or sleeping a lot. Next the puppy may start to have seizures,
followed by coma and eventually death if not treated. Not all puppies will exhibit all these symptoms. If your puppy seems
too sleepy, wake him up, stand him up and make sure he stands and can walk normally. If he lies back down, falls, or staggers,
then give emergency treatment immediately and call your vet.
How should hypoglycemia be treated?
If you see any signs of hypoglycemia you should act immediately. Give
him some nutri cal or karo syrup then call your vet. If you are unable to get in touch with a vet make sure the puppy eats
something high in protein. His puppy food or Gerber baby food chicken or chicken sticks (for human babies) work great for
this.
If the puppy is unconscious due to hypoglycemia you should go to your
vet immediately. You can use your finger to rub a little karo syrup on the puppy’s gums and tongue on the way to the
vet. Do not actually put syrup in an unconscious puppy’s mouth, just a little rubbed off the tip of your finger. If
the pup is conscious, the syrup can be given by mouth using a syringe without a needle. If you don’t have karo syrup
or nutri cal you can use pancake syrups or nutristat. Always consult your vet if your puppy shows symptoms of hypoglycemia.
Only your vet can determine if there is an underlying health problem causing the hypoglycemia.
In severe cases a veterinarian may have to inject a glucose solution
into the dog’s bloodstream. This occurs usually in cases where the dog is unconscious and unable to swallow. The injection
is usually made into a major blood vein such as the jugular vein in the throat.
How can hypoglycemia be prevented?
There is a lot you can do to help prevent your puppy from developing
hypoglycemia. Watch your puppy closely. If you see any signs of hypoglycemia you should act immediately. Give him some nutri
cal or karo syrup then call your vet. Make sure that your puppy gets plenty too eat. If he has been playing extra hard try
to get him to eat something before he goes to sleep. Make sure you feed a good quality food.
The good news is most puppies that do experience hypoglycemia outgrow
it by the time they are 16 weeks old.
Coccidiosis
Coccidiosis is one of the most common illnesses people encounter when
bringing home a new puppy. This is because coccidiosis can be brought on by stress. The infectious organisms are canine
specific and are not contagious to humans.
Young puppies are frequently infected with coccidia and often develop
active Coccidiosis during times of stress. The presence of coccidia is not a sign of a bad breeder or dirty conditions. No
matter how diligent a breeder is about cleanliness a puppy can still become infected. Infected puppies almost always have
received the parasite from their mother's feces
in their feces will not exhibit any symptoms because their immune
systems are fully developed and able to keep the number of coccidia under control. A young puppy‘s immune system is
not yet fully developed making them more vulnerable to coccidia. Stress such as going to a new home, travel, weather changes,
playing to hard, being over handled , and receiving vaccinations can be enough to cause the puppy to develop coccidiosis .
The most common symptom of coccidiosis in a puppy is diarrhea. The diarrhea may be liquid and thick with mucus. As the infection progresses,
spots of blood may become apparent in the stool, and sudden bowel movements may surprise both dog and owner alike. Coccidia
infection is very common in puppies less than 16 weeks old. If you see these symptoms you should call your vet immediately.
The treatment for coccidiosis is inexpensive and extremely effective.
A vet can easily diagnose the disease through microscopic examination of a puppy’s feces. One of many easily administered
and inexpensive drugs will be prescribed, and, in the course of just a few days, an infection will be eliminated or perhaps
reduced to such a level that the dog's immune system can make its own progress against the infection. Even when an infection
has progressed sufficiently that blood is present in feces, permanent damage to the gastrointestinal system is rare, and the
dog will most likely make a complete recovery without long-lasting negative effects.
Left untreated a puppy could die. Diarrhea is very dangerous to a
small puppy no matter the cause. They can quickly become dehydrated and die. There are many causes of diarrhea and only your
vet can determine the cause. You should get a puppy with diarrhea to your vet as soon as possible.
Because coccidia is spread by the feces of carrier animals, it is
very important to practice strict sanitation. All fecal material should be removed. Make sure that food and water do not become
contaminated with feces. Clean water should be provided at all times. Most disinfectants do not work well against coccidia;
incineration of the feces, and steam cleaning, immersion in boiling water, or a 10% ammonia solution are the best methods
to kill coccidia. Coccidia can withstand freezing.
Stress
Stress is a common cause of illness and even death in puppies going
to a new home. There are many things that can cause stress in a puppy. Going to a new home, being held too much, another pet
in the home, or playing too long and hard are a few of the things that can cause stress. When you bring a new puppy home he
is nervous and excited by the new environment, people, and other things around him.
A puppy needs a quiet place of its own where it can get away from
the stresses of day to day family life. It can be a carrier, an exercise pen, or just a small safe area of your home that
you have blocked off and fixed up especially for the puppy. This special area will not provide the puppy with a safe haven
when he needs some quiet time but will also help with house training and keep your puppy safe when you can not be with your
puppy. This safe area should be in a place that maintains a steady temperature and is not drafty. The puppy should have a
bed, food and water available at all times, and a puppy pad. A blanket in the bed is a good idea since many puppies love to
burrow under blankets and a few toys for the puppy to chew on is also a good idea.
It is so tempting to sit and hold or play with a new puppy all day
but they need a break sometimes. Too much time being held and played with can overtire the puppy causing more stress. Give
the puppy frequent breaks in his quiet area so he can eat and rest during the day.
Changing a puppy’s diet can also cause stress. A puppy should
keep eating the food it was eating with the breeder for a few weeks before making any changes. If you do decide to change
the puppies food do it gradually to avoid not only stress but upset stomach.
Molera
The molera or fontanel on a Chihuahua is much like the soft spot on
top of a human’s baby’s head. In the past the molera was accepted as a mark of purity in the Chihuahua breed and
it is still mentioned in most Chihuahua breed standards.
The molera is not present on all Chihuahua puppies but it is very
common. It occurs on the top of the head and may vary in shape and size. It can be very small or fairly large.
The molera in a Chihuahua puppy is not something to be alarmed about.
Unfortunately many new pet owners and even some veterinarians are not familiar with the Chihuahua breed and mistakenly think
the presence of a molera means a puppy has hydrocephalus. The truth is that a domed head with a molera does not indicate the
presence of hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus is discussed farther below.
When a puppy is born with a molera it may close as the puppy grows
or it may remain for the lifetime of the puppy.
It is important to note that the presence of a molera in a Chihuahua
DOES NOT make the dog or puppy any more susceptible to brain injury or hydrocephalus.
The molera is usually not any larger than your thumb print, there
should be no swelling, bulging, or throbbing present. There should not be more than one molera present. The presence of more
than one molera could be a sign of a problem.
Hydrocephalus
Hydrocephalus is the accumulation of excess cerebrospinal fluid on
the brain. This is not normal for any breed and unfortunately it is not curable. Hydrocephalus is sometimes also referred
to as water on the brain or “hydro”.
When fluid accumulates on the brain it compresses the brain against
the skull. A puppy can be born with this condition or it can be caused by a brain infection or head injury later in life.
A puppy born with hydro usually does not live more than a few months. A puppy with this condition does not grow normally and
is usually very tiny.
Symptoms of hydro inclue wide set or protruding eyes, blindness, walking
in circles, slowness (either mental or physical or a combination of both), seizures, slow growth, and lack of coordination.
You should always consult your veterinarian if you suspect your puppy
may have hydro. I would suggest that you get a second opinion if your puppy is diagnosed with hydro, especially if the vet
suggests euthanizing the puppy. Several years ago a lady purchased a puppy from me and took him in for a routine health check.
The vet told her that her puppy was hydro and should be euthanized to prevent him from suffering. Thankfully she called me
before she had the puppy euthanized and I talked her into getting a second opinion. She took the puppy to two other vets and
both of them agreed that the puppy was NOT hydro but did have a molera. He is still a healthy dog today.
Diagnosis of hydro is usually based on the signs and symptoms the
puppy is exhibiting along with images of the brain. On dogs with a molera an ultrasound can be performed by scanning through
the molera to look for excessive fluid on the brain.
Unfortunately there is no cure for hydrocephalus. Mild cases can be
treated with steroids and diuretics to reduce the pressure on the brain. Also a shunt can be surgically inserted to divert
fluid from the brain.
Luxating patella
The patella is what we would refer to as the dogs knee cap. There
is a groove in the end of the femur that allows the patella to glide up and down when the knee joint is bent back and forth.
The patella guides the quadriceps muscles in the lower leg and protects the knee joint.
In a normal dog there are two ridges that form a deep groove in which
the patella can slide up and down. These grooves limit the patella’s movement keeping it in place.
In some dogs the ridges forming this groove are not prominent enough
so the groove they create is not deep enough. In these dogs the patella can luxate (jump out of the groove). This causes the
leg to lock up and the dog’s foot will be held up off the ground. When the quadriceps muscle relaxes and increases in
length the foot will usually return to a normal position.
When this occurs a dog will usually give a little yelp from pain and
hold his foot up for a few minutes before returning to normal.
Small breed dogs are most at risk for this condition. It can be genetic
or it can be caused by injury. It is more common in older dogs. If your dog is exhibiting symptoms of patella luxation you
should have him evaluated by your vet.
Because of the possible genetic connection a dog with luxating patella
should not be bred. However they can still make wonderful pets.
