Hypoglycemia Treatment!!!

                  In some respects, bringing your small puppy home is like bringing home a tiny newborn human. There are various things to watch for and some do's and don'ts that are helpful. Most important! Most small breeds or toy breeds, may be susceptible to a from of low blood sugar called hypoglycemia, You probably won't experience low blood sugar, but, in the event that you do , it is an emergency. A little bit of sugar, given to your puppy in some form, may save his life. Small breeds, especially Chihuahuas and Pomeranians, have a very small fat reserve around the liver. When they get stressed for some reason (like going to a new home or you going to work), or if they play too hard (using a lot of energy), or miss a meal, (or late), or a worming or flea treatment,  or get cold the fat reserve is used up and the body will begin to draw upon the blood sugar for energy. If this condition is left unchecked the puppy will grow progressively weaker (fast real fast) until it fall into a coma and eventually dies. The good news is that this condition is easily arrested and puppies who do experience hypoglycemia will usually outgrow it by 18 weeks of age. Your goal, should be to keep the puppies stress level as low as you can during this time, AND to keep some form of SUGAR in the drinking water, karo (corn) syrup, nutri-cal vitamin paste (is the best and you need to have it on hand, get it before you pick-up your new puppy), (honey is not the best) or pancake syrup, for the first 18 weeks. If you come home or wake-up and find your puppy real week or staggering or just wants to sleep, rub some karo syrup (karo is one of the best it is absorbed thru the gums) on its gums and call a vet. Some signs of hypoglycemia: Signs vary; usually the puppy will get a sad forlorn look on its face, then it will become inactive, eventually staggering, and or falling down, or just laying down, followed by what looks like sleep. This sleeplike condition will turn into a form of tooth-clenching seizures and spasms, followed by a comatose condition, and eventually, death. Not all symptoms may be seen at any one time so watch for any lethargic behavior or lack of coordination. If your puppy seems too sleepy, wake him up, stand him up and make sure he stands and can walk, puppies sleep a lot but should always be ready to play. It's always a good idea to make sure your puppy eats just prior to his being out of your sight for any extended period of time (work, bed at night and so on). You can also boost him with some kind of sugar (not candy), you must make sure to leave some food available and sweet water, at all times.

       Never let any Vet. do any kind of  surgery,  that requires anesthesia, that is not necessary to save your puppies life, before he or she is one year old. By this we mean but not limited  to spaying or neutering or hernia repair that is not life threatening . Any time anesthesia is used it is putting your puppy or dog at risk. Any good Vet. will ask you to wait, and will not do it anyway. A gas type anesthesia is the safest to use, it can be controlled the best, and is therefore the safest if used right.