In animals and humans, hypoglycemia is a sudden drop in blood sugar, below normal levels.Glucose is used by the body, human or animal, as a vital energy source to perform many functions.The liver is responsible for its manufacture and storage when needed to enter the bloodstream and thus get to the place you need faster.
In this Article of Animal Expert we want to talk to you about hypoglycemia in dogs, its causes and its main symptoms to help you identify it in time, because it is something that can be fatal if not treated in time.
- There are different types of causes.
- From those caused by us.
- Or veterinarians.
- To hereditary or genetic.
- By races that are more likely to suffer from this problem because of its size.
So-called transient juvenile hypoglycemia is most common in miniature breeds such as the Yorkshire Terrier, Chihuahua and Poodle Toy, among other reasons for prolonged fasting, which usually occurs between 5 and 15 weeks of life, this does not happen in all cases.but it is quite common and requires immediate veterinary medical attention, in these cases it is important that they always have food at their disposal, at least up to a year of life, this type of hypoglycemia is triggered by stress or excessive exercise, often living in homes with children who want to play all the time because it is difficult to control, added that many are so young that they do not have enough muscle mass to store glucose and take it in case of exercise excessive, with more chances of suffering from this condition.
In animals treated with insulin, liver damage or other organic causes, sometimes the dose is not calculated correctly and an excess is applied, the animal does not eat enough in relation to the dose received or vomits previously.Insulin overdose is common, either by mistake of calculation or by a double injection.Another common cause of hypoglycaemia in dogs is that the animal is more active during the day and therefore the usual dose applied is not sufficient.
Hypoglycaemia can be classified into 3 types of severity and, if the first stage is not treated properly, the animal will quickly move on to the next stage, with an increased risk of death.Types of canine hypoglycemia include:
In all hypoglycemic states, the first thing to do is to feed the animal to try to reverse the situation as soon as possible.Once you’re sure your blood sugar level is fine, take it to the vet.
There is a treatment with honey or glucose syrup that you can use if your dog does not want to eat, small or miniature dogs should receive a teaspoon and large dogs a tablespoon of this natural remedy to regulate glucose levels.Normally. It is a very fast treatment, like an energetic shock, if you do not want to swallow the honey you can rub with it the gums, because it will absorb it, in less amount, but act, the important thing as owners is to keep calm and, first, do small things at home, then go to the specialist.
If you do not have honey at home you can prepare a glucose solution with water, it is nothing more than sugar dissolved in water, but we must calculate 1 tablespoon per 5 kg of weight of our animal, it is advisable to have it.prepared at home in bottle for use in case of emergency.
After stabilizing the animal, you should consult your veterinarian to adjust the next dose of insulin and not cause further hypoglycaemia in the dog.
This article is for informational purposes only, in Animal Expert.com.br we cannot prescribe veterinary treatments or make any type of diagnosis, we suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case of any condition or discomfort.
If you would like to read articles similar to, we recommend that you visit our Other Health Problems section.