| Hypoglycemia - Toy Breeds |
Toy breed puppies may be susceptible to a form 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, and you should be prepared. When toy puppies are stressed for
any reason, like going to a new home or playing extra hard(using a lot of energy), or not
eating well, the body will begin to draw upon the stored blood sugar for energy. When
the stored sugar levels get low, the puppy will become weak and lethargic. If this
condition is left unchecked the dog will grow progressively weaker until it falls into a
coma and eventually dies. The good news is that this condition is easily arrested and
puppies that do experience hypoglycemia will usually outgrow it by 16 weeks of age.
Your goal, as a new owner, should be to keep the puppy's stress level as low as
possible during the first few weeks at his new home.
The age this is most often seen is between six and ten weeks. During that time the
puppy is weaned away from the dam, wormed, vaccinated, bathed, his toenails are
trimmed, and sometimes he is sold into a new environment. 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. All together, these factors
contribute to a very stressful time for the little dog. Some puppies breeze right through it
and others have problems. Please don't buy toy puppies under 12 weeks of age!
Signs of hypoglycemia vary; usually the puppy will get a sad forlorn look on its face,
then it will become inactive and sleepy. If left untreated staggering and seizures may
follow and eventually, death. Of course seizures and death may be avoided with prompt
and early action. If you witness lethargic behavior beyond normal napping or a lack of
coordination. wake the puppy up, stand him up and make sure he stands and can walk
normally. If he falls into a heap, or staggers, then get some sugar into him.
Hypoglycemia is seen most often in tiny puppies under 1 3/4 pounds and under 12
weeks of age. But I want all new owners to be prepared and plan to stay with your
puppy as much as possible the first few days, and not over stress them by taking them
outside of the home. It is hard to hold the breeders responsible for hypoglycemia when
they aren’t there. While hypoglycemia could be a potential problem to any puppy, given
the proper circumstances, it can be easily treated.
IMMEDIATELY give the puppy Karo syrup, honey or honey water, sugar water,
pancake syrup,or nutri-cal by mouth or rub it into on the gums to help restore lost blood
sugar. Follow up with a call to the vet.
Stress and not eating can be a real problem to some toy breeds. Common sources for
high stress are, being sold and taken to a new environment, a temporarily depressed
immune system caused by vaccinations, a radical and sudden change of diet, or being
terribly frightened by something. The point being that you should reduce stress in your
puppy’s life to a minimum whenever possible and keep him eating to offset any possible
bouts of stress-induced hypoglycemia.
hypoglycemia. You probably won’t experience low blood sugar, but in the event that you
do, it is an emergency, and you should be prepared. When toy puppies are stressed for
any reason, like going to a new home or playing extra hard(using a lot of energy), or not
eating well, the body will begin to draw upon the stored blood sugar for energy. When
the stored sugar levels get low, the puppy will become weak and lethargic. If this
condition is left unchecked the dog will grow progressively weaker until it falls into a
coma and eventually dies. The good news is that this condition is easily arrested and
puppies that do experience hypoglycemia will usually outgrow it by 16 weeks of age.
Your goal, as a new owner, should be to keep the puppy's stress level as low as
possible during the first few weeks at his new home.
The age this is most often seen is between six and ten weeks. During that time the
puppy is weaned away from the dam, wormed, vaccinated, bathed, his toenails are
trimmed, and sometimes he is sold into a new environment. 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. All together, these factors
contribute to a very stressful time for the little dog. Some puppies breeze right through it
and others have problems. Please don't buy toy puppies under 12 weeks of age!
Signs of hypoglycemia vary; usually the puppy will get a sad forlorn look on its face,
then it will become inactive and sleepy. If left untreated staggering and seizures may
follow and eventually, death. Of course seizures and death may be avoided with prompt
and early action. If you witness lethargic behavior beyond normal napping or a lack of
coordination. wake the puppy up, stand him up and make sure he stands and can walk
normally. If he falls into a heap, or staggers, then get some sugar into him.
Hypoglycemia is seen most often in tiny puppies under 1 3/4 pounds and under 12
weeks of age. But I want all new owners to be prepared and plan to stay with your
puppy as much as possible the first few days, and not over stress them by taking them
outside of the home. It is hard to hold the breeders responsible for hypoglycemia when
they aren’t there. While hypoglycemia could be a potential problem to any puppy, given
the proper circumstances, it can be easily treated.
IMMEDIATELY give the puppy Karo syrup, honey or honey water, sugar water,
pancake syrup,or nutri-cal by mouth or rub it into on the gums to help restore lost blood
sugar. Follow up with a call to the vet.
Stress and not eating can be a real problem to some toy breeds. Common sources for
high stress are, being sold and taken to a new environment, a temporarily depressed
immune system caused by vaccinations, a radical and sudden change of diet, or being
terribly frightened by something. The point being that you should reduce stress in your
puppy’s life to a minimum whenever possible and keep him eating to offset any possible
bouts of stress-induced hypoglycemia.
| The Molera - Chi's Only |
The Molera or soft spot as we know it, on the top of the skull of many chihuahuas is
an acceptable characteristkc. This small soft spot when hit with any extreme pressure
such as a fall to the floor from your arms or the bite of a large dog can cause sudden
death. In some cases the molera closes by the time your puppy is 3-6 months old, but
often times the tinies never lose their soft spot. Even after the molera has closed their
heads are still fragile and you must be careful not to let them fall or leap from your
arms. Just like human babies Chihuahuas require care to keep them safe. You may
read more about the chihauhua and the molerea at the website of the Chihuahua Club
of America
an acceptable characteristkc. This small soft spot when hit with any extreme pressure
such as a fall to the floor from your arms or the bite of a large dog can cause sudden
death. In some cases the molera closes by the time your puppy is 3-6 months old, but
often times the tinies never lose their soft spot. Even after the molera has closed their
heads are still fragile and you must be careful not to let them fall or leap from your
arms. Just like human babies Chihuahuas require care to keep them safe. You may
read more about the chihauhua and the molerea at the website of the Chihuahua Club
of America
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| 'Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!' |
Dental Issues
| First and foremost in any toy breed dogs health is keeping up with good dental health. Previously I have recommended a dental at the vet once per year. More maybe needed in some toy breed dogs. The tinier the dog and shorter the nose, the more it seems there is dental concern. It has been proven that poor dental hygiene will shorten the life of your pet. Poor dental health in toy breeds will put at risk your dogs heart, liver and kidneys. But the toy breed chihuahua is put at risk every time they go under general anesthesia also. So what do you do? I have started using PetzLife Oral Care Products in my Chihuahuas. It makes an AMAZING difference. If your pet already has tarter you will need to use the product twice a day for 2 weeks or until you achieve the desired results. if you are starting with a tarter buildup you may need to brush every three days or so as well. Once you have acquired those pearly whites you can change to a maintenance schedule of 3 times per week. More information can be found on our Gift and Supplies website at Little Shop of Terrors. Should you choose this route of dental care, we would appreciate your business. |
