WARNING TO ALL POTENTIAL BUYERS!!!
HYPOGLYCEMIA, the medical term for low blood sugar, is the NUMBER ONE cause of DEATH in toy breeds..buyers, please read this information CAREFULLY because you can PREVENT a hypoglycemic death.
Because Hypoglycemia is PREVENTABLE, it is NOT covered on my guarantee. It is YOUR responsibility as a new puppy owner to READ THIS INFORMATION and become educated on how to properly care for your new Yokie baby.
Hypoglycemia most often occurs in puppies from 8 to 20 weeks of age, but can also occur in mature toy breeds when they become stressed. STRESS is what usually causes hypoglycemia.
Puppies can become stressed from actions such as moving to a new home, being alone for long periods of time, playing too rough, refusal to eat, change of environment and food/water, too much traveling, exposure to low room temperatures, bacterial infections, or from your inabillity to let your puppy rest and sleep.
Puppies need A LOT of sleep..puppies should most definately sleep and rest more than they are allowed to play, you should never wake a sleeping puppy.
There are many warning signs of hypoglycemia: lack of energy, weakness, tilting of the head, an unbalanced wobbling when walking, great hunger or refusal to eat, restlessness, high pitched whimpering and whining, shivering and/or trembling, disorientation, seizures or convulsions, white or pale gray gums, coma, and death.
If your new puppy is displaying any of these symptoms you should assume it is hypoglycemia and treat it accordingly. It's always better to be safe than sorry! If your puppy was not having a hypoglycemic spell, treatment would not have done it harm anyway..but if the spell WAS due to hypoglycemia, treatment would have saved you puppy's life.
If you own/plan to own a toy breed puppy there are things you need to always keep on hand: dry 'Bil-Jac' or dry 'Royal Canine' brand puppy food, wet 'Cesar Puppy' brand puppy food, 'Karo' brand corn syrup, Nutri-cal, 'HoneyNut Cheerios' or 'Lucky Charms' brand cereal [FYI: adding about 8 pieces of one of these cereals to your puppy's usual meal is a great PREVENTATIVE tip for hypoglycemia], vienna sausages from the baby/toddler isle in the grocery store, 'Pedialyte' or 'Rebound', and a heating pad.
When treating your puppy for hypoglycemia you should always remain CALM.
If you suspect your puppy is showing MILD signs of hypoglycemia, you should start treating it immediately by feeding it a mixture of the 'Cesar Puppy' wet puppy food and the 'Bil-Jac' or 'Royal Canine' [which ever you have] dry puppy food..about a tablespoon of the wet food to a 1/3 cup of the dry food. If your puppy will not eat that, lightly drizzle the 'Karo' corn syrup over the top of the mixture. Let the puppy taste the syrup from your finger. If the puppy STILL refuses to eat, Nutri-cal should be administered immediately. Place about an inch of Nutri-cal on your finger and wipe it on the roof of your puppy's mouth or tounge. Repeat this process in 10 minute intervals if needed. If you are out of Nutri-cal, you can use 'Karo' corn syrup as a back-up. Once your puppy is more alert, feed them the wet/dry puppy food mixture with the 'Karo' drizzled on top. If your puppy is still refusing to eat the mixture, try the baby/toddler vienna sausages. Your puppy will probably be dehydrated and will need a lot of liquids, offer him/her 'Pedialyte' or 'Rebound'. Also, your puppy will most likely be cold..so you will need to fix him/her a bed on top of a heating pad set on medium temperature. Your puppy may also want to snuggle close to you to get warm. Allow your puppy to get a lot of undisturbed rest. Observe your puppy for several hours to insure a hypoglycemic spell doesn't happen again. Continue observing your pet and give corn syrup and food as needed.
If your puppy is showing SEVERE signs of hypoglycemia, especially if it is having seizures or unconscious, you must give 'Karo' corn syrup immediately. Carefully rub small amount of the syrup on the cheeks and gums. Do NOT put a lot of liquid in the puppy's mouth, and be sure the puppy does not choke. Do not stick your fingers between the teeth of a seizuring puppy, you may get bitten. Call a vet immediately and get additional instructions. Your puppy will most likely need to go to the vet immediately.
Please remember to keep plenty of food and water available to your puppy at ALL times and that your puppy gets plenty of rest.
Also, if you are questioning whether or not to call your vet, you can reach me at 918-839-0048 anytime and I will be more than happy to help you with any questions or concerns.
We sincerely hope that your puppy never has a hypoglycemic attack, and we also hope that this information will prevent an attack or educate you on how to treat it. Our goal is to ALWAYS provide you with a happy, healthy YORKIE puppy.