Low Blood Sugar Symptoms in Dogs

Hypoglycemia is the name given to the condition of low blood sugar and it occurs when the blood sugar concentration falls below 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) of blood. This condition signifies that the animal's diet does not consist of certain substances which help the body to make enough sugar. As mentioned earlier, this medical condition is mostly diagnosed in puppies and is rare in adult dogs. This is due to the fact that puppies (especially those less than 3 months of age) cannot regulate their blood glucose concentration due to their tender age. As a result, they are the ones who have a higher requirement for glucose.

Symptoms Exhibited by Hypoglycemic Dogs
Owners must watch out for shaking or quivering of their dogs, slow heartbeat and breathing and abnormal lethargy. Other than loss of appetite in dogs, prominent symptoms of low blood sugar include loss of balance and coordination, sudden weakness, dilated pupils and unusual behavior (exhibiting fear of some kind and looking for places to hide). Apparent blindness, seizures, sleepy, restlessness and coma may also indicate the onset of hypoglycemia in canines.

Causes
Reduced frequency of meals is one of the common reasons of hypoglycemia in dogs, apart from the lack of foods that are rich in proteins. If there is a reduction of glucose in the body, it also gives rise to low blood sugar in dogs. In some cases, vigorous exercise and excessive insulin administration are the factors that cause the blood sugar levels to go down in canines. Dog illnesses such as canine Addison's disease, liver disease, insulinomas (tumors of the insulin producing cells in the pancreas ), glycogen disease, serious systemic bacterial infection in dogs and diseases where there is an abnormal storage of glucose as starch in the liver, are also responsible for the condition.

Treatment
Once you notice all such symptoms in your dogs, then it is advisable to feed the dog with Karo syrup or similar sugar products. Administer the syrup with a needleless syringe and if your dog is unconscious then rub the sugar on the gums and under the tongue. This should be done before you take your pet to a veterinary hospital. When the blood sugar level drops, dogs may feel extremely cold and so keeping them warm is also important. Any medications which have been prescribed by the vet should be followed according to the recommended dosages and regular check-ups should also be taken care off. Regular and frequent feeding (4 times a day), routine vaccinations and de-worming procedures should also be a part of the treatment for low blood sugar in dogs. Apart from all these treatment methods, treating and taking care of all the underlying causes of the medical condition is also equally important when it comes to the prevention part.

Hypoglycemia in dogs is not a severe condition if it is tend to immediately. It becomes more important for owners whose dogs are diabetic. They should keep a close watch on their pets, for any signs of low or high blood sugar level and also see to it that they are getting the proper amount of feeding and exercises too.