Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia in puppies during shipping.

One of the biggest problems in handling new puppies is a stress-out factor that occurs while shipping and weaning.

It is not uncommon in puppies to have reoccuring episodes of hypolglycemia (low-sugar).

When hypoglycemia puppies go down, their liver function shuts down, decreasing glucose production from fat stores. It is four days before the puppy can regulate the glucose because the liver is not making glucose from the energy stored between meals. Feeding around the clock hours is not always practical. This is a very frustrating ailment to treat.

If you have a puppy that has just been shipped or seems really stressed, the most likely cause is hyploglycemia. You will need to be patient and give the puppy a tsp. of honey of the tongue or some light corn syrup. This should help regulate the blood sugar levels in the puppy. If you feel the puppy is not getting stronger the best option is to let the vet check the puppy out.

The best thing to do in a situation as this, is to be patient and let the puppy stay in the crate for a couple of days and prevent overhandling until he/she becomes more comfortable in it's surroundings.