| Health Issues |
| 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!' |