Hypoglycemia In Dogs
Symptoms and Treatment of Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia is a common problem in small breed dogs like Chihuahuas and Yorkshire Terriers. The definition, symptoms, and treatment for hypoglycemia is outlined.
Hypoglycemia is a common ailment in toy breed dogs. Hypoglycemia is low blood sugar. The pancreas makes the hormone insulin, when there is too much insulin the body can develop hypoglycemia.Toy breed dogs can develop hypoglycemia even when they are healthy because they don't have the fat stores to use for energy, and their liver can not produce enough sugar to use as energy. Diabetic pets who receive to much insulin can also become hypoglycemic.
Symptoms of hypoglycemia: Symptoms include but are not limited to: Slow heartbeat and breathing, weak, sleepy, disoriented, wobbly, glassy eyed, and seizures. In some cases pets may lose consciousness and fall into a coma. Pets can die from hypoglycemia if they do not receive treatment.
Diagnosing hypoglycemia: Your veterinarian can diagnose hypoglycemia with a quick blood test that checks your pets blood glucose or blood sugar.
Treatment for hypoglycemia: If you notice your pet is acting wobbly or weak try giving some treats or canned food, anything you know your pet will eat. If your pet won't eat, try giving it some sugar, Karo syrup works the best. Rub the syrup on the gums and under the tongue if your pet is unconscious. If your pet is not unconscious and can swallow you can give the sugar with a needleless syringe. If your pet’s blood sugar drops it may also begin to suffer with hypothermia, so you'll need to help keep your cat or dog warm with a hot water bottle and blankets.
A milk jug filled with steaming hot water makes a good hot water bottle in a pinch. This treatment can also work with puppies and kittens who are failing to thrive. After giving initial first aid get your pet to your veterinarian immidiately.
Diabetics and hypoglycemia: If diabetics are given to much insulin they can develop hypoglycemia. Diabetic pet owners should monitor their dog or cat closely for signs of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia and try to be consistent with exercise and daily feedings. Staying consistent with a feeding and exercise schedule will help avoid the dangers of hypoglycemia. If you are worried about your pet’s blood sugar levels, call your veterinarian.
Collapsing trachea is a disease seen primarily in small breeds such as Yorkshire terriers. Heredity is a suspected cause and the disease usually occurs in older pets. The trachea, or windpipe, is constructed of numerous individual rings, which extend from the back of the mouth to the middle of the chest. In affected pets, several rings become weak over time. The net result is a narrowed airway, which makes it difficult for the pet to breathe. Owners often describe a honking or raspy cough, which in the early stages resolves after a few minutes of rest. As the disease progresses, the patients become more stressed with each attack, which causes the trachea to collapse even more. If your pet shows signs of difficulty breathing or severe coughing, take it to your veterinarian immediately. Chest radiographs are usually necessary to make an accurate diagnosis and to estimate the location and number of rings involved. Emergency treatment is aimed at relaxing the patient and enriching the oxygen environment around the pet. This is accomplished by injectable sedatives, such as Valium, and placing the animal in an oxygen chamber or on intranasal oxygen.
Treatment may take a few hours to overnight care at an emergency center, depending on the severity of signs. Sadly, this disease can be fatal over time.
The good news is it has a slow progression and can be fairly well-managed with medications and activity adjustments."
Dog parvo is a very contagious disease.
Parvo can live outside of a dog’s body for some time. As such, it can be transferred from one dog to another very easily. When a dog licks, sniffs, or even get in contact with the waste of another dog suffering from the disease, that dog will become infected as well.
The best and only way to prevent the parvo virus from infecting your pet and from entering into your household is to vaccinate all your dogs. The shots for dog parvo are available at the veterinarian’s office. The parvo vaccine is usually given in three shots, with each one scheduled at some time apart from the other. When your dog is old enough, it will be given a booster shot to complete the immunization process.The Symptoms of Dog Parvovirus
If you really love your dog, you won’t wish for the symptoms of dog parvo to show. Dog parvo is a very fatal disease.
It can take your dog’s life within days of the time that the symptoms show.
When it comes to the parvo virus, you must not wait until the dog shows all of thesymptoms before taking it to the vet.
The sooner the dog gets treatment, the higher are the chances that it will recover from this condition.
Diarrhea
The first and most distinctive symptom of dog parvo is dog diarrhea. If your dog excretes watery waste coupled with a very foul odor, it could be suffering from dog parvo. As such, you should take your dog to the vet for further diagnosis.
While diarrhea is a symptom of many other diseases, it is better to be sure.
