How to Handle Hypoglycemia in Young Puppies

Co-authored by Deanne Pawlisch, CVT, MA

Last Updated: January 16, 2023 References

Hypoglycemia occurs when blood glucose levels become too low. In young puppies, it is usually caused by a poor diet or not eating enough food, but can also result from health problems (intestinal parasites) and too much exercise.^{[1]
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Research source} Hypoglycemia can make a young puppy very sick, so it is important to handle hypoglycemia quickly and effectively. If your young puppy is showing signs of hypoglycemia, start treating it immediately, take your puppy to your vet, and prevent future bouts of hypoglycemia.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Providing Immediate Care

1
Recognize hypoglycemia. Glucose gives the body energy. If your puppy is hypoglycemic, you'll first notice it moving more slowly and becoming restless. As the hypoglycemia worsens and your puppy’s brain is starved for glucose, your puppy will tremble, have a blank stare, and fall on its side.^{[2]
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Research source} Other signs of hypoglycemia include:^{[3]
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- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Wobbly walking
- Shivering
- Head tilt
2
Feed your puppy. As soon as you notice your young puppy looking restless, try feeding it some food.^{[4]
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Research source} Eating a little bit of food may be enough to raise your puppy’s blood glucose back to normal levels.^{[5]
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Research source} If your puppy does not want to eat, then you will need to feed it something sweet like honey, corn syrup, or sugar dissolved in water.
- If your young puppy is still nursing, you may need to bottle feed it.
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3
Select a sugar source. A small dose of sugar will help to quickly raise your puppy’s blood glucose levels. Rather than giving your puppy sugar crystals, give it a liquid sugar source:^{[6]
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- Nutri-Cal® (available at your local pet store)
- Maple syrup
- Karo syrup
- Molasses
4
Administer the sugar source. Give your puppy the sugar source by either rubbing a small amount on the gums with your finger or placing a few drops under your puppy’s tongue.^{[7]
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Research source} Placing the sugar source on the gums or under the tongue will help it be absorbed more quickly by the body.^{[8]
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- One to two tablespoons of a sugar source is usually enough to revive a small dog with hypoglycemia.^{[9]
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  Research source} If your young puppy is really tiny, ask your vet about how much you should give.
- You can also place a few drops of the sugar source on your puppy’s tongue.^{[10]
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- If you’re going to give drops of the sugar source, use a medicine dropper.
- To prevent your puppy from choking, do not put the sugar source directly down its throat.^{[11]
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  Small Animal Internal Medicine. Third Edition. Nelson WR and Couto CG. Page 731.}
5
Wait for your puppy to perk up. In many instances of puppy hypoglycemia, just a small amount of sugar will be enough to revive the puppy.^{[12]
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Research source} If the hypoglycemia is not severe, your puppy should perk back up in one to two minutes.^{[13]
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Small Animal Internal Medicine. Third Edition. Nelson WR and Couto CG. Page 731.} If your puppy does not respond, contact your vet immediately.
- Be aware that the sugar source is just a quick fix. Your puppy’s blood glucose levels may drop again, causing another episode of hypoglycemia.^{[14]
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- If your puppy becomes hypoglycemic again, give it more of the sugar source and contact your vet.
6
Give your puppy a small meal. If you needed to give your puppy a sugar source to handle its hypoglycemia, feed it a small amount of high-quality canned puppy food once it perks up.^{[15]
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Research source} The food will give your puppy more glucose and help it recover.
- If your puppy refuses the canned food, try feeding it some tasty treats.^{[16]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Receiving Veterinary Care

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Take your puppy to your vet. Even if your puppy looks fine after getting a little bit of sugar, your vet should still examine your puppy to determine if a health problem has caused the hypoglycemia. If your puppy did not respond at all to the sugar, then a vet visit is essential to get your puppy the intensive care it will need to recover.
- Your puppy will also need to see your vet if it responded to the sugar, but became hypoglycemic again.^{[17]
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2
Have your vet diagnose the hypoglycemia. Your vet will need to confirm that your young puppy has hypoglycemia. They will first perform a physical exam of your puppy. Then, they will take a small blood sample to measure your puppy’s blood glucose levels.^{[18]
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- Intestinal parasites can rob your young puppy’s body of important nutrients like glucose. Your vet may also perform a fecal exam to look for intestinal parasites.^{[19]
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3
Allow your vet to treat the hypoglycemia. If your puppy has severe hypoglycemia, it will need immediate and intensive treatment by your vet. To administer this treatment, your vet will need to hospitalize your puppy for at least one day. Examples of intensive treatment for young puppies with hypoglycemia are:^{[20]
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- Intravenous dextrose (a type of sugar)
- Deworming (kills intestinal parasites)
- Heat therapy
- Fluids

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Preventing Hypoglycemia

1
Maintain a regular feeding schedule. A young puppy’s body cannot regulate its blood glucose levels very well. Feeding your young puppy multiple times a day, at the same times each day, can help prevent hypoglycemia.^{[21]
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Research source} Puppies should eat 3-4 times a day, depending on their age.^{[22]
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Trustworthy Source
The Humane Society of the United States
National organization devoted to the promotion of animal welfare
Go to source}
- Leave the food out for 10 to 20 minutes. This will help prevent your puppy from becoming a picky eater—it will learn that it should eat right away, rather than pick at the food for a long time.^{[23]
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  Trustworthy Source
  American Kennel Club
  The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a purebred dog pedigree registry in the United States. The AKC advocates for the responsible ownership of dogs and promotes purebred dog events, such as the Westminster Dog Show.
  Go to source}
2
Feed your puppy a high-quality puppy diet. A healthy puppy diet, when fed multiple times a day, will help keep your young puppy’s blood glucose levels from dropping too low. Also, high-quality puppy food will give your puppy the nutrients it needs to grow into a healthy adult dog.^{[24]
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Trustworthy Source
American Kennel Club
The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a purebred dog pedigree registry in the United States. The AKC advocates for the responsible ownership of dogs and promotes purebred dog events, such as the Westminster Dog Show.
Go to source}
- Many types of puppy diets are available. If you are unsure which one is right for your puppy, talk with your vet for guidance.
- Puppies have specific nutritional needs. Do not feed your puppy an adult dog diet.
- Canned foods tend to be tastier than dry foods.^{[25]
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  Research source} Your puppy may prefer canned food.
- Realize that the feeding guidelines on the food label may not work for your young puppy. Talk with your vet to determine how much you should feed your puppy at each meal.
3
Weigh your puppy each day. A puppy should gain a little bit of weight every day. Daily weight gain means it’s eating enough food and getting enough nutrients, including glucose. Try weighing your puppy using a gram scale, which you can purchase a kitchen supply store. Record the weight on a piece of paper.^{[26]
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- If your young puppy is too big or wiggly for a gram scale, try this: Weigh yourself on a regular scale, then hold your puppy in your arms. To get your puppy’s weight, subtract your weight from the weight of you and your puppy.
- If your puppy is not gaining weight, or is losing weight, it could be sick. Take your puppy to your vet.
4
Keep your puppy warm. A cold puppy will use up extra glucose to stay warm, causing a condition called juvenile hypoglycemia. To prevent this type of hypoglycemia, wrap your young puppy in extra blankets to keep it warm. Also, keep your home at a warm temperature.^{[27]
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5
Reduce your puppy’s stress. Stress can cause a young puppy to become hypoglycemic. Examples of stressful events are vaccinations (or vet visits in general), over-handling, illness, and changes in a puppy’s environment.^{[28]
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Research source} Minimizing your puppy’s stress can help prevent hypoglycemia.
- Give your puppy treats when it behaves well at the vet’s office. That way, it may not get so stressed when it’s there.
- Do not try to handle your puppy all the time. Give it some alone time so it can rest.
- Keep your puppy’s routine the same from day to day.

Warnings

Digestive problems in the intestines or liver can cause hypoglycemia to become chronic and possibly life threatening as a puppy gets older.^{[31]
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Severe hypoglycemia can cause a puppy to fall into a coma and become unresponsive.^{[32]
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