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Causes
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Hypoglycemia in kittens may be caused simply by lack of food or exercise, or it may be an indicator of a more serious underlying cause such as liver or intestinal disease, tumors, bacterial infections, or parasites. It can be caused by Insulin-producing tumors of the pancreas, such as insulinoma or beta cell tumor. The kitten may have diabetes mellitus or hypopituitarism, an abnormal decrease in secretions from the pituitary gland. It can also be malabsorption, or impaired absorption of nutrients by the intestine. The kitten may have a shunt, or an abnormal blood vessel that causes blood to bypass the liver. The blood calcium level may also be lower than normal.
Preventative Measures
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To prevent hypoglycemia, feed your kitten frequently and do not keep it in too cold of an environment. Do routine vaccinations and de-worming procedures. Provide your kitten with frequent, regular feedings. Kittens need to be allowed to eat anytime they indicate that they are hungry; overfeeding will not be an issue. Be sure to provide high quality kitten food.
Symptoms
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There are certain signs that kittens with hypoglycemia will exhibit. Watch out for loss of appetite, weakness, extreme lethargy, seizures, trembling, muscle twitching, dilated pupils and apparent blindness. If symptoms progress, the kitten may enter a coma.
What to Do
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If your kitten exhibits these symptoms, take it to the veterinarian immediately. It is imperative that you provide sugar immediately. Good sugar sources for kittens may be Karo syrup and honey. Your veterinarian will want to make diagnostic tests to determine the cause of the hypoglycemia.
The veterinarian will take a complete medical history and make a thorough physical examination. The kittens blood glucose concentration will need to be measured, as well as a complete blood count, a urinalysis, a serum biochemistry test, and a serum insulin concentration to find the underlying cause of the hypoglycemia. The veterinarian may also require an ultrasound of the kitten's abdomen to identify a possible tumor. During this time, the veterinarian may administer glucose orally or intravenously to temporarily heighten the kitten's blood glucose levels.
Post Treatment
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The veterinarian will give recommendations to treat the kitten. After the cause is determined, observe the kitten's activity level and attitude. It may help to periodically rub Karo or other high sugar syrups on the kittens gums.
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Signs of a Kitten Having Hypoglycemia
When kittens have low blood sugar, they will exhibit signs of weakness, listlessness, and even have a risk of seizures. These signs indicate that the kitten has hypoglycemia. Young kittens have not yet fully developed the ability to regurgitate blood glucose concentrations. Cold, stress, malnutrition, and intestinal parasites will interfere with a kittens intake of glucose. It is necessary for brain and muscle tissue function.