Hypoglycemia is a dog blood glucose disorder. This condition is caused by having irregular hormonal functions or the inability for the dog's body to sufficiently store amounts of blood glucose. Your dog's pancreas creates the hormone insulin. When there is too much insulin, the body can develop hypoglycemia. Your dog can be diagnosed with the disorder if a blood test shows blood glucose levels lower than 50 mg/dL. The normal level is between 70 to 150 mg/dL. Knowing the signs of hypoglycemia can potentially save your dog's life. It can be fatal if left untreated.
-
Seizures
-
A very common symptom of hypoglycemia in dogs is seizures. This usually occurs in dogs around the age of 4 and older. Your dog will go stiff, and his eyes may roll into the back of his dead. He might start to violently convulse.
Coma
-
Your dog may lose or have a reduced level of consciousness. Sometimes your dog may even slip into a coma. This will happen if the condition goes untreated for too long.
Irregular Heartbeat and Breathing
-
Your dog's heartbeat and breathing will slow.
Emotional Changes
-
You may start to notice anxiety and severe depression. Noticing a lack of energy is common. If you have a once extremely active dog, this change is very visible.
Dizziness
-
Your dog may seem dizzy or disoriented. The dog may walk into things, stumble or trip. An increased level of sleepiness can be noticed as well. Also, your dog may seem very weak.
Treatment
-
Give your dog some treats or canned food. If your dog refuses to eat, try giving him some sugar. Syrup works well; all you have to do is rub the syrup on the gums and under his tongue. This works well if your dog is unconscious. If your dog is conscious, you can give him the sugar using a needle-less syringe. Feeding the dog honey, fruit juices, soda and Gatorade can also be helpful. After you give your dog food, get him to your veterinarian immediately. If your dog is suffering from a pancreatic tumor, your vet can surgically remove it.
-