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Most common clinical signs of hypoglycemia:
1) drowsiness, shivering, collapsing, disorientation, seizures,
listlessness, depression, muscle weakness and tremors.
Hypoglycemia is a sudden fall in the concentration of glucose
in the blood below normal levels.
The body uses glucose as its primary energy source.
The brain, for example, is completely dependent upon glucose
to function.
The liver is responsible for manufacturing glucose and for
storing it in a usable form, for release into the blood stream as
needed.
Muscle tissues store some of the important materials used in
this process.
The most important factor , is to always have food & water available
for your puppy at all times!
Teacups must replenish their energy more frequently than larger
puppies. The only way to do this, is by supplying plenty of
nourishment in the form of food. These small puppies only eat very
small amounts of food at a time but use large amounts of energy.
Also, do not change the puppies food for the first few weeks until the
puppy has adjusted to it's new home.
Then, if you decide to change foods ,do it gradually by slowly adding
more of the new food to the old food each day until they are
completely changed to the new food
Never give your teacup puppy the run of the whole house until they
are older and you know for sure they remember where their food is.
Larger area may make them lose track of where their food and water
bowls are and result in hypoglycemia or death.
For the first few weeks, do not let your puppy out to play for longer
than a one hour period at a time supervised. Play with them for a
short time, then give them a small dose of Nutri-cal / Vita-cal if
needed and then place them back in their playpen so they can eat and
rest.
Always know that they are very tiny babies and tire easily. Please be
careful not to over-tire your puppy this can be harmful for your puppy.
A puppy will play until it can't, sometimes they may play so much
that it is too tired to eat. It is up to you as the owner to be
responsible and see that your puppy gets enough rest and nutrition.
Most very small puppies need naps and rest as a new born baby does
. Be aware of the amount of time your children play with the puppy.
These are babies and must be treated as babies.
Always make sure that you have a firm grip on your puppy at all
times when their off the ground. Many fatalities or broken bones
have been caused by a tiny dog wriggling out of an owners hands, or
jumping off a lap, couch, or bed etc.
Never leave your puppy unsupervised with small children ,If their
handling a small dog please stay with them . The only safe way for a
child to hold a small dog, is sitting on the floor with the puppy .
IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ
If you are wanting a Teacup Puppy of any breed.
HYPOGLYCEMIA
Know what to look for! Your puppy may show one or more of these
signs:
,Weakness, tired, unsteady on their paws, not responsive to your
voice, seems to be listless,
Nutri-cal or karo syrup immediately!
Some other signs are: stiffening up, laying on their side unable to
get up, If ignored this can be fatal.
If your puppy becomes hypoglycemic, it is very important that you
react IMMEDIATELY!! If the puppy is not given some quick form
of nutrition containing sugar nutri-cal, honey, sugar, glucose, karo
syrup or any sugar containing product to raise the blood sugar
immediately, coma, brain damage and/or possibly death could result.
The best way of prevent hypoglycemia, puppies need to eat several
small meals a day. It is much easier to prevent Hypoglycemia,then to
experience it .
A new puppy needs a little extra sugar for the first week or two,So it
is best to have a tube of Nutri-cal or Vita-stat on hand. It is a great
source of food and vitamins to help puppies adjust to their new home
change. It is also one of the best preventatives for keeping your
puppy from going into hypoglycemia attack . It is important for at
least the first week or two, to remember to give your puppy a little bit
, a 1/2 inch strip of Nutri-Cal or Vita-Stat in the morning and in the
evening.
Care for your puppy after a hypoglycemic attack.
Each puppy acts differently after a low sugar attack. The sooner they
are treated at the onset of symptoms, the faster they will bounce
back. Many pups are back to their own selves running around playing
in a few minutes or a few hours after an attack. But if your puppy
does not eat several meals a day every day on a schedule this will
continue to happen or become fatal. Remember low blood sugar
causes their tiny bodies to totally shut down, so many pups act very
weak or depressed or groggy and some will not eat on their own after
a severe attack. You will need to help your puppy recuperate:
Once a puppy leaves here you as the owner/new parent are
responsible to help your puppy maintain their blood sugar levels which
means they have to eat !!!! Keep them warm and safe .
Keep your puppy warm. When a puppy has low blood sugar, their
temperature drops very low. It is important to gradually warm your
pet and wrap them in a towel or put them on a low temperature
heating pad ( Never unattended on a heating pad) until they are well.
Dealing With Stress
YOU ARE THE PROUD OWNER OF A NEW PET BABY WHICH NEEDS ALL THE TENDER LOVING CARE OF ANY NEW BABY. TLC DOES NOT MEAN CONSTANT HANDLING, PETTING AND PLAYINGWITH. PLEASE READ THIS GUIDE.
STRESS IS THE MAIN CAUSE OF DEATH TO NEWLY ACQUIRED PUPPIES! There are many sources of stress. Simply moving a puppy to a new home, holding him to much, contending with another pet, or being allowed too much play time, are just a few of the many sources of stress. A new puppy is nervous and excited because they are unfamiliar with their surroundings and their new families and this causes a lot of stress. They are like babies who need regular scheduled time for eating, sleeping, drinking, going potty and playing.
CRATE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ITEM TO HAVE FOR A NEW PUPPY. It can be a carrier, a cage, a playpen, or a small enclosed area in a quiet room of your home. The crate serves two purposes. It will house train your pet and it protects its health and well being while it grows. The crate provides a secure, comfortable place where he can rest, eat, drink, and play at his own pace. The crate should be placed in an area where the temperature stays about the same all the time. Avoid drafty areas. Provide a comfortable bed in the crate since puppies sleep approximately 90% of the time until they are older. They will need food and water available to them in the crate at all times. This allows them to eat, drink and rest as they need to so they can grow properly.
AVOID EXCESSIVE HANDLING. Too much of this can add stress and overtire the puppy. A tired puppy will not eat. He only want to sleep. Missing a meal can be a life threatening thing with a young, small puppy. It can lead to a condition called hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). This can become dangerous if not noticed and treated immediately. There is more information about this condition in the following literature. Please take time to read it. A puppy can be played with for about 30 minutes at a time at first. Taking him out for his potty break should begin the playtime. This schedule for playing can be increased gradually, week by week, as the puppy grows older and becomes stronger. The rest time should remain the same. He needs at least two hours or more at a time in his crate, undisturbed, for rest. GIVING HIM QUIET TIME FOR REST IS A MUST!!!
***The stress of moving a puppy can sometimes bring on illness. If you notice any sign of illness before or at the well puppy check up, contact us immediately and if possible return the puppy to us immediately. We do not pay any vet bills. We will, however, take the puppy back, treat it at our own expense and return it to you in a healthy condition as our guarantee states. You must check with us before treatment is started and medicine is purchased.
*****PLEASE READ ALL THE FOLLOWING SHEETS OF INFORMATION!*************
BATHING AND FLEA PRODUCTS
The first bath should be after one week or so when the puppy has become adjusted so as not to add stress. Use warm water and a shampoo made for puppies that does not have flea product in it. Towel dry, and then use a blow dryer on low heat to completely dry him. Keep him warm for a while afterward, to prevent chilling. If you need to use something for fleas, get FRONTLINE SPRAY from your vet. It is easier to apply the correct dosage for your small pet. NO FLEA COLLARS ON PUPPIES!!! NO CHECMICAL DIPS, ONLY SAFE ORGANIC PRODUCTS MADE FOR PUPPIES. (I like the GROOMERS EDGE shampoos made by DOUBLE-K and the CITRUCIL shampoo made by ESPREE. You will probably have to get these from a groomer’s shop. Also, the CITRUCIL deodorizing spray. It is safe for your puppy and his surroundings. NO FEBREEZE ON PUPPY OR HIS BEDDING.
No Advantage, Resolution, Heart guard or other topical or oral poisons until over 6 months old or 5 lbs.. Give the albon once a day until all is gone. Dosage up to 5 lbs. = 1cc 5-10 lbs. = 2cc.
WHAT ON EARTH ARE COCCIDIA?
Coccidia are single celled organisms that infect the intestine. They are microscopic parasites detectable on routine fecal tests in the same way that worms are but coccidian are not worms and they are not visible to the naked eye. Coccidia infection causes a water diarrhea which is sometimes bloody and can even be a life threatening problem to an especially young or small pet.
Oocysts are passed in stool. In the outside world, the oocysts begin to mature or “sporulate”. After they have adequately matured, they become infective to any host (dog or cat) that accidentally swallows them. They are swallowed when a pet grooms/licks the dirt off himself. In some cases, sporulated oocysts are swallows by mice and the host is infected when it eats the mouse. Coccidia infection is especially common in young animals housed in groups ( in shelters, rescue areas, kennels, etc.). This is a common parasite and it is not necessarily a sign of poor husbandry, dirty living conditions, or neglect, especially in a kennel situation.
The sporulated oocyst breaks open and releases eight sporozits. These sporozites each find an intestinal cell and begins to reproduce inside it. Ultimately, the cell is so full of what is called “merozites” that it bursts releasing the merozites which seek out their own intestinal cells and the process begins again. It is important to note how thousands of intestinal cells can become infected and destroyed as a result of accidentally swallowing a single oocyst. As the intestinal cells are destroyed in larger and larger numbers, intestinal function is disrupted and a bloody, water diarrhea results. The fluid loss can be dangerously dehydrating to a very young or small pet.
A routine fecal test is a good idea for any new puppy or kitten whether there are signs of diarrhea or not, as youngsters are commonly Para sized. This sort of test is also a good idea for any patient with diarrhea. Coccidia are microscopic, so a fecal test is necessary to rule them out. It should be noted that small numbers of coccidian can be hard to detect, so just because a fecal sample test negative, this does not mean that the pet is not infected. Also, small numbers of coccidian in the stool are not a problem unless there are other symptoms such as diarrhea that are present. Sometimes several fecal test are performed, especially in a young pet with a refractory diarrhea, and parasites may not be evident until later in the course of condition.
Stress is large factor in coccidian. The stress of being moved to a new home, being allowed to play too much and become over tired, a mild cold, or just being held too much can weaken the young,
immature immune system and allow the coccidian to begin to multiply in numbers that would be dangerous to a very small pet.
We do not have any medicine that will kill coocidia; only the patient’s immune system can do that. But, we can give medicines called ‘coccidiostats’ which can inhabit the coccidial reproduction. Once the numbers stop expanding, it is easier for the patient’s immune system to “catch up” and wipe the infection out. This also means, though, that the time it takes to clear the infection depends on
how many coccidian organisms there are to start with and how strong the patient’s immune system is. A typical treatment course last about a week or two, but it is important to realize that the medications should be given until the diarrhea resolves, plus an extra couple of days. Medication should be given for at least five days total, sometimes courses of as long as a month are needed. Albon (sulfa drug) or Amprollium are the most common coccidiostats used to treat coccidian infections.
The use of sulfa drugs in pregnancy can cause birth defects. The over use of sulfa drugs can also lead to false positive test results for urine glucose level.
While there are species of coccidian that can effect people ( i.e: Toxoplasma and Cryptosporidium), The Isospora species of dogs and cats are not infective to humans. Other pets may become infected from exposure to infected fecal matter but it is important to note that that this is usually an infection of the young (i.e: the immature immune system tends to let the coccidian infection reach large numbers where the immune system probably will not). In most cases, the infected new puppy or kitten does not infect the resident adult animal
enough to keep their own temperature up.
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