Puppy Care

Puppies can stress when shipping or adjusting to new homes. Stress can also be caused by too much handling. Do not overtire your new puppy. You should not allow your puppy to run and play for periods longer than 1 hour at a time. The puppy needs quiet time to rest and eat. A playpen works well for this purpose.

Dry food and water should be available AT ALL TIMES. Puppies (especially teacups) eat a small amount at a time and need to replace this frequently to prevent hypoglycemia.

Do not just assume your puppy is eating. The best way to make sure is to put a small handful of dry food on or close to pups bed several times a day and if this disappears you know the puppy is eating something. You can also soften some dry food with warm water to entice your puppy to eat until it is adjusted. PUPPY MUST EAT. If you feel puppy is not eating enough, you can get some prescription diet canned AD from your vet to use until puppy is adjusted and eating well. No other brand canned is recommended.

ALWAYS keep white karo syrup on hand for emergency situations with blood sugar.

Give puppy 1 inch of nutri cal morning and night for the first couple of months to help maintain sugar levels through the night. It can also be given mid day if you feel puppy is acting tired or sluggish. You can also mix 1 cap of white karo in puppys bowl of water for the first week or two to provide extra sugar while pup is adjusting.

                                                                     Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) can occur without warning when a puppy goes to a new home, misses a meal, becomes chilled overtired or exhausted from too much handling or playing.

Tiny breed puppies are more likely to develop hypoglycemia because they have less ability to store and mobilize glucose. Puppies need frequent meals to prevent hypoglycemic crises.

The signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia include depression, lethargy, glassy eyes, weakness, unsteady walk, seizures, nervousness, tremors. In severe cases the puppy may become unconscious or comatose which can lead to death if not treated immediately.

If your puppy shows any of the signs above, give a small amount of white karo syrup (½ teaspoon). If puppy is unconscious, rub white karo syrup on gums. Warm puppy on heating pad. Puppy should respond within 5 to 10 minutes. If puppy responds, follow up with some softened puppy food or prescription diet canned AD (available from your vet). You should take puppy to your vet so that he can make sure sugar level is normal and do a fecal to check for coccidian or other intestinal parasites.