Hypoglycemia
YORKIE HYPOGLYCEMIA
I NEED ME TIME!! Make sure that you are giving your new pup or even an active adult plenty of alone/ quiet time. Yorkie pups can burn more calories than they take in just from playing while they are young. It is up to you to make sure that your little one gets plenty of ME time to rest, drink water and eat…
Otherwise, they can become susceptible to hypoglycemia. In addition to alone time, I give ALL of my Yorkies Nutra-Cal as a treat. It is a high calorie, nutritional sweet paste that is actually good for them. They think it is a treat and LOVE it. It can be purchased at any local pet store. I give it to puppies 4 weeks and older 4-6 times a day and/or when they look a little puny. 
Hypoglycemia is characterized by a sudden drop in normal blood sugar levels that is normally seen in underweight puppies or caused when puppies fast too long between meals. It is important to realize that just because a new puppy may experience an episode of hypoglycemia, that this does not imply that the particular puppy is actually “hypoglycemic.” Hypoglycemia is a persistent ailment brought on by the overproduction of insulin from the pancreas.
While hypoglycemia is a condition more commonly seen in puppies between the ages of 5 to 16 weeks, that they usually grow out of, it can also occur in mature toy breeds when they are subjected to stress.
While all small or toy dog breed puppies can suffer from hypoglycemia, and even some working breed dogs who work in cold conditions for many hours without replenishing their reserves, very tiny, undersized Yorkshire Terrier puppies are especially prone to hypoglycemia because their lack of muscle mass makes it difficult for their bodies to store glucose and regulate blood sugar levels.
Every article written about small-sized breeds can hardly fail to mention the very common occurrence of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), which can cause brain damage, seizures and ultimately death, if not noticed in time and carefully monitored. The good news is that hypoglycemia is 100% preventable.
Causes
There are many causes that could trigger hypoglycemia in a Yorkie puppy, with stress being a considerable contributing factor because it can often lead to the puppy refusing to eat.
Education and being aware of the many causes that could lead to hypoglycemia in your small breed puppy is the first step toward prevention. Following is a list of the causes that may more commonly induce a hypoglycemia episode, including:
1. Over-handling of your puppy and strenuous play sessions;
2. Preventing your puppy for receiving adequate rest and sleep time;
3. Loss of appetite and missing meals;
4. Nutritionally poor diet or change of diet causing diarrhea;
5. Travel (limit travel plans until your puppy is 5-6 months of age);
6. Changes in the home environment;
7. Visits to the vet or groomers;
8. Vaccinations;
9. Loss of body heat from being chilled through exposure to cool temperatures. The optimal environmental temperature for Yorkies is 70 to 74 degrees;
10. Bacterial infections or intestinal parasites*.
Symptoms
A Yorkie puppy displaying signs of suffering from hypoglycemia will become drowsy, limp and lifeless, with glassy unfocussed-eyes.
They may froth or drool at the mouth, vomit greenish or clear bile, display confusion and be shaky or wobbly and uncoordinated when walking because the brain relies upon adequate amounts of sugar in order to function correctly.
Also, the puppy’s temperature may drop below normal which will cause shivering and trembling.
As well, the puppy’s gums and tongue will appear very pale or grey in color and at this time the puppy may require force feeding and possibly injecting fluids as they may also be dehydrated.
In extreme cases of hypoglycemia, the puppy may have convulsions or a seizure that could result in a coma.
A puppy or dog displaying these symptoms should be given sugar in the form of corn syrup or honey and prompt veterinary treatment as prolonged hypoglycemia can cause permanent brain damage or even death.
