Is my Chihuahua puppy shaking due to seizures or low blood sugar?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would give a little Karo syrup on her gums and see if she will eat some dog food for you. See how she is after this. With her being so small, her blood sugar could be having difficulties regulating, especially if she is a picky eater or doesn't eat that much. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine her now as well and see if there is anything else underlying predisposing her to these episodes. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be due to having a low blood sugar from being so small. Usually small breed dogs require to be fed throughout the day every 6 hours or so. However, this could also be due to something else like a toxicity of some kind. Seizures can be detrimental to a dog's health and this warrants an evaluation as soon as possible by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a great day!

Hello. The seizure may have been from a low blood glucose ( sugar ) level. Make sure Malone eats 3 good meals a day & if he skips a meal, have some Karo Syrup or Nutrical ( available at all pet stores ) on hand & give him 1/2 - 1 teaspoon to give him a sugar boost. If he continues to have seizures, even after eating well & on a regular basis, please have him evaluated for other causes of seizures. I hope he is doing better soon. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

What you are describing sounds like a medical emergency. I would recommend taking Pinky to a veterinarian immediately. Young small dogs can have problems with their liver or blood sugar that can cause seizures. They will continue to get worse without immediately medical attention. I am attaching a link to a handout below that describes low blood sugar in small puppies. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2085 As recommended in the handout, you can apply Karo syrup or maple syrup to her gums, then take her to a vet immediately. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that Pinky recovers quickly. Thanks for using PetCoach.

I am so sorry to hear about Coco. I know how scary this can be for the dog as well as the owner. You have my sympathies. The first disease that comes to mind when you were describing her symptoms was one called idiopathic epilepsy or seizures. Unfortunately, dogs of her breed can start to have seizures at an early age. Another disease of small small breed dogs is a condition called hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. This disease can also cause the same symptoms as seizures. I strongly encourage you to make an appointment with your veterinarian as soon as possible even if she is acting completely normal. In fact, that would be the best time to do a physical exam as well as diagnostic testing like bloodwork so that you can have medications on board or at home to give if she exhibits the symptoms again. Not to mention, with something as serious as this could be, you need to have a correct diagnosis performed by your local veterinarian so that they can help you treat any problems you may have in the future. I hope this helps.

Hello, I am sorry to hear about Jill. Some of the behaviors you are describing do sound similar to a seizure. Seizures can have a spectrum of severity, meaning that not all pets will have paddling like motions of their limbs or other typical signs of a seizure. More subtle jerking and shaking can be consistent with a seizure. Additionally, pets who are having a seizure are not mentally appropriate, meaning that they do not respond to stimuli (name calling, clapping, etc) like normal dogs. Seizures can have many causes. In a younger dog like Jill one possible cause is low blood sugar. I would recommend having Jill evaluated by a veterinarian so that she can be examined and further diagnostics (such as bloodwork) can be considered. If you are able to I would recommend trying to take a video of one of Jill's episodes. Additionally, until she is evaluated by a veterinarian I would recommend keeping a log of when these events occur and how long they last. Jill should be seen by a veterinarian immediately if these events last longer than 5 minutes, she has multiple events within 24 hours, or she does not normalize between events. Hope this helps, good luck!

Yes. I would recommend taking her to an emergency veterinarian immediately. She could be having seizures from hypoglycemia which is treatable, but can be fatal if not treated quickly. She could also have a liver shunt or developmental problem with her brain causing seizures. Trauma or ingestion of toxins can cause seizures as well. If she has had that many seizures in a short period there is potential for permanent brain damage. Head to a vet as soon as you can - I’ll be hoping for the best for Daisy!