My diabetic dog's blood sugar is dangerously low. Is it an emergency?

Take him to the emergency vet right now. This is serious hypoglycemia and it could kill him. He may be in remission and may not need any more insulin. However this needs to be checked by a veterinarian. But for now it is very important that he be seen at the ER.

Normal glucose reading would be 70 to 150 mg, dL. 46 is too low, however, human diabetes test ers often show a lower glucose level than the actual level as it aims to keep human diabetics from getting hypoglycemic. I suggest you make sure your dog eats properly and schedule an appointment with your veterinarian for a blood test. The excessive drinking is also concerning and can point to endocrine or kidney disease.

Hi, I'm Dr. Johnson. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A blood sugar of 36 is too low. Do not give Gir insulin. Continue to feed him small meals and put some Karosyrup on his gums. Call your Veterinarian in the morning to discuss what they would like to change. Signs of low blood sugar are: salivating, crying, staggering, vomiting, increased respiratory rate, seizures, and or twitching. If you observe any of these things seek immediate veterinary care. I wish Gir the best!

In most patients this would not be considered as an emergency as the condition tends to develop and progress slowly but I would be more concerned when Sassy is so week and unable to stand. I would strongly recommend contacting the emergency clinic to see if they have insulin in stock as the sooner she is stabilised the better chance she has of making a recovery - prolonged severe diabetic crisis can lead to permanent injury to many cases.

Continue insulin therapy as previously prescribed and follow up with your veterinarian in the morning. Do not alter insulin dose based on 2 spot checks without consulting the veterinarian treating her.

I don't see an age, breed, or sex listed for your pet, which would give us helpful information in terms of how to interpret that finding. It is certainly lower than expected; usually when dogs (or cats) have their blood drawn, they are a bit stressed from being at the vet, which tends to increase the blood sugar for a short period of time, so usually we will see animals be over 80-90, and most commonly over 100. It may be worth asking your vet about running a "baseline cortisol" test to screen for Addison's disease. I will attach some information below. Keep a close eye on your dog as well. If he seems lethargic, tired, walks with a weak or wobbly gait at times, etc, (or certainly if he has more obvious problems such as a seizure), then this probably is a problem for him. Other possible causes of low blood sugar (again age, breed, and sex also play in here in terms of liklihood), include insulinoma (a tumor in the pancreas), liver disease, or toxin exposures (most notably xylitol). I hope that is helpful for you.... for more detailed information consider requesting a consultation so we can go back and forth with information. Thank you for asking PetCoach! https://www.petcoach.co/article/addison-s-disease-hypoadrenocorticism-in-dogs/

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! High and low blood glucose will be somewhat dependent on the method that is used though typically more than 180mg/dl is considered high and less than 60mg/dl is considered low in dogs. Have a good night!