My dog's blood sugar is 46. Is this a normal glucose level for dogs?

Yes, human glucometers can be used in pets, but often the results are not a direct correlate to true blood glucose in dogs - they tend to be lower than what it really is. Normal blood glucose for dogs would be 80-120 but can vary depending on stress level, recent meals, or concurrent illness. If you would like to routinely check Miley's blood glucose, I recommend that you talk to your vet about a veterinary glucometer. If you still want to use another glucometer, your vet can draw multiple sample throughout the day to compare the numbers of the human glucometer and compare it to a veterinary glucometer.

If her blood sugar is 56, she needs to be seen by a veterinarian tonight. She is wading in dangerous territory and should be put on IV dextrose to avoid going into hypoglycemic shock. I would not wait until morning to address this issue, as karo syrup, while helpful, will not help if there is another underlying problem.

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!

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/

Most "normal" dogs have a blood sugar range from 75-150. But most diabetic dogs are never that low. Our blood sugar goals for most diabetes are more like 150-250. The most important thing is to closely monitor Bindi's levels in order to help your veterinarian adjust her insulin accurately. And do not change the insulin dose without speaking with your veterinarian or based on a single reading. The most important thing is monitoring trends in her blood sugar levels. I am attaching a handout below which has a form that you can download to help record and monitor her blood sugar levels. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952916 Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

If Oscar really had a blood glucose of <10 he likely would be dead. So, just as your vet said, it is a false reading. Sometimes if the blood is left standing a little too long the blood cells use up all the glucose and then the reading is too low. Nothing to worry about. Oscar should drink a little more water, he appears a little dehydrated. Some of the values are high due to bad gingivitis or bad teeth (MCHC indicates inflammation) All is well and his dental can definitely be scheduled. He does not need another glucose test.

Consider having Mojo rechecked by your veterinarian. A bG curve should be done to confirm the insulin dose is appropriate or if it needs to be adjusted. In a diabetic dog, a bG between 5-12 mmol/L over a 24 hour period is considered "stable". Rapid or wide swings should be addressed by your veterinarian