My tiny puppy has low blood sugar. How often should I feed him?

Not necessarily, but a little bit of water should be ideally available through the night. Feed him 3-4 times daily, at good intervals (try to feed him quite late as last meal). Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your puppy. This is not normal behavior for such a young puppy. If he goes too long between meals, his blood sugar will drop too low. I recommend having him evaluated by a veterinarian today. In the meantime, you can place karo or maple syrup on his gums to help raise his blood sugar. I hope this information helps!

Hypoglycemia is a big problem in small breed puppies. At 10 weeks old I would worried about that and also it could be that he has a liver problem (shunt) or a cardiac issue. Teddy may need more testing to figure out what is going on. An ultrasound may be taken of the abdomen to try and identify a pancreatic, liver or other type of tumor that could cause hypoglycemia. Puppies and adult dogs that appear to be in a stupor or coma during a hypoglycemic attack should immediately be given sugar water or an oral concentrated solution of glucose, such as corn (Karo) syrup or Nutri-Cal. Rub it directly on his gums. The sugar will be absorbed directly through the tissue into the bloodstream. You should add two tablespoons Karo syrup to your puppy’s water for all day sipping. Be sure to dump out and add fresh each day or the sugar water could grow bacteria. Schedule several meals every day. Toy breed adults and any young puppy have trouble eating enough food at one setting. So a small meal several times a day helps keep the blood sugar levels normal. I hope this helps. You really need to keep in contact with your vet about Teddy's symptoms. Best wishes.

Many vets recommend to feed puppies more frequently to avoid issues with low blood sugar. Some puppies are not able to regulate their blood sugar very well until they are four months old. After four months old almost all dogs can regulate their blood sugar and so feeding twice a day is fine. Many dogs eat twice a day even as puppies and do fine. It’s all individual. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions!

Hi and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Very cute puppies. Young puppies cannot maintain adequate levels of blood glucose and they depend on eating frequent meals. If the puppies are eating and drinking well and acting normally, additional forms of glucose such as NutriCal, Karo Syrup, others are not necessary. But if puppies don't eat well or skip meals it is certainly ok for you to provide some extra fuel for them to burn. If you notice them becoming mentally dulled, wobbly, weak, extra glucose is certainly something to try. If that doesn't work then have them evaluated by your veterinarian. Hope they continue to do well.

At his age it is not ideal because their blood sugar can get too low in the middle of the day. If it's unavoidable however, it is ok. Because of his high rate of growth, a quality diet labeled for puppies- especially large breed puppy- is the best thing for him. Congrats on your new little one and kisses to Max!

Rub honey on her gums. There is no set amount, rather she needs as much honey as it takes to alleviate the signs of hypoglycemia and starts suckling, I would start with a rub, then wait 10 to 15 minutes, then rub in more, and keep it up until she feels better. Ring your vet office now. There should be emergency information on the answering machine or service. The RCVS dictates that vets provide emergency service either themselves or refer to one.