SwaY Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 Hypoglycemia also known as stiff puppies, Stiff Puppy Syndrome, Rock hard puppies, Wooden puppies, Go Stiff - (Any others to help out when others search?) What is Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar)?1. The brain requires glucose (blood sugar) for normal functioning, and unlike many other organs, the brain has a very limited ability to store glucose. As such, the brain is the organ that is most affected when blood sugar gets too low. 2. Low blood sugar can cause seizures. 3. Puppies - especially small breed puppies - are particularly susceptible to low blood sugar because their liver is not able to store sufficient amounts of glycogen, as compared with older dogs. 4. Hypoglycemia can be a life-threatening - even fatal - condition, and is known to be a cause of canine seizures. The occurrence of symptoms depends on how far, and how fast, the blood sugar has dropped 5. Treating Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar): During an attack of hypoglycemia your goal is to stay calm, to bring the blood glucose back to a safe level, to continue to observe your dog. You can contact your veterinarian if you feel you need to. What you can use - Sandoz, Glucose, Glucodin, Honey, Karo Syrup - Rub into gums. Previous threads on the subject Here Here Helpful Links Does anyone have any they would like to add? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwaY Posted March 12, 2011 Author Share Posted March 12, 2011 I have asked Troy to pin this for future reference. Let me know if you have other links etc you want to add. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gapvic Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 My breed affected was a greyhound. It is very frightening - the puppy arched his neck back, opened his mouth, stuck his legs out and went absolutely rock hard all over. There appeared to be no heart beat. Sadly, mine didn't make it :-(. Thanks for pinning this topic SwaY, I'd never heard of it before. I really hope I never see it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jed Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 (edited) Sway, can you add links to research showing "stiff pups" are caused by hypoglycaemia please. Edited March 13, 2011 by Jed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwaY Posted March 13, 2011 Author Share Posted March 13, 2011 Sway, can you add links to research showing "stiff pups" are caused by hypoglycaemia please. Do you have any you would like to see listed? Everything I have come across seems to be from breeder experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jed Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 I have no links at all. The thead on dogzonline you linked to comes up with no conclusive evidence that anything was the cause of stiff puppies. Because you have titled the thread "Hypoglycemia - Low Blood Sugar Levels in Newborn Puppies" I thought you must have found new evidence that the stiff pups were caused by hypoglycaemia. So, really, as per the link, stiffness is not caused by hypoglycaemia? Or, rather, sometimes it may be? And there may be many causes as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwaY Posted March 13, 2011 Author Share Posted March 13, 2011 I titled it that way to enable people to find the thread when they search for it. Many will search for stiff puppy, not Hypoglycemia. What would you rather I title it as? Stiffness of some degree seems to be a common denominator in many of the puppies who have Hypoglycemia, proven in research papers or not. You just have to read many of the pages on Hypoglycemia by breeders to see this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwaY Posted March 13, 2011 Author Share Posted March 13, 2011 Page 259 of "The Dog Owners Manual" by Dr Karen Hedburg BVSc Third Edition Chapter 10 Care of Puppies from Birth to Ten days3. Hypoglycemia Severely Hypoglycemic puppies are very listless, too weak to suckle and often will "stiffen up" an go completely rigid. I recommend people buy a copy, it's full of great info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Page 259 of "The Dog Owners Manual" by Dr Karen Hedburg BVSc Third EditionChapter 10 Care of Puppies from Birth to Ten days3. Hypoglycemia Severely Hypoglycemic puppies are very listless, too weak to suckle and often will "stiffen up" an go completely rigid. I recommend people buy a copy, it's full of great info. Thanks Sway I hope thats it because if it is there is a hope of treating it - however, Im still not conviced that this is what I saw and nor is my vet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wags Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Hypoglycemia also known as stiff puppies, Stiff Puppy Syndrome, Rock hard puppies, Wooden puppies, Go Stiff - (Any others to help out when others search?) What is Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar)?1. The brain requires glucose (blood sugar) for normal functioning, and unlike many other organs, the brain has a very limited ability to store glucose. As such, the brain is the organ that is most affected when blood sugar gets too low. 2. Low blood sugar can cause seizures. 3. Puppies - especially small breed puppies - are particularly susceptible to low blood sugar because their liver is not able to store sufficient amounts of glycogen, as compared with older dogs. 4. Hypoglycemia can be a life-threatening - even fatal - condition, and is known to be a cause of canine seizures. The occurrence of symptoms depends on how far, and how fast, the blood sugar has dropped 5. Treating Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar): During an attack of hypoglycemia your goal is to stay calm, to bring the blood glucose back to a safe level, to continue to observe your dog. You can contact your veterinarian if you feel you need to. What you can use - Sandoz, Glucose, Glucodin, Honey, Karo Syrup - Rub into gums. Previous threads on the subject Here Here Helpful Links Does anyone have any they would like to add? My one and only experience with hypoglycemia (and the puppy went into shock) was caused by Coccia in the system. Once treated, the tiny lil thing improved and recovered within 12 hours. Follow up treatments were given and apart from ensuring the blighter was eradicated, or at the very least, managed, there were no further problems. The parasite was introduced via a puppy brought in from another kennel and she was pleased to hear of our encounter as similar symptoms had occurred in other puppies in the litter. Dosing the puppies with glucose only masked the problem which kept reoccurring. The puppies were then able to be treated correctly and the problem eradicated. Since that episode, at the recommendation of our vet, we treat the mothers immediately after whelping as a safe-guard. It might be worth considering if you see it in your litters. Coccidia can be lurking in the systems of adult dogs without any symptoms at all and puppies of around 12 weeks gain resistance. A whelping bitch can be under enough stress to shed Coccidia which in turn the puppies pick up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Hypoglycemia also known as stiff puppies, Stiff Puppy Syndrome, Rock hard puppies, Wooden puppies, Go Stiff -(Any others to help out when others search?) What is Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar)?1. The brain requires glucose (blood sugar) for normal functioning, and unlike many other organs, the brain has a very limited ability to store glucose. As such, the brain is the organ that is most affected when blood sugar gets too low. 2. Low blood sugar can cause seizures. 3. Puppies - especially small breed puppies - are particularly susceptible to low blood sugar because their liver is not able to store sufficient amounts of glycogen, as compared with older dogs. 4. Hypoglycemia can be a life-threatening - even fatal - condition, and is known to be a cause of canine seizures. The occurrence of symptoms depends on how far, and how fast, the blood sugar has dropped 5. Treating Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar): During an attack of hypoglycemia your goal is to stay calm, to bring the blood glucose back to a safe level, to continue to observe your dog. You can contact your veterinarian if you feel you need to. What you can use - Sandoz, Glucose, Glucodin, Honey, Karo Syrup - Rub into gums. Previous threads on the subject Here Here Helpful Links Does anyone have any they would like to add? My one and only experience with hypoglycemia (and the puppy went into shock) was caused by Coccia in the system. Once treated, the tiny lil thing improved and recovered within 12 hours. Follow up treatments were given and apart from ensuring the blighter was eradicated, or at the very least, managed, there were no further problems. The parasite was introduced via a puppy brought in from another kennel and she was pleased to hear of our encounter as similar symptoms had occurred in other puppies in the litter. Dosing the puppies with glucose only masked the problem which kept reoccurring. The puppies were then able to be treated correctly and the problem eradicated. Since that episode, at the recommendation of our vet, we treat the mothers immediately after whelping as a safe-guard. It might be worth considering if you see it in your litters. Coccidia can be lurking in the systems of adult dogs without any symptoms at all and puppies of around 12 weeks gain resistance. A whelping bitch can be under enough stress to shed Coccidia which in turn the puppies pick up. Mine wasnt caused by coccidia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanati Whippets Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 (edited) Thank you so much Sway for having Troy pinning this....it has saved the life of one of my babies. I lost a greyhound pup from this but hadn't read about this on here (a few years ago now) and i read about it on here later and it saved one of my whippet pups. Not saying all cases are the same but when my pup when rock hard i remembered this and made some very strong sugar water and added it to his milk and he never did it afterwards. ETA: pup was only 24 hours old Edited April 24, 2011 by Kanati Whippets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jed Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 (edited) I don't believe that stiff pups are caused by hypoglycaemia. This thread does not prove these pups had hypoglycaemia - in fact, it proves the opposite. Although some pups probably died of hypoglycaemia, most did not. I will not be involved with anything incorrect, or leading to incorrect conclusions, so I have deleted all my posts in the thread. Shame really, as there are some good ideas in the thread. This is what a vet said ""In my experience with this, most of the pups that go rigid, stop breathing and then revived, tend to die soon after. extensive research has been done into the stiffness phenomenon, but no conclusions have been made about it. It remains a mystery in the vet world." Edited December 4, 2011 by Troy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwaY Posted December 4, 2011 Author Share Posted December 4, 2011 And yet you waited months to have a go at me and bumped a 9 yr old thread to do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jed Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 (edited) And yet you waited months to have a go at me and bumped a 9 yr old thread to do so. I did mention to you when you bumped it and labelled it "low blood sugar" but you ignored me. I believe Steve also said something about it. This is what I said I will not be involved with anything incorrect, or leading to incorrect conclusions, so I have deleted all my posts in the thread. Shame really, as there are some good ideas in the thread And it was bumped when I deleted my posts. I asked the moderator to remove it, but nothing happened. I certainly didn't bump it on purpose. I don't want any association with it, now that such an incorrect conclusion is appended to it. Edited December 4, 2011 by Jed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwaY Posted December 4, 2011 Author Share Posted December 4, 2011 I don't see you saying in this thread please remove the link to my thread, Nor did I post in your thread where you have removed some of your posts yet left others. One thread has not been active since March and yours not since 2008. :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwaY Posted December 4, 2011 Author Share Posted December 4, 2011 This is what a vet said ""extensive research has been done into the stiffness phenomenon, but no conclusions have been made about it. It remains a mystery in the vet world." I would be I interested In seeing the extensive research outcomes, I can't find it anywhere - do you have a link or someone I can contact to get a Copy of the extensive research done?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asal Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Ive only seen this once and the entire litter was affected, the vet gave them gluose injections but they all died within 24 hours whatever the cause. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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