Hypoglycemia in Dogs

Hypoglycemia in Dogs

By: Dr. Debra Primovic

Section: Information In-depth

Other medical problems can lead to symptoms similar to those encountered in dogs with hypoglycemia. It is important to exclude these conditions before establishing a definite diagnosis:

  • Hepatoencephalopathy, which is abnormal brain function caused by severe liver disease or shunting of blood around the liver

  • Hypocalcemia, or lower than normal blood calcium concentration

  • Central nervous system disorders

  • Spinal cord disorders causing hind limb weakness

  • Syncope (fainting)

    Common causes of hypoglycemia include the following disorders:

  • Addison's disease, which is an endocrine disorder caused by insufficient hormone production by the adrenal glands

  • Insulin-producing tumors of the pancreas, such as beta cell tumor or insulinoma

  • Glycogen storage disease, which is a hereditary disorders in which enzyme deficiencies cause abnormal storage of gl
    ucose in the liver as starch

  • Hunting dog hypoglycemia, which is associated with excessive fasting before strenuous exercise in working dogs

  • Hypopituitarism, a decreased secretion of regulatory hormones from the pituitary gland

  • Insulin overdosage as may occur in pets with diabetes mellitus

  • Juvenile hypoglycemia, which is hypoglycemia in puppies associated with stress, cold, infrequent feeding, and intestinal parasites

  • Laboratory error. Blood glucose concentration can decrease by as much as 10 milligrams per deciliter of blood for every hour the blood is allowed to stand before being processed by the laboratory. Improper sample handling is a common cause of apparent hypoglycemia in blood samples shipped long distances to laboratories. To avoid this error, your veterinarian can use a machine called a centrifuge to spin the blood cells down and separate serum from the blood before shipping the sample to the laboratory for analysis.

  • Liver disease

  • Malabsorption, or impaired intestinal absorption of nutrients

  • Malnutrition. In actuality, prolonged fasting or loss of appetite in otherwise normal adult dogs is not a common cause of hypoglycemia.

  • Tumors of organs other than the pancreas that produce insulin-like substances that can cause hypoglycemia

  • Orally-administered hypoglycemic drugs such as the sulfonylureas, more commonly used to treat diabetes mellitus in some human patients

  • Portosystemic shunt, which is an abnormal blood vessel present at birth that causes blood from the intestines to by-pass the liver

  • Advanced pregnancy rarely can be associated with hypoglycemia

  • Glucose in the urine due to abnormal function of the kidney tubules rarely can be associated with low blood sugar concentration

  • Severe systemic bacterial infection (sepsis)

    •  
    Printable Version
     
    Have a Pet Question?
    Review the Most Frequent Questions
    Answered by Dr. Jon and His Staff of Veterinarians
    Ask Dr. Jon
    Dr. Jon's Newsletter
    Yes! Send Me the Latest Health Information, Pet Tips, Pet Stories and more...
     
     

    Related Articles

    • 1 Insulinoma

      An insulinoma is a malignant tumor of the pancreas that secretes excessive amounts of insulin leading to hypoglycemia. They usually occur in middle-aged to older dogs, usually eight to twelve years of...

      Read MoreRead More
    • 2 Anorexia (Loss of Appetite) in Dogs

      Anorexia is a term used to describe the situation where an animal loses his appetite and does not want to eat or is unable to eat. Appetite is psychological, as compared to hunger, which is aroused by...

      Read MoreRead More
    • 3 Diabetes in Dogs

      Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most common endocrine (hormonal) diseases of dogs. It is a chronic condition in which a deficiency of the hormone insulin impairs the dog's ability to metabolize sugar....

      Read MoreRead More
    • 4 Intestinal Parasites in Dogs

      Intestinal parasites, also called worms, are quite common in puppies. Routine deworming usually eliminates infections but does not prevent reinfection. Annual fecal exams typically detect these parasites....

      Read MoreRead More
    Related Articles
    • 1Anorexia (Loss of Appetite) in Dogs

      Anorexia is a term used to describe the situation where an animal loses his appetite and does not want to eat or is unable to eat. Appetite is psychological, as compared to hunger, which is aroused by...

      Read MoreRead More
    • 2Insulinoma

      An insulinoma is a malignant tumor of the pancreas that secretes excessive amounts of insulin leading to hypoglycemia. They usually occur in middle-aged to older dogs, usually eight to twelve years of...

      Read MoreRead More
    • 3Intestinal Parasites in Dogs

      Intestinal parasites, also called worms, are quite common in puppies. Routine deworming usually eliminates infections but does not prevent reinfection. Annual fecal exams typically detect these parasites....

      Read MoreRead More
    • 4Diabetes in Dogs

      Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most common endocrine (hormonal) diseases of dogs. It is a chronic condition in which a deficiency of the hormone insulin impairs the dog's ability to metabolize sugar....

      Read MoreRead More
     

    Over 10,000 Veterinarian Approved Articles

    Dogs & Puppies
    Cats
    Related Articles
    • 1Anorexia (Loss of Appetite) in Dogs

      Anorexia is a term used to describe the situation where an animal loses his appetite and does not want to eat or is unable to eat. Appetite is psychological, as compared to hunger, which is aroused by...

      Read MoreRead More
    • 2Insulinoma

      An insulinoma is a malignant tumor of the pancreas that secretes excessive amounts of insulin leading to hypoglycemia. They usually occur in middle-aged to older dogs, usually eight to twelve years of...

      Read MoreRead More
    • 3Intestinal Parasites in Dogs

      Intestinal parasites, also called worms, are quite common in puppies. Routine deworming usually eliminates infections but does not prevent reinfection. Annual fecal exams typically detect these parasites....

      Read MoreRead More
    • 4Diabetes in Dogs

      Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most common endocrine (hormonal) diseases of dogs. It is a chronic condition in which a deficiency of the hormone insulin impairs the dog's ability to metabolize sugar....

      Read MoreRead More


    Local Pet Information Guide
     Alabama
     Alaska
     Arizona
     Arkansas
     California
     Colorado
     Connecticut
     DC
     Delaware
     Florida
     Georgia
     Hawaii
     Idaho
     Illinois
     Indiana
     Iowa
     Kansas
     Kentucky
     Louisiana
     Maine
     Maryland
     Massachusetts
     Michigan
     Minnesota
     Mississippi
     Missouri
     Montana
     Nebraska
     Nevada
     New Hampshire
     New Jersey
     New Mexico
     New York
     North Carolina
     North Dakota
     Ohio
     Oklahoma
     Oregon
     Pennsylvania
     Rhode Island
     South Carolina
     South Dakota
     Tennessee
     Texas
     Utah
     Vermont
     Virginia
     Washington
     West Virginia
     Wisconsin
     Wyoming