Now that our latest batch of puppies are ready for their new families, we want to provide resources for our new and future Mi-ki adopters. We know you’ll want to provide your new puppy with the very best care.

The most important thing to be aware of is that your Mi-ki puppy may suffer from low blood sugar if not fed small meals throughout the day. Young puppies, especially toy breeds, can quickly burn through their energy reserves with even a heavy play session.

We wait until our puppies are about 2 pounds or are around 10 weeks old to make hypoglycemia less of a risk, but we still recommend letting your puppy free feed with access to their favorite kibble at all times.

If your puppy is particularly small, you may have been instructed to have a nutritional gel or liquid on hand to dose your puppy every morning, every night before bed, and after vigorous play sessions. We recommend Tomlyn Nutri-Cal high-calorie nutrition gel for puppies as well as Revival’s Forti Cal Gel. These supplements will give your puppy long-acting and short-acting nutrition to help them through periods of rest, play, or travel. Our puppies like the taste of it and will lick the gel right off of your finger.

Speaking of kibble, what is my Mi-ki eating again?

Our puppies are currently being sent home with the Royal Canin X-Small Puppy Dry Dog Food as well as a couple of trays of Puppy Mousse or other wet food to ensure your puppy eats well. Previously, we’ve used more exotic/expensive puppy kibble, but in an effort to help people with products that more readily available, we’ve switched to Royal Canin puppy products. The Royal Canin puppy foods are more highly rated than their adult products, so keep in mind that it may be a temporary food that you can start with before doing your own research. Brands we love include Stella & Chewy’s, Merrick, Honest Kitchen, and Victor brands. Grain-free diets are no longer recommended due to the FDA’s concerns with heart problems popping up with the exotic ingredients in grain-free foods.

Refer to the Dog Food Adviser when making your food selections. They also keep subscribers up to date with any pet food recalls.

Symptoms of hypoglycemia in Mi-ki puppies

It can be tricky to spot the signs of puppy experiencing low blood sugar. Look for any one or a combination of these symptoms:

• Weakness
• Glassy unfocused eyes
• Sudden sleepiness
• The puppy appears lost or disoriented
• Your puppy walks unsteadily or wobbly
• Shakiness or twitching
• Head tilts to one side (not the cute, alert kind)
• Seizures
• Unconsciousness without the ability to wake

Treatment of hypoglycemia in puppies

As mentioned earlier, the best treatment against low-blood sugar in puppies are regular small meals and/or snacks. But even an active play session or walk can deplete your puppy’s energy (sugar) quickly, so it is important to be vigilant and prepared.

Hypoglycemia is a serious condition and without acting quickly, your puppy could get into trouble fast and possibly even die. Fortunately,  you should be able to recognize the signs early in the process and the low blood sugar is easy to treat at home or on the go.

If your puppy is being transported home by plane, you or the puppy nanny will be given a two oral syringes. One will have Forti-Cal liquid as a pretrip nutritional booster as a hypoglycemia preventative. The other will contain Karo syrup in case your puppy starts looking a little spacey or lethargic despite the pre-trip nutritional supplement. Should your puppy look overly tired or weak, squeeze a little Karo syrup in their mouth or rub a little on your puppy’s gums to give them a quick sugar boost.

In almost all cases, your Mi-Ki puppy will respond very quickly to this treatment — usually within five or ten minutes. Repeat the treatment if necessary. However, if the Karo syrup doesn’t reverse the symptoms within ten minutes, take your puppy to the veterinarian immediately as something else could have caused the signs (such as ingesting something poisonous or contracting a disease.)

Keeping your puppy fed and hydrated on the go

If you’re taking your puppy out and about (hopefully in a sling or carrier until their shots are completed) always have puppy snacks and/or kibble on hand in case your errands take longer than anticipated. You should have received a collapsible dog bowl in your puppy starter pack to help keep your puppy hydrated.

Keeping your puppy safe when you’re gone

If you are leaving your puppy alone at home for more than a couple of hours, we recommend using a puppy playpen or a large crate with room enough for kibble, water, a potty pad with a grate to prevent shredding, and a small dog bed.

The traditional crate training method for housebreaking puppies is not advised for long stretches of time for tiny breeds due to the risk of hypoglycemia.

Of course, your veterinarian is your first resource for information about preventing and treating hypoglycemia, but we’re here to support you throughout the life of your Mi-Ki. Call or email us with any concerns:

Mary Parker: 303-246-3196, mary@royaltmikis.com