Symptoms
Your puppy may exhibit one or all of these symptoms. Here's what to watch for; listlessness, wobbling or unsteady, shaky walking, even falling over, glassy eyed look, he may seem depressed, his tongue and gums will be a bluish gray colour, he may look limp and be unresponsive when you pick him up. Shaking, trembling and tremors may be apparent. You may even find your puppy in a coma.

To Treat
First, you must stay calm and act quickly. Blood sugar level must be raised at once. If the puppy is unconscious place Nutra Cal on their tongue and hold their mouth closed, the sugar will enter the blood stream. Wrap the puppy in a warm towel and head to the Vet's office.

If the puppy is conscious give 1/2 to 1 tsp of Nutra Cal. Use cane syrup or sugar in water. It must be swallowed. Do not use honey. Use an eye dropper if the puppy won't drink the water. If you do not see an improvement within 10 minutes then repeat. Put some creamy peanut butter on the tongue, that helps as well. When the puppy perks up then feed him a protein based meal such as high quality dog food or even meat baby food (no turkey) so that his blood sugar will level out.

To Prevent
Make sure your puppy eats!!! Having the food available is just not enough you have to make sure your puppy eats every 3 - 4 hours, even if you have to hand feed. We use high quality Royal Canin MiniPuppy 33 food. You can moisten it with 1 tsp of plain yogurt or cottage cheese. Also Nutro (different brand) makes a soft puppy food that comes in a pouch, sort of like a stew, I take about 1 tsp of it and add it to the puppies food and that keeps them eating. You can also use the canned puppy food. Giving your puppy a small amount of creamy peanut butter will help as well, before bed or first thing in the morning let your puppy lick some off of your finger. If before bed it will give her a boost for the night or if first thing in the morning its a quick pick me up after the long night with no food.

Do this every day until your puppy reaches 2 - 2 1/2 pounds, once the puppy reaches 2 1/2 pounds he will be able to go 3 - 5 hours without eating.

Add 1 Tablespoon of sugar to every 2 cups of water that puppy will be drinking from. Keep plain water available as well.

Don't let your puppy get chilled. Puppies under 2 lbs have a harder time maintaining their body temperature. Especially if they have not had enough to eat. A good way to tell if your puppy is warm is feel their ears. If their ears are warm they are okay, but if their ears are cold then the puppy is cold, if you still aren't sure then put your finger in your puppy's mouth. It should be very warm, almost hot. If it isn't then warm the puppy up with a towel or blanket from the dryer and watch for signs of Hypoglycemia.

It is so much easier to prevent Hypoglycemia then to treat it. Please take every precaution with your little puppy so that you can avoid this very serious condition. Talk to your Vet about it and get their advice as well. The Nutra Cal supplement is available from your Vet. Sometimes Vets are unfamiliar with this condition and when presented with a puppy showing these symptoms can misdiagnose it as Hepatitis or Encephalitis, be sure and mention Hypoglycemia to your Vet as a possibility if you have to take a sick puppy in.

After Care for Your Spayed/Neutered Puppy

- welcome the puppy home with plenty of fresh water and food
- the stitches will be absorbable (check with your Vet) so you won't need to re-visit the Vet's office
- a small amount of swelling around the incision site is normal
- your puppy may be groggy or you may notice some trembling or shivering, this is common and is an after-effect of the anaesthesia
- a pain killer is often given with the meds (again check with your Vet) at the time of the surgery and will take your puppy through the night
- a cool pack covered with a towel can be applied for 5 - 10 minute intervals. This will help reduce swelling
- an e - collar may be needed to prevent licking. Licking could cause damage by opening the stitches and exposing the surgical area. This an emergency situation.
- try to keep the puppy relatively inactive for 5 - 7 days. Leash walk to prevent puppy from running/jumping.
- And finally, good news, you've been a responsible pet owner and won't end up with any unwanted puppies or male visitors, AND you've also extended the life of your puppy by greatly reducing their risks of contracting different types of cancers and other diseases! Thank you.

Cherry Eye

Cherry Eye appears suddenly, usually around 9 - 12 weeks of age. It looks like a small pink "flesh" type bubble in the corner of the eye, close to the bridge of the nose. The gland of the third eyelid "prolapses" or slips down and protrudes over the edge of the eyelid. The cause of the prolapse is unknown but is considered to be a weakness of the connective tissue around the gland. The gland starts to move and becomes irritated. The irritation leads to swelling and discharge.

The treatment requires a surgical procedure where the prolapsed gland is pushed back into its pocket. You can also speak to your Vet about removing it or just leaving it and then make your decision as to how you want to proceed.

Hernias

Hernias in Shichon puppies, as well as other small breeds are very common and are not a “medical” condition or cause for immediate concern.

A hernia is a bulge of a part of body tissue, fat, or an organ that protrudes through an abnormal opening of the surrounding tissue. There are numerous types of hernias, each named after its affected area.
A hernia that can be pushed back into the abdomen or opening is called a reducible hernia. Hernias which cannot be pushed back are called incarcerated. This type of hernia can become strangulated if the blood supply to it is pinched off. The strangulated hernia requires emergency attention by your Veterinarian.
An umbilical hernia is the most common type of hernia found in puppies. It is when a portion of fat or internal organ protrudes through an umbilical ring which has not closed completely. These may be present at birth or may show up later. A common misconception about umbilical hernias is that they are caused by the way the Mother chews off the cord, or if the cord is cut too close to the abdominal wall, however, our Vet now tells us that they know now that umbilical hernias are genetic. This type of hernia is small and usually reduces as the puppy grows. Sometimes by the time the puppy is six months old it will shrink and disappear on its own, otherwise it can be fixed at the time of spay or neuter.

An inguinal hernia is the result of abdominal organs, fat or tissue protruding through the inguinal ring. This will show itself as a skin covered bulge in the groin area. They can show up on both sides or only on one side. These are more common in females than males and like umbilical hernias most will shrink and disappear as the puppy grows.

Tear Stains

We have actually found that the product called "Angel Eyes" is about the only commercial product that actually works, it does a really good job. You begin using it every day and then gradually reduce it as the tear staining goes away and the new fresh growth of white fur comes in. Talk to your vet about it, we think it's a great product.

Here are some additional tips to help with the tear staining on your dog's face. First be sure your food and treats have no added colour. Stick to white or pale coloured treats. Examples would be plain milk bones, Nutro Chicken Drumsticks, usually better quality foods/treats won't have any but check labels. Don't use any "bacon" flavoured treats or bones. Our dogs love real soup bones and once they've chewed the dickens out of them you can put some peanut butter or cheese whiz on them for a "special" treat.

If your water is hard it can contribute the staining, we give our dogs filtered water. Also using a stainless steel bowl is best, shallow ones are better for the dogs as well as they have a short face. Plastic bowls are known to discolour and absorb odours. You can add a little cider vinegar to their water or even lemon juice, but we found that the dogs don't drink as well.

Take your thumb or forefinger and gently massage the bridge of the puppy's nose up on the sides under his eyes. The dogs love it. This will help with tear ducts that are blocked. Do it once or twice daily for a week or two and then just once or twice a week. You may be surprised when the hair starts to grow back in white.

Some people use powders or corn starch under the eyes and on the moustache. Corn starch is fine, talc is not. Some dogs will tear and react to powders of any sort coming near their eyes. Use your own judgement. You can make a paste with the corn starch and water and use a toothbrush to work the corn starch in. Rinse really well. This will help with odour as well.

In the mornings just make it a habit to use a soft old toothbrush with some warm water under the eyes, everyday. Hope this info helps!

If there was something you were looking for here and we didn't have it let us know and we will try and add it to the page.