| Ask The Vet -
Q&A |
Question
What would cause very low blood sugar in a non-diabetic
dog?
Kim Watson - Bedfordshire, UK |
Answering questions:
Susie Samuel MA VetMB MRCVS from
Vet
Help Direct |
| Answer |
Hi Kim,
There
are a number of possible causes of low blood sugar in a non-diabetic
dog.
Sugar
in the blood is in the form of glucose. Glucose is a form of sugar
that is used by the cells of the body for the energy they require
to function. Glucose is made in the liver from food absorbed in
the intestines.
Low
levels of glucose in the blood can result in several ways including:
1)
Not enough food being taken into the body due to starvation -this
is generally only a problem in young puppies.
2)
The liver not making glucose as it should be doing – several
different liver conditions can cause this problem in young and old
dogs.
3)
The hormones that stimulate the liver to make glucose are too low
– this condition is called Addison’s Disease.
4)
The body is using up too much glucose – this can occur in
some cases of cancer.
5)
A particular type of tumour called an insulinoma - This is a tumour
of the pancreas that results in too much insulin being produced.
Insulin makes glucose move from the blood into the cells of the
body so too much insulin causes very low levels of glucose in the
blood.
6)
There are some conditions where there is low blood sugar and the
cause is not understood. These include ‘Neonatal hypoglycaemia’
which affects very young puppies, ‘Juvenile hypoglycaemia’
which generally affects toy breeds and ‘Hunting Dog hypoglycaemia’.
7)
Too much of a delay between taking the blood sample and testing
the glucose – this can make the results of the test artificially
low.
Your
vet will be able to tell you which of these causes are most likely.
This will depend on the age and breed of your dog and the examination
of the dog and its symptoms. The tests required to establish the
exact cause will depend on which causes the vet believes are most
likely.
I hope
that helps.
Kind regards,
Susie Samuel MA VetMB MRCVS www.vethelpdirect.com
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