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Review
. 2024 May 2:11:1345933.
doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1345933. eCollection 2024.

Neonatal hypoglycemia in dogs-pathophysiology, risk factors, diagnosis and treatment

Kárita da Mata Fuchs  1 , Keylla Helena Nobre Pacífico Pereira  1 , Gleice Mendes Xavier  1 , Júlia Cosenza Mendonça  1 , Renata Oliveira Barreto  2 , Renata Cesar Silva  1 , Fabiana Ferreira de Souza  2 , Maria Lucia Gomes Lourenço  1
Affiliations
Review

Neonatal hypoglycemia in dogs-pathophysiology, risk factors, diagnosis and treatment

Kárita da Mata Fuchs et al. Front Vet Sci. .

Abstract

Hypoglycemia is the most common metabolic alteration in the clinical routine of newborn dogs, acting as a predictor of mortality in these patients. The neonatal dog shows hepatic insufficiency and homeostatic mechanisms not yet fully developed, with limited glycogen reserves and limited capacity to perform glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis. These physiological particularities make newborn dogs particularly susceptible to hypoglycemia when of fasting, even for short periods. Several maternal and neonatal factors may be related to a higher risk of developing hypoglycemia in neonates. This paper reviews glycemic homeostasis, the pathophysiology of neonatal hypoglycemia, the main causes involved and the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to this condition.

Keywords: dog; glycemia; glycemic homeostasis; metabolism; puppy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Sources for acquiring glucose in dogs (Illustration: Xavier, G. M.).
Figure 2
Figure 2
(A) Puncture of the paw pad in a neonate with a 30 × 0.7 mm needle. (B) Formation of the drop of blood on the cushion. (C) Assessment of blood glucose using a glucometer.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Administration of intravenous glucose through the jugular vein in a newborn dog. In the image, the jugular vein was cannulated with a 24-gauge catheter, connected to an adapter plug (PRN) and secured with adhesive tape around the patient’s neck.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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