Hypoglycemia ?

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huskerhunter
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Hypoglycemia ?

Post by huskerhunter » Mon Nov 22, 2010 3:30 pm

I have a GSP that is 4 1/2 years old now. The last year and this year after hunting for a few hours he starts whimpering and just walking by me instead of being out in front of me hunting. After he started doing this we would just stop and go back to the truck. Well this weekend on the way back to the truck he had a seizure. After lying there for a few minutes he got up and was able to walk the rest of the way to the truck. After talking to my vet last year and again after this he is pretty sure it is hunting dog hypoglycemia. My questions are:

First, do you recommend any food such as honey or a specific energy bar to give him while hunting to keep this from happening?

Second, I feed him regular adult science diet, should I switch to science diet active or purina pro plan, something that is made more for hard hunting dogs?

Hopefully I can find a way to prevent this from happening, he loves to hunt and is a great hunting dog, don't want to have to stop hunting him but I will if it is a danger to him.

Thanks for any advice that you can give me.

Nate

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mcbosco
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Re: Hypoglycemia ?

Post by mcbosco » Mon Nov 22, 2010 5:00 pm

If your Vet does not think more testing is required the easy thing is upgrade his feed to a quality 30/20. Keeping honey or sugar around is sensible for first aid but trying to avoid this makes the most.

Regular Science Diet is not only expensive but IMO a pretty low quality food for this application.

I would go with a 30/20 that you can get without much fuss. One without corn gluten would be my pick, something high in meat protein.

I really like the Pro Pac 30/20 I got for free (see my thread)

Doesn't hurt to try.

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Brittguy
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Re: Hypoglycemia ?

Post by Brittguy » Mon Nov 22, 2010 5:05 pm

That happened to a friend's dog while we were on an out of state trip. The local vet told us to have honey available. It worked great and my friend still carries a small squeeze bottle of honey in his coat.

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Coveyrise64
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Re: Hypoglycemia ?

Post by Coveyrise64 » Mon Nov 22, 2010 6:15 pm

huskerhunter wrote:I have a GSP that is 4 1/2 years old now. The last year and this year after hunting for a few hours he starts whimpering and just walking by me instead of being out in front of me hunting. After he started doing this we would just stop and go back to the truck. Well this weekend on the way back to the truck he had a seizure. After lying there for a few minutes he got up and was able to walk the rest of the way to the truck. After talking to my vet last year and again after this he is pretty sure it is hunting dog hypoglycemia. My questions are:

First, do you recommend any food such as honey or a specific energy bar to give him while hunting to keep this from happening?

Second, I feed him regular adult science diet, should I switch to science diet active or purina pro plan, something that is made more for hard hunting dogs?

Hopefully I can find a way to prevent this from happening, he loves to hunt and is a great hunting dog, don't want to have to stop hunting him but I will if it is a danger to him.

Thanks for any advice that you can give me.

Nate
Never have thought to much of Science Diet for a working dog, might be alright for a specialty diet. I'd switch to PPP or something with similar Protein/Fat ratio. I kept a zip lock bag of dry dog food in my hunting vest and gave a small amount to my dog every hour or so. Instead of the honey I carried a tube of NutraCal, not as messy and has some nutritional value as well. Also, I carried a short leash in my game bag, after a seizure dogs can be confused and want to run away.

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ezzy333
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Re: Hypoglycemia ?

Post by ezzy333 » Mon Nov 22, 2010 7:51 pm

Brittguy wrote:That happened to a friend's dog while we were on an out of state trip. The local vet told us to have honey available. It worked great and my friend still carries a small squeeze bottle of honey in his coat.
This makes a whole lot of sense if you have a dog that needs it. Doesn't have to be honey but anything sweet will work almost immediately. Other things like dog food will help but takes some time.

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huskerhunter
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Re: Hypoglycemia ?

Post by huskerhunter » Tue Nov 23, 2010 12:08 pm

Ok, so I am going to switch his food to something with more protein and fat probably the purina pro plan. Also, my vet said to feed him some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every so often when we are hunting and that should take care of it also.

Thanks for the help.

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Carl Porter
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Re: Hypoglycemia ?

Post by Carl Porter » Sat Dec 04, 2010 11:26 pm

I have used many differant dog foods over the years at my kennel and I like Purina Pro Plan "Performance" the best. Especially in hunting season. Its 30/20 and dogs keep weight on, and have firm stool.
I believe that dogs are like people. Once they get overheated or heat exhausted they are more likely to get it easier each time. I keep a bottle of Karo Syrup in my trailer at all times. Mix it in a small squirt bottle with about a teaspoon of syrup and half a bottle of water mixed for emergencies. i give my dogs a teaspoon or so the night before a trial or hunt to help build up their sugar level for the coming day. As soon as you see the dog getting tired give it a shot of this mixture. Let him rest and take it easy. Maybe better to end the day after that. I look for the dogs mouth to get white (cottonmouth) and as soon as I see that I give him water. When giving water after overheating Never give it cold and putting it on their belly, feet and underarms will help to cool them down. This will be something to watch for from now on. Be careful.
Carl
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big steve46
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Re: Hypoglycemia ?

Post by big steve46 » Sun Dec 05, 2010 8:50 am

Science Diet is a mediocre feed at best. There's nothing wrong with high quality corn and wheat, but to have them as the first two ingredients is unacceptable. I just like a good meat meal source as the first ingredient.

There are many good feeds, but I changed from Diamond to Loyall over a year ago. They have Performance, Active Adult, and Professional which are all great for working dogs. I feed AA which is efficiently used and cost effective. It's less expensive than PPP, and possibly superior.

Feeding a better feed will probably stop the hypoglycemia problem.
big steve

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Carl Porter
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Re: Hypoglycemia ?

Post by Carl Porter » Sun Dec 05, 2010 9:08 am

I like the Loyall feed too. Purina is to expensive but if you only have one or two dogs usually you can afford it. We pay over $40 for the ppp and about 30-35 for the Loyall here in CA. I dont like any dog food with corn. I do have to use it but make sure it is way down on the list. Lamb and Rice or Chicken and Rice works well here at my kennel.
Carl
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GL
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Re: Hypoglycemia ?

Post by GL » Mon Dec 20, 2010 4:35 pm

Having suffered with Hypoglycemia my entire adult life I have to disagree with the assumption that sugar is the fix. About the very last thing I want when I start getting shaky is pure sugar.

What I need when I begin to feel the effects is protein. You should keep cheese with you when you hunt the dog. Just a couple slices will do the trick Peanuts are a great source if your dog likes them and a bite sized Pay Day is easy to have in your pocket, protein with sugar. I always have carnation instant breakfast handy and the drinks made by Ensure are also excellent sources for a quick fix I bet your dog would lap right up.

The key to human HypoG is to eat numerous small meals throughout the day and to avoid sugar because our bodies don't do the same as others with it. I know if I eat cereal with sugar in the morning I will be in trouble fairly soon after wards. Pancakes with syrup are about as useless as I can get for a breakfast meal. Keep in mind that my body does different things with sugar than others.

My best description of what HypoG is like would be this. When driving your car and the light comes on telling you the tank is near empty you usually have 30-50 miles before it runs out. When my body feels the tank is nearing empty it means STOP NOW and eat something with good protein quick. If your dog really does have HypoG, the day he seized was a lousy day for him because it leaves him in a stupor for the rest of the day and it is difficult to just snap back.

I have to snack all day long but candy and sugar are off the list.

Do some reading about the diets for humans with this problem and see if you can really figure out if the dog has it. The blood test would be very difficult on a dog but for humans it is called a 5 hour Glocose tolerance test and requires a blood draw followed by a drink of pure sugar mixture and then numerous subsequent draws to show what your body is doing with the sugar.

Gary

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Carl Porter
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Re: Hypoglycemia ?

Post by Carl Porter » Mon Dec 20, 2010 7:25 pm

GL, are you saying that sugar isn't the fix for you or the dog? I am assuming you mean you. It sounds that your saying protein and sugar is the answer for a dog experiencing HG. Would love to hear from the vet guy here. Just to verify. If thats the case, i too will keep some high protein/sugar something around. Cheese would be real easy to get them to eat.
He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog.
You are his life, his love, his leader.
He will be yours faithful and true to the last beat of his heart.
You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.
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Coveyrise64
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Re: Hypoglycemia ?

Post by Coveyrise64 » Mon Dec 20, 2010 7:42 pm

Coveyrise64 wrote:I kept a zip lock bag of dry dog food in my hunting vest and gave a small amount to my dog every hour or so. Instead of the honey I carried a tube of NutraCal (sp), not as messy and has some nutritional value as well. Also, I carried a short leash in my game bag, after a seizure, dogs can be confused and want to run away.
Above is the routine I followed when dealing with a hypoglycemic pointer.

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Re: Hypoglycemia ?

Post by bossman » Mon Dec 20, 2010 9:46 pm

All great suggestions. Have never been crazy about SD dog food. In addition to feeding a different feed and carrying honey, etc., I also carry some "Tri Nutrition" bars and/or "Redpaw Recovery Treats" that I give during the day. Don't know if they help, but have never had the problem. Good luck

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GL
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Re: Hypoglycemia ?

Post by GL » Wed Dec 22, 2010 12:50 pm

Carl Porter wrote:GL, are you saying that sugar isn't the fix for you or the dog? I am assuming you mean you. It sounds that your saying protein and sugar is the answer for a dog experiencing HG. Would love to hear from the vet guy here. Just to verify. If thats the case, i too will keep some high protein/sugar something around. Cheese would be real easy to get them to eat.
I can't speak for the dog since we don't honestly know if HG is the issue or not. With humans I am quite sure Protein and not sugar is the best remedy. Sugar may provide a quick jolt but with nothing of substance to back it up it will be a short burst at best. I personally like the Pay Day bars that provide both the sugar for the quick fix as well as the protein for the duration. Some dogs might not like peanuts and some owners refuse to give candy but I have never seen one that did not like cheese.

I don't know anyone else who suffers with HG like me so all I can pass along is what seems to work best for me. I find a diet of NO Sugar, High Protein and Low carbs works best for me yet my doctor would have me on a completely different diet that I feel lousy on. I too will be interested to hear what a Vet would recommend for a dog with true Hypoglycemia. The nutrition bars sound like a great idea to me as long as they contain something more then just sugars.

What must be understood here is that Hypoglycemia is not the same in all people nor is there one correct diet for all persons with HG. It all depends upon what a particular persons body and metabolism is doing with the foods they eat. What seems to work best for me won't work best for all so if your dog really is experiencing issues with low blood sugars you will need to experiment to see what works best but I am willing to bet that sugar is NOT the answer.

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Re: Hypoglycemia ?

Post by huskerhunter » Thu Dec 23, 2010 10:07 am

Thanks for all the replies I really appreciate it. Here is what I have done so far and it seems to be working. I switched his food to Pro Plan performance. On days we are hunting I give him a quarter of a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich before we start hunting then another quarter periodically throughout the day. This seems to have taken care of it for now. Hopefully for good.

Thanks again and happy holidays to everyone.

Nate

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