Nutri-cal is simply Karo Syrup (the white kind) or corn syrup, mixed with a miniscule amount of vitamins. The reason your breeder told you to have some is that small breeds especially puppies sometime suffer from hypoglycemia, and rubbing Nutri-cal or Kara Syrup on the roof of the mouth injects sugar into their blood stream very fast. Small puppies sometimes can't eat enough to carry them through the day, and most breeders recommend free feeding. Many people give it too often, and it's really not recommended unless the dog is showing symptoms.
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"Most common clinical signs of hypoglycemia are drowsiness, shivering, collapsing, disorientation, seizures, listlessness, depression, muscle weakness and tremors." Hypoglycemia Symptoms and Treatment |
Once your dog is 3-4 pounds, this should not be an issue. Joey never experienced any of the symptoms. You can buy Nuti-Cal online, and if your dog is a tiny the Nurti-cal would probably come in handy because it's in a tube and easily portable. Just do a google, I think Petsmart online sells it.