When you see a litter of puppies are you usually drawn to the runt of the litter puppy? Have you ever heard they grow to be the biggest? You may be asking yourself, “Is it a bad idea to get the runt of the litter?”
The article below includes all essential details about runts. Let’s go through the facts below before you buy to help you make the best decision.
What is a runt?
The runt usually represents the smallest puppy in the litter. This is determined in terms of weight and size.
Why do some litters have runt puppies? Well, the uterus of a dog is of Y-shape, and it nurtures many puppies inside. The runt develops right in the middle of the uterus. Because of this it is not able to receive as many nutrients and blood supply for it’s growth.
Hence, due to less consumption of essential food, these puppies stay smaller in size as compared to other babies. At the same time, they have lesser strength, due to lack of nutrients.
It’s reported that “some runt of the litter has health problems” but guess what? So do some “pick of the litter” pups. That’s why, we at MS Rottweilers, aim to only provide our clients with healthy puppies and we have a guarantee.
Does every litter have a runt?
It is not compulsory that every litter will have a runt; they may or may not be present in the litter. Even if the litter has puppies of multiple sizes, you cannot be sure that the smallest is the runt.
Sometimes, the mother dog rejects the runt puppy. Due to it’s weaker body, it can also be bullied by other siblings. He may rarely get to eat enough after birth as well because the stronger siblings try to shove them out.
At Mississippi Rottweilers we monitor all pups frequently. If we see a pup struggling we will place the puppy on the proper nipple so it can thrive. We keep a high calorie gel on hand to help with weight gain. We also pay close attention to all the pups and provide extra special attention if there are any weaker pups.
Should I buy the runt of the litter, can the runt be a good choice?
As a common perception, people believe that it is not good to buy and raise a runt; but is buying a runt puppy a bad idea?
Generally, if a runt puppy lives to be a couple weeks old, they will be just fine.
A reputable Rottweiler breeder will go to great lengths to sell you a healthy puppy. They’ll also give you a health guarantee so there is no need to worry. Finding a good Rottie breeder is key!
If you are interested in buying the runt of the litter talk to your breeder. A responsible breeder can help you make the right choice. When a runt receives proper care after birth, it will not have any long term health issues. Rather, it will gain weight and strength and will show positive changes long before you take them home with you.
Can a runt turn out to be just as big and healthy as the other Rottweiler Puppies in the litter?
Lots of people think that if they pick the runt of the litter puppy they’ll end up with a small dog. Typically people want a giant Rottweiler so they tend to shy away from picking the runt. This is not always the case.
Once a runt always a runt?
If you provide a little extra care to the runt, it can definitely turn out to be big and healthy. It has all the potential to grow just like the other Rottweiler puppies in the same litter.
You can follow these simple tips and tricks to have a big fully grown dog.
It is important to feed extra food to the runt during the first few months of life. We recommend you going a little over the recommended feed amounts from the particular dog food that you choose. Adding raw ground meat or raw chicken to the pups meal can help it gain weight really fast. When trying to put weight on a dog you can mix ground meat or raw chicken into the kibble. What we like to do is get the pup eat as much as it can from dry kibble. After the belly is full we offer as much raw food as he will eat. The Rottie puppy will have a nice full belly packing in lots of nutritious food. With all of those extra calories and nutrients he will gain weight in no time.
Another option is to buy a high-calorie and rich nutrition gel for the baby. The market is loaded with such special gels; a few of them also have dense vitamin-calorie combinations.
Conclusion
In simple terms, we can say that the runt puppy in the litter is not a bad choice for adoption. If you provide him the right care and food; he will soon grow up big and strong and will become an integral part of your family.