What could be the problems with the runt of the litter?

A friend had a litter of 10 pups. The original runt died shortly after birth and we now have the second smallest of the litter. Could there be any problems at all with her in later life or even as a puppy?Her dad is an English Mastiff mix and her mother is a Boxer cross. My friend is not even sure of the dogs specific breed.Just to add a bit more detail, she's not only very small but has trouble with getting a nipple over her siblings and is constantly seeking warmth; can barely walk whereas the others can go a fair distance without falling. I do not base the term "runt" solely based on her size.I was after health based facts or possible problems later in life if there are any, not size etc.Thankyou so far though for the input.Both parents are still alive, mother is a 4 year old Boxer and dad is a 9 month old English Mastiff cross (not sure what with). Ill health or common illnesses such as Hip Dysplasia have not yet had an affect on either of them. Both are sized that of a small cottage.

most runts do pass away no matter what breed!

If the little one is feeding of its mother it should do ok.

I was given the runt from a litter of german shepherd x dearhound/greyhound pups and she is the biggest strongest bitch I have ever had. And she is lovely to!Edit Please note the xxxxxx edited by the yahoo police is a word describing a female dog!I havent been on here for a few days but just read your add ons. Dont be afraid if you feel ok about it to take the pup away and try to handfeed. Only if you feel its the only option available. good luck!

As long as the runt is recieving enough nourishment, there isn't any reason why you should lose him other than developmental defects.All of the puppies, as well as the mother, need to take a trip to the vet. While he is giving them their checkup, he can tell her what to do to take care of them.

well, there really is no problem with the runt of the litter. they're usually just smaller then all the other pups and aren't as strong so they tend to starve to death. there was a runt in each litter my Rat Terrier had and i made sure the survived.if she wasn't the runt in the beginning, she isn't the runt now. she should be fine. but if it's bothering you that much, then bottle-feed her. the worry feeling you might be giving off isn't good on the mother dog while she's nursing, anyway.:]

The runt needs extra care and attention. If needed maybe bottle fed and taken away from the litter. I have a runt of a litter. She is happy healthy and a ball of energy. Almost like she is more than happy to be alive and have a family to love her. There can always be problems later in life, but you should still try your best to do what's right for the dog. Bottle feed, or take the mother away and let the puppy feed alone with the mother for a fewminutess. Ten puppies is a lot of a mother to endure. You may want to make sure she is producing enough milk to feed all the puppies as well. A check up with the vet would do you best.Make sure all the puppies are healthy and good and that momma is healthy herself. Good luck! Hope all the best!

NONE!Mutt/mongrels in that HUGE a litter (WHY weren't the parents SPAYED & CASTRATED???)simply didn't have room !Don't suppose it'll do the SLIGHTEST bit of good to tell you it's NOT a "runt",would it?

Hi, I know your question is in dog's but i have a cat that was the runt of the litter, he was 10 weeks old when we got him and fitted on the palm of my hand. my husband did not want him and thought he would die, "Not on my watch" i said. He is still very small but he is 11 years old he has a bad heart which he developed 12 months ago, but he is fine. he is so loving and i am so glad that we gave him a good home.

I guess it depends on the puppy. The runt means that it is the smallest, it doesn't necessarily mean it is sick. Our newest puppy was supposedly a runt, until we found out she didn't like the food the breeder had her on. Apparently she was a runt at the breeders house. She is doing just fine at our house and gaining weight regularly.

Lots of people say don't take the "runt" they will always have medical problems, etc. Well my Uncle showed Beagles in Field trials. He told me to pick one and that's the one he would train and show for that litter, well I picked the "runt. He had a fit tried to talk me out of it but I was stubborn and said no that's the one. Well she grew up and WON the National Championship. I tend to always pick the" runt". They have always been good dogs. However the runt is the one who fails to thrive for whatever reason, so the ones I pick are not really runts they are just smallest of the litter.

My liuttle runt is now 14 weeks old ,

Ah, the "runt of the litter"--another old wives' tale!There are runts and then there are runts. Let me explain.1. most people assume that if one puppy is substantially smaller than the rest of the litter, they're the runt and must be developmentally or physically challenged. What nonsense.--female dogs can carry pups from several different sires. Your dog could mate with a great dane and a miniature poodle. A smaller pup could simply reflect a different sire.--dogs of mixed breeds also don't throw a consistent litter. You can mate a lab and a poodle and get a bunch of different pups (some look like poodles, some look like labs, some look like giant poodles, some look like smaller labs, some a weird mix that varies with each pup of coats and size and physical traits). So again, just being the smaller of the litter means squat.--research on "runts" show that in most cases they catch up developmentally and in many cases surpass the rest of the litter. You see, the point here is that all pups in the litter aren't the same (in temperament or physical traits) and they don't all develop at the same speed. The smallest puppy will "probably" stay the smallest of the litter. Probably. But if it's a male (and there are females in the litter) than I bet you in 2 years that male "runt" will be 10-15% bigger than his female litter mates.In short, you can't judge a puppy's health or demeanor just by it being the runt of the litter.2. And there are absolutely runts in some litters. In some cases, the entire litter may consist of runts. You see, dogs in puppy mills or with BYBs, dams that are bred early and often tend to produce sickly litters in which everything you think of when you think of the term "runt" is true--of the ENTIRE litter. Oh, some might be bigger than their litter mates. But they're all sickly, not as likely to live as long as litters of similar breeds, more prone to health problems.3. The real issues in evaluating at puppy are NOT the size relative to the rest of the litter. The ways to evaluate the puppy and it's potential are:--A Volhard Temperament test. It will give you an idea if you've got a submissive, easily scared puppy or a fearful pooch or one that is deaf or slow or developmentally challenged in some way (by testing and scoring normal reactions to distractions, people, toys, pain, height and so on). A Volhard will tell you far more about a puppy and its future than if it was a runt or not.--The genetics of the dam and sire. A dam that has been bred early (within the first 2 years of her life) is more likely to produce sickly pups. Dams can pass on temperament and intelligence (the Allegheny Sue studies demonstrate this all too clearly).Do a Volhard and then find out as much as you can about the dam and sire (and their parents as well). Any history of cancer? What health issues? Structure? How long did their parents live?

They can generally turn out to be alittle smaller or need extra care when they're young but other than that they can be the most loving!My baby was the runt and no one wanted him apart from me and he may be a little small but he's the most giving dog ever. So I think the positives can out weigh the negatives don't worry about it, just raise her with lots of love and she will reciprocate!