is runt of litter not a good choice?
R/L Davis
I am looking for a male smooth fox terrier puppy. I can't afford the
$600 for the pick mail and was offered a small male for $300 (100
refunded when he is neutered). Their vet's explanation was that he has
an underbite and was unable to nurse properly. At 8 weeks she thought
the underbite might still grow out. When a puppy is small are there
specific health problems related to that and should the little guy be
avoided?
Linda
Kadi
I would check how bad of an underbite he has, and get your vets opinion on
if it will cause any problems in the future. Also have your vet do a total
physical exam to make sure the dog is otherwise healthy.
Other than that, the runt is not always going to be the smallest puppy. I
have seen many "runts" end up being one of, if not the largest puppy out of
the litter. They simply got off to a slow start, or had a problem they
outgrew, or were even concieved a day or two after the rest of the litter
and are therefore actually younger than the other puppies. Many runts just
aren't aggressive enough or large enough to successfully fight with their
larger siblings to get their true share of the meal, so they stay "runty"
while with the litter, but once in their own home, blossom.
Kadi
Robin Nuttall
I would strongly doubt that the underbite will grow out. Generally in
puppies it is considered okay for there to be a slight *overbite*,
because the lower jaw is one of the last things to grow on a puppy.
Therefore, a slight overbite may become a proper scissors bite, and even
bite may become an underbite, and an underbite will only get worse.
If the underbite is very bad the misalignment of teeth may be a problem
all his life. He may always have problems eating. I would consult a
second vet about it, preferably with puppy in hand, before I made any
decisions.
good luck
--
Robin, Jasper and Dreamer
robin_...@muccmail.missouri.edu
(my opinions are strictly my own!)
Doberman page:
http://www.hsc.missouri.edu/people/robin/
Nancy E. Holmes
In <01bbf8f8$894997a0$2f10...@kadit.ints.com> "Kadi"
<kthi...@ints.com> writes:
snip
> I have seen many "runts" end up being one of, if not the largest
puppy out of
>the litter. They simply got off to a slow start, or had a problem
they
>outgrew, or were even concieved a day or two after the rest of the
litter
>and are therefore actually younger than the other puppies.
>Kadi
Kadi - just a FYI
A bitch releases all of her eggs (ovulates) at one time so conception
of a pup a day or two later doesn't happen
If there is viable sperm present the eggs get fertilized
Breeding may occur before, at or after ovulation to fertilize the eggs
Fertilized eggs all implant at about the same time in the uterine wall
Some areas of the uterus are 'better' than others and fetuses attached
there will have bigger placentas and be larger at birth than siblings
attached at 'poorer' points where the placenta remains smaller
'runts' often are found high up in the uterine horns
You are absolutely right about why they stay smaller while nursing -
bigger pups get a bigger share of the milk and attach to the 'best'
nipples that produce the most milk
Once these pups are eating on their own and not fighting siblings for a
share of the food they start to grow to match the preprogrammed size
they inherited from their parent's genes whether that size is big or
small
Nancy
Carol Dunster
On 2 Jan 1997 20:36:17 GMT, R/L Davis <dav...@tallships.istar.ca>
wrote:
>I am looking for a male smooth fox terrier puppy. I can't afford the
>$600 for the pick mail and was offered a small male for $300 (100
>refunded when he is neutered). Their vet's explanation was that he has
>an underbite and was unable to nurse properly.
A puppy that is unable to nurse well certainly could be small. I would
be concerned about other health problem, however. There is usually a
reason for under size and often where there is one reason, another
will lurk as well. That is one reason he is cheaper - he is a poorer
risk in general. I would really hesitate - you could spend more on vet
bills than the cost of a more healthy puppy in just a few weeks and be
so attached that you keep him. Then you could be stuck with an
unhealthy pup and the heartache that goes with it :-( and you still
wouldn't save any money.
> At 8 weeks she thought
>the underbite might still grow out. When a puppy is small are there
>specific health problems related to that and should the little guy be
>avoided?
If the dog is undershot (the bottom jaw is longer than the upper), the
bite problem will probably not go away. If the dog is overshot (the
top jaw longer) it might improve. If the dog is parrot mouthed (the
bottom jaw is *much* shorter than the upper, he will stay that way.
Over the years of breeding dogs, I have been involved with two of them
that were parrot mouthed. One nursed fine as a pup and was a normal
size - the only extra expense was to have her adult canines pulled (on
the bottom) to protect her mouth from them. The other was a normal
size at 7 weeks, did not grow up well, stayed small, had the bite
problem, had allergies, got Parvo in spite of vaccinations and died.
I had puppies that as very tiny babies did not nurse well (were weak
and small) that I rescued through heroic measures (bottle feeding and
special care). By the time they were 4 weeks old, they were fine and
caught up with their littermates. Most of those went on to have
abnormal bites, but were normal sized at 8 weeks. I don't know if the
abnormal bit made it hard for them to nurse, or if it was a result of
bottle feeding (maybe my formula wasn't up to snuff? Stress?). They
were perfectly healthy.
I don't think a bite problem should have that drastic an effect on a
well raised puppy. I would be very careful. This puppy may just be
small - it is not unusual in a small breed for there to be size
variation, but with two strikes against him, I would try to be patient
and find a better bet. Perhaps you could post for a Toy Fox Terrier on
the rec.pets.dogs.rescue group and find a nice young adult that needs
a home that would be cheaper yet, but a safer choice as well!
Best wishes,
Carol and the Carwyn Silky Terriers