R-U-N-T: A 2 CUTE HAVANESE FOUR-LETTER WORD

Runt: “1. An animal that is small or stunted as compared with others of its kind; 2. the smallest or weakest of a litter, especially of pigs or puppies” – Collins English Dictionary

R-U-N-T: "A 2 Cute Havanese Four Letter Word"
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​​Story Time: 
​For anyone interested in our puppies, if you see a smaller puppy in a litter don’t use the word, ‘runt,’ please. This morning on a 2 Cute trip Lola was in rare form. Her inner Mother Bear roared to life and was quite vocal for a while over the word, "runt".  ‘Just sayin’. It was not a mother’s defense of a weak, ill, or unhealthy pup.  This is a responsible breeder’s reaction to a very common misconception

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN 01.2.2022

IMAGE COURTESY OF RAW PIXEL

associated with  negative connotations. ​ If this was you, don’t worry about it, it happens. No worries. In fact, thank you for this opportunity to clarify.
 
Questions & Answers: 
Many years ago, we asked our vet about a healthy, smaller pup.  We asked about it being a
r-u-n-t.  Our vet, who is an Aggie alum and multi-honored veterinarian, told us simply, “As people come in different sizes from petite to large, so do puppies.  It does not mean that a puppy is sickly or underdeveloped just because it is small.”  Over the years we have subscribed to this belief and know it to be true. 
 
Health Comes First: 
Before one of our females goes into heat she is checked for health, she’s DNA and OFA tested, vaccinations are all in order, and so forth. The same standards are applied to our males before breeding. When there is a tie the female begins a maternity regiment which means she gets supplements, eggs, and transitions to puppy food.  Through delivery and afterward (neonatal) she is watched closely. 

*Please note ‘delivery’ also covers the 2 weeks prior to the due date.

During active labor, there is a primary person with the dam and a backup person on call.  Minutes after birth, each pup is examined, evaluated, and weighed.  Within the next 4-6 days each pup is examined by a veterinarian when dewclaws are removed.  This process is only the beginning of a puppy’s 2 Cute Havanese neonatal care.  The dam is also carefully monitored to meet recovery expectations such as lactation, weight, diet, etc.
 
Initially, the puppies are weighed in grams twice daily or more if there is any question because grams are more precise to track small changes with than ounces.  The appropriate weight parameter depends on the parents’ weight.  We expect every puppy to gain on average about 100 grams in the first 7-10 days and to double the birth weight in the first 14 days. If the puppy does not reach these goals, then it’s a red flag. Does this mean the puppy is in trouble? Not necessarily.  It could mean the dam, the milk, or a few other things need to be checked. 
 
What if a pup does not look right and/or failed to gain weight according to our standards? It is possible for a dog to conceive twice in a heat cycle meaning some pups may actually be older than others in the same litter.  This is not usual, but it does happen.  So what?  There are older and younger pups, not healthier vs. sickly.  There can be slightly premature pups that need a little bit more attention but are fully capable of meeting our developmental goals or there is simply a small puppy. If any puppy is slower to meet these milestones we look for the pup to ‘Turn The Corner’ where their weight gain, feeding, etc., becomes more self-regulated and their growth continues normally.  Some smaller puppies have zoomed past these checkpoints with serious vim and vigor!

The Truth Is... 
Is Mother Nature consistent?  No.  Once in a while, she goes sideways, and a puppy is born with an issue.  A newborn’s troubled condition is usually known at birth and immediate remedies may be available or there are routine care procedures to follow.  There is the ER and the clinic to go to if needed.  Lola is particularly gifted with puppy neonatal care as our veterinarian noted.  Sadly, we have seen a puppy who passes due to circumstances beyond our control and any veterinarian’s ability to save that pup. Walk away from any breeder who tells you this does not happen to them. A birth defect can simply be a  fluke of nature when something does not develop properly.  It happens more often than a congenital issue especially when the parents are vetted, health tested, and so much more. Many of our dogs have multi-generational histories with us, like our great-great grans, to our newest generation, and covering everything in between.

What do we do if a pup is developing slower than its littermates or differently than we prefer? Well, we sit back and give the puppy a little extra TLC and time to get ‘there’. We speak with our vets. They are knowledge and the key to our success in raising healthy happy furbabies.

If necessary, or if we feel it necessary we take our puppy can go in for an additional check-up(s) before our typical final vet visit when it is examined for the last time and microchipped before going home. If the puppy of any size needs more time, his or her furever home will wait. It’s O.K.

If a puppy is sick and needs attention we keep them until our vet gives us the "Clear." More often than not an occasional bout of diarrhea is the culprit for a delayed departure which some extra time and pumpkin or papaya will solve. There is nothing more important to us than a puppy having a great temperament and excellent health to start his/her new journey. We are dedicated to our puppies fitting well into their new family(ies) aka “The Right Fit.”

Please refer to our code of Ethics below: 
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Code of Ethics

 
​We sincerely appreciate any and all questions because it means you care.
Please continue to ask away because it also allows us the opportunity to touch on something we previously have not explored - something new to visit. 
 
References: 
“Runt Definition and Meaning: Collins English Dictionary.” Runt Definition and Meaning | Collins English Dictionary, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/runt.