Sorry to keep having to ask things! My breeder is on holiday, and stud dog owner and friend with litter both out, so no other sources of reassurance unless I ring vet, and don't think there is any need for that.

One of the pups (2 1/2 weeks old) is quite a bit smaller than the others. She is gaining weight, but only between 1/4 and 1 oz a day usually, occasionally more. I supervise feeding, and always put the smaller pups on the back teats, even at night. They started a small amount of complete food a couple of days ago, but this morning has been their first 'proper' meal, previously it was just tasters. I decided to start after catching a couple in Mum's food bowl, and the two big greedy boys each lost an oz or two, though gained it the next day, but weight loss for the whole litter was levelling out a bit.

Anyway, small pup is only a few ounces smaller than the next smallest but seems slimmer as she is bigger, although not painfully thin. She was mid weight range for the whole litter at birth and was the only one that had to be helped out, and was covered in Meconium. Vet checked the whole litter at 24 hour sold, and no cleft palates. I have also checked small girl this morning, and still no cleft palate that I can see. She does sleep a bit more than the others, but otherwise seems OK.

Would you be worried, or is it quite normal to have a smaller pup like this? I certaintly wouldnt' say she was a runt or anything, she doesn't stand out when you see all the pups together. (well, not now she isn't bright green! :-))

Thanks once again!

How many matings were there, and how far apart? It could be that the little one was conceived after the others and is very slightly backward.

One of my pups slept for about a week longer than the others did, and has stayed smaller than I'd expected, but is perfectly healthy.

Thanks. There were two matings two days apart on day 13 and 15.

I probably am worrying for nothing, but so far nothing has gone wrong whatsoever and I keep expecting it to.

I once had a 5oz puppy in a litter (we are talking Golden Retrievers) so you can imagine how small she was. She used to fight for the good back teats and although she was still a lot smaller than the others when she went to her new home was always fit and well. She became huge! When I saw her at 1 year old she was much bigger than the bitch that I kept. I wouldn't worry at this stage unless they stop eating or have very bad stomachs.

Thanks again. Ou tof interest, what is the average birth weight for Goldens in your experience? Book of The Bitch says 20-28 oz I think, and that seems quite high to me.

It may not be a pup from a later mating it may simply be a pup that was higher up in uterine horn
often smaller pups are the pups highest up and therefore dont get such a good food supply while still in mom.

The pup wasn't small when born though, she was 14 oz, which is fairly decent for the breed I think, especially ina litter of 9. Two other bitch puppies in the same litter were 12 1/2 oz and 12 3/4 oz and are both bigger than the 'green' pup now.

I would agree with that as there is no difference due tro amting.  No matter when the bitch was mated ehr eggs will be in a state to be fertilized for only about 48 hours, and that shoudl nto make any real difference to the pusp at birth.

What will amke a differe3nce is how crowded the pups were and how well the particular placenta functioned.  Far more eggs are fertilised than ever pups are born.  Many will be lost due to overcrowding and failure to implant and form a decent placenta.

I knew of a litter of golden cockers where, 5 days after the birth, the bitch produced a blue roan pup; obviously sired by the dog that had come to visit a few days after her 'official' mating.

Now I bet that is extremely unlikely ( i believe you but I would think that pup that was from a stray ova would have normally been lost during pregnancy).  How the hell did the pup survive the contractions of the main delivery without the placenta failing?

No idea how the contractions didn't abort that last pup - but genetically it couldn't have been sired by the original stud dog.

Certainly mixed litters are very possible, in fact in some breeds that have large litters in the USA, some breeders are deliberately mating a bitch to more than one stud to get litters from both and the parentage can be proven by DNA test.

Normal ovulation does occur over a short period, so this must be a one in a million type phenomenon.  Fascinating.  A bit like the miscarriages that women have had, then had a DNC yet still gone on to have a baby (as they were carrying twins).

The mongrel pup we got in the early 60s was from a litter born to a bitch believed to be a corgi/whippet cross (she closely resembled a fox). 7 of the 8 puppies were long coated and black-and-white, very similar to the collie at the farm down the road. The one we chose was almost identical to the yellow labrador in the street behind ...

My own son was the survivor of what would have been twins, had I not miscarried one of them at 9 weeks.

Brainless my old vet has said that it is not that unusual for bitches to have pups a few days afterwards, especially with mongrels that are allowed to wander and the fathers seem as though they must have been different dogs.

He told me this when one of my girls many years ago had two pups naturally and then stopped and seemed happy as though she's finished. the next day she went for a c-section and had another 2 pups that were visibly less formed than the naturally born pups.

Blimey I am sure my girls don't know this or they may never let me have another litter again!! No, Goldens are usually around the 1lb mark.

I am wondering if that estimate in the Book of the bitch is a misprint ans it should be 10 to 18 ounces.  It says 10 to 12 ounces of my breed and I would tend to agree as most pups I have had have been about 9 ounces to a pound or so, with once or twice a tiny under the 9oz.  Had a 6 oz pup in my first litter who was half size of the next smallest.  She went on to be same size as the others in adulthood.  She was about 2 pounds lighter at 8 weeks, but don't know when she caught right up as didn't see her again until 11 months of age.

Ahh, a misprint would make sense. Thankyou!

I wil keep an eye on the little girl. As I say, it is not her size that worries me, more her slow weight gain. She's been feddinf all afternoon while most of the others have been asleep, so I'll see if that makes any difference tomorrow.

Now that they are starting solids if there is nothing unseen wrong then she will start to pull ahead, as eating is easier.

My book of the bitch says 16 - 24 oz for Goldens

I find the few days just before weaning starts and they are suddenly up on their feet they suddenly look thinner. I have looked a few times at litters of this age and though "Oh god "... nothing wrong at all. :-)

I wouldn't worry about it- she's probably lulling you into a false sense of security by having you all concerned about her- the smallest bitch in my litter, large breed, had me feeling as you are now but then turned out to be the 'puppy bitch from hell' :-D 

Who was it that said something about 'though he may be small he be but fierce' - or something along those lines anyway :-)

You can get ready in my opinion ;-)

Stacey x

Thanks all.

She put on 4 oz since yesterday, so she obviously can put on weight. I think she just gets tired easily, and she is finding eating the solids much easier.

Thanks nce again.