Small Miracles

One puppy in the litter needs no ribbon. I've decided to call her Mini. She is now 10 ounces - up a whole ounce from birth - and her siblings average 24 ounces - so they are up an average of 8 ounces. I'm not sure if it's because they are growing fast or she is growing slowly but they are leaving her in the dust. Despite that difference she is holding her own and is as vigorous and lively as the rest of them. I'll keep an eye on her but as long as she is gaining and active I'll leave her to her own devices. The entire litter seems to be working in relays for feeding and Leeloo is a very contentious mother who is producing gallons of milk. I also noticed Mini is able to wiggle under and get access to the buried sections of the milk bar.  Miss Purple there was the first one born and then her sister Mini was 3 hours behind.

She is by far the most popular puppy. Everyone wants Mini. If you want Mini you may have to prepare yourself for disappointment because there is only one of her. Remember, she is small, she has a little kink in her tail and she has a lot of white. I can't wait to see how that grows out - I have had a soft spot for white since Leeloo entered my home.

I can't think how she ended up so small given the size of her parents and siblings but perhaps she was stuck in some corner of the uterus, maybe jammed up against the pelvis and she just didn't get the room to grow like everyone else did. It may also account for the kink in her tail! Puppies like Mini don't always thrive, sometimes they get to a few weeks and fade for some reason. Maybe she's small because internally she is not quite right and as she grows the problems might become too much for her little body to overcome. Only time will tell.

It's hard not to get attached to such a little baby - habitually we tend to root for the underdog and in this litter, she's it. I can say with absolute certainty that if she survives and makes it to 8 weeks, she will be beyond adorable. Remember also that smaller dogs tend to be busier so if you are hoping for Mini be prepared for a smart little girl who will need lots of activity. For now though let's all just put our thoughts into helping this little Miniature Ridgeback grow.