I know I'll get h*** for posting this but....

[Betty'sMom]

Rest in Peace, Angel baby.

[littlewhip]

so sorry, R.I.P sweet boy ~~~

[BamaFan121s]

That is very sad that the little boy did not make it. My condolences to 'Ruth.'

[mypreciouspups]

Dena and Ruth, you both have great hearts..I am so sorry to read this as I opened up my computer.. maybe that sweet doll rest in peace.. anne

[LunasMomma]

Oh no I'm so sorry RIP baby boy!

[donnarod]

I am so sorry, so sad, breaks my heart.
I was never aware before Emma that this was as common as it is.
Prayers for healing. We know he is RIP!

[BamaFan121s]

Is this something that is more common with Chi's than with other breeds?

[Tcarnagie]

I am so sorry to hear about Duke, my heart goes out to everyone that was trying to save one of God's creatures. RIP-Duke, you were well loved during your very short life.

[chachi]

Originally Posted by BamaFan121s

Is this something that is more common with Chi's than with other breeds?

Thats what I was wondering too. You hear about it with yorkies but it doesnt seem so common.

[chachi]

Oh and Dena I am sorry Duke passed. That is so sad

[Mom2BabyNatalie]

Under normal circumstances the hard palate closes completely before birth. A cleft palate is a birth deformity in which the palate (the roof of the mouth) fails to fuse along its midline. It can usually be corrected surgically, but it requires microsurgery by a specially trained and skilled veterinarian. It can just be the soft tissue, in which case it only presents as a cosmetic malformation, but if the hard palate is affected, it inevitably spells doom for the new born pup.

Often the condition leaves an open space through the roof of the mouth into the breathing passages. Food and other foreign material may pass from the oral cavity into the nasal cavity through this defect, leading to a chronic nasal inflammation and discharge. Excessive nasal secretion may be aspirated into the lungs. Affected puppies or newborns have difficulty eating and suckling and will not grow as quickly or as large as their littermates. Some pups with cleft palate that attempt to nurse, aspirate and die.

Such pups either are euthanized on the second day or die soon after from aspiration pneumonia due to the milk they suck going through the nasal passages into the lungs.

In addition to strictly genetic cause, there are numerous other cases of environmentally-mediated cleft palate. It is a frequent defect found in offspring of diabetics. It has been produced experimentally by vitamin A imbalance whether too much or too little, and is often a result of poisons and steroids taken or produced by bitches in the first three weeks of gestation. Such corticosteroid production increase frequently can be associated with unsound character and/or a severe scare (fright). In canines, a deficiency of vitamin B-12 has also been identified as a cause. Antihistamines given early in pregnancy, at least in some doses, are also suspect. Viral infections at that stage, or certain other chemicals have also been determined to cause cleft palate. I believe natural or synthetic hormones and steroids are potentially very dangerous if given to bitches during pregnancy; most of the time, cleft palate is a steroid caused birth defect. Cortisone and similar steroids can also facilitate spontaneous bleeding, which is more perilous during whelping and surgical convalescence than at other times.

Certain breeds are most prone to cleft palate than others. The defect is more common in Cocker Spaniel, Dachshunds, German Shepherd Dogs, Labrador Retrievers, Schnauzer, Beagles and Shetland Sheepdogs. Dog breeds with short heads (brachycephalic breeds such as Pug, Shih Tzu and Boston terrier) can have up to a 30% risk of this disorder. In Brittany spaniels pedigree analysis indicates that cleft palate trait is inherited as an autosomal recessive.

Folic acid has been shown to prevent neural tube defects in humans. In a consistent breeding programme of Boston terrier dogs started in 1974, folic acid supplementation (5 mg/day) was introduced in 1981. The frequency of cleft palate fell from 17.6% without folic acid to 4.2% after its introduction, giving a reduction of 76%.

[Mom2BabyNatalie]

Cause

There are several possible causes for congenital cleft palate:

a) Genetic cause

An hereditary basis for the disease is suspected for congenital clefts but the mechanism has not yet been determined. Any such genetic trait is thought to be multifactorial recessive, polygenic and dominant with partial penetration.

b) Excess vitamin A intake during pregnancy

In 1967 Wiersig and Swenson reported that 125,000 IU of Vitamin A per kilogram body weight given to Beagle bitches on days 17-22 of gestation resulted in cleft palate developing in their puppies.

Vitamin A is an essential nutrient for normal growth and defects in bone growth are seen with insufficient as well as excessive dietary intake. Vitamin A has a controlling influence over both the osteoblasts and osteoclasts in epithelial cartilage and so there is a rational explanation as to why excessive vitamin A intake might result in cleft palate.

In addition, commercially prepared complete pet foods contain more than sufficient available vitamin A yet breeders and owners frequently supplement their pet's ration with vitamin supplements. High vitamin A content is also a feature of many natural food sources including liver and fish oils. Cod liver oil is a very popular nutritional supplement with pet owners and it contains 18000mg per 100ml (4000 IU per gram). Some vitamin injections contain as much as 500,000 IU of vitamin A per ml.

c) Cortisone

Administration of cortisone during pregnancy can lead to the development of cleft palate in the fetus

d) Hydroxyurea

Administration of the cytotoxic drug hydroxyurea (hydroxycarbamide) is reported to cause cleft palate.

Acquired cleft palate is common following falls from a height, and less commonly following road traffic accidents.
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Breed Occurrence
The following breeds of dog have been reported to have cleft palates : mixed and small terrier breeds, Beagle, Bernese Mountain Dog, Boston Terrier, Bullmastiff, Bull Terrier, Chihuahua, Cocker Spaniel, Collie, Dachshund, English Bulldog, German Shepherd Dog, Golden Retriever, Miniature Schnauzer, Norwegian Elkhound, Pekingese, Shih Tzu, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Toy Poodle Wire-haired Fox Terrier,

Brachycephalic breeds are reported to have about 30% risk, whereas German Shepherd Dogs have the lowest risk.

In cats cleft palates have been reported in mixed breeds, Siamese, Manx and Abyssinians - with Abyssinians having the highest risk.


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Signs
There is a visible split in the roof of the mouth or the soft palate. This results in food material (particularly fluids) passing into the nasal cavity and the following signs :

Fluids eg milk pass down the nose during feeding
Sneezing
Coughing/gagging
Snuffling
Rhinitis
Pneumonia (due aspiration of foods)
Poor weight gain
Stunted growth
Inability to feed properly
Bronchopneumonia accounts for 30% of deaths due to cleft palate.

Cleft palate is sometimes associated with congenital deformities in other body systems.


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Complications
Inhalation of foods leading to aspiration pneumonia - and death


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Diagnosis
Diagnosis is based on the clinical signs and careful visual examination of the oral cavity. Fine-line fissures sometimes occur in the hard palate in the midline of the roof of the mouth following trauma such as road traffic accidents or falls from a height. These can be difficult to detect unless a careful examination is made.

Consider excess dietary vitamin A intake as a possible cause for congenital cleft palate when it occurs and review the mothers nutritional history.




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Treatment
Prevention

For the prevention of congenital cleft palate Provet makes the following recommendations :

Excessive dietary vitamin A intake must be avoided during pregnancy, so
Avoid unregulated multivitamin or vitamin A supplementation during pregnancy
Avoid unregulated liver intake during pregnancy
Avoid unregulated fish oil supplementation during pregnancy
Great care is needed when administering parenteral vitamin supplements to pregnant animals
Feed a complete pet food formulated for pregnancy without supplements
Treatment

Surgical repair of acquired lesions, and closure of congenital defects is recommended. In all cases surgery should be performed as soon as possible before secondary complications occur.

Severe defects may be very difficult or even impossible to repair and in severely affected neonates euthanasia should be considered.

If both the hard palate and soft palate are involved the hard palate should be closed first, followed by the soft palate. If necessary two separate procedures should be performed.

Most techniques involve the use of a flap taken by undermining the tissue on one or both sides of the defect and suturing them together. Techniques using artificial prostheses to close large defects have also been described in the literature, but these are not readily available and rejection is a common problem.

It is important to :

Freshen the edges of all tissues being sutured together
Avoid post-operative oral feeding/fluid
Feed for 5-6 days using a nasogastric tube or (BETTER) a gastrostomy tube. The latter can easily be positioned at the time of surgery.

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Prognosis
Good for minor defects. Guarded to poor for severe defects. Poor once secondary complication of inhalation pneumonia has developed.


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Long term problems
Respiratory infections.

[Breny]

Originally Posted by BamaFan121s

Is this something that is more common with Chi's than with other breeds?

Meiah, who now lives with Linda (FuFu Fashions)her last litter resulted in no survivors and one of the tiny pups had a cleft palet. I was devastated. I didn't even ge the chance to try to help him

So I have had 1 chi deliver a Cleft (never bred her again) and now 1 Yorkie with a cleft (never bred her again)

There is a big Lab website that I educated myself on when I had my first cleft. I've found it happens in all breeds.

[Breny]

Dena - I'm so sorry. I just broke down in tears. This is way to close to my heart.

[Mom2BabyNatalie]

Originally Posted by Breny

Dena - I'm so sorry. I just broke down in tears. This is way to close to my heart.

If I could have found you yesterday, I was about to send this baby to YOUR house!!! Since you were closer than I am..... I was hoping!
But God must have needed baby Duke with Him....