can a cleft pallet be fixed?
 

Yesterday when I looked in my puppies mouth i just held him at eye level. I've never looked for one before. Well this evening i got him to nurse from tasha and his mama he still was starving so i thought maybe i should check again..the roof of his mouth..so this time i turned him over and looked in his mouth..he has a cleft pallet..can this be fixed. I have kept him alive for two days now. He is doing so good now. He's eating from the bottle good..going to the bathroom good. he has energy considering..he goes for the bottle. I don't want to put him down..has this ever been fixed before?

You might consider submitting your question on the "breeders forum". The YT members with the most valid information will be looking at this page.

This is a toughie...depends on the degree of the cleft. In bull breeds the danger of a cleft is in relation to how it undermines the breathing of the puppy. Also. another danger is that the milk goes up thru the cleft and into the nasal passage. It can then be aspirated back into the lungs and the pup is in a severe danger of pneumonia. Your vet would be the best one to question about this. I know in Boston's and other Bulldogs, they have been repaired successfully, but each case is different. Good luck with your baby...sounds like he is a fighter.

I know at least two people here at Yt that have yorkies with this same problem. They are now both happy healthy adult yorkies! I hope that they see this and can offer you some good advise. Please know that this is not a death sentence. Just something that takes some education and extra effort in the beginning. Good luck! God Bless you and your little pup.

Paddy recently had puppies and during our pre-whelp vet consultation, our vet gave a rundown on the possibility of cleft pallets. He really felt a puppy with that birth defect had an uphill battle so it would be better to put them down. As Oscar's Mom mention, our vet said even if you can get the pup to eat enough to grow, the threat of pneumonia is so great because of the reflux (or something like that). He did say though that if you can get them to a certain age (like 10 months or so) that they may be big and strong enough to survive reconstruction surgery.

Just hearing about it was heartbreaking when you get the little pups full term then born and then faced with such a tough decision. I feel so bad for you and the puppy. Poor little guy. Good luck with your decision!

He is a fighter and thats what breaks my heart the most. I've bawled my head off thinking he'd die from this. I told my husband that I wasn't giving up and I'd find a way to make him better. I'm usually so strong but this is killing me. I'm feeding him every two hours and he's eating really good. He goes at the nipple like crazy. He still looks skinny that worries me. He hasn't had any formula come out his nose and after each feeding i listen to his lungs to see if there is any rattling..there isn't..then i burp him. He is peeing and pooin. This morning he was cold and lifeless. I have spent all day feeding him every hour to two hours and now he is doing so good. I hope someone can give me some input here. I am calling the vet tomorrow. I'd call him tonight but the vet that takes emergency calls is in my opinion a crappy vet..the one i see at the office now is great.

How does he look in relation to the other pups...is he a lot smaller? That is the way we noticed our Boston pup had a problem. Each day, the other grew and he did not...he was starving to death and with his palate wide open, there was no hope for him. I cried and cried to have to take that tiny baby in to put him down but I could not bear to have him starve to death. The vet cried right along with me. He put a penlight in his mouth and his nose glowed...that is how bad the cleft was. I am so sorry you are going thru this and am hoping against hope that it goes well for you and the little guy...but it will be a tough battle for sure. Even if they live thru this tough time, a lot of them have problems up to the time of getting the repair done with food getting trapped in the opening in the roof of their mouth or aspirating food...it can really be a mess. Just know that which ever way it goes, you did all you could do. Will be thinking of you and praying for the little guy.

He is half the size of the others. I noticed yesterday he wasnt looking so good. So yesterday i supplemented but kept him with mom. This morning when I got up he was cold and lifeless. I had been letting him nurse more than supplementing. So this morning I got him good and warm then gave him sugar water. Then a little bit later formula. I've been feeding him every hour to two hours. I don't think it's bad but i don't know much about this. He went from almost dead to now he is eating wonderful.

Was he the runt from the get go or were they all pretty similar? If they were the same, he is starving...if he was the runt, I don't know. Maybe your vet can give you a better picture of what is going on...but be prepared...it can go either way. I am sorry...still hoping for the best.

He was the runt. He eats til he's full and I know he's eating because he has a little foam around his mouth from sucking and I can feel his throat move from swallowing. He has also used the bathroom each time he is stimulated.

Okay...well let us know what the vet says tomorrow...I know you have a long night ahead of you so get some rest if you can. Hoping for good news tomorrow!

Heather is going to call a friend of hers tomorrow morning to ask her what i should do. She has an adult yorkie that was born with a cleft pallet. right now I am researching all i can about it. I am finding that some survive. I know it will be alot of work but if he is going to fight I'm going to fight. I have rescued animals and saved animals even when my vet insisted they be put down cause there was no hope. I have a cat that is two years old now that the vet said after I paid for surgery ..which he thought would do her no good...he said she wouldn't make it much less walk..he wasn't being mean he was just being up front with me. we were like that with each other..well she is two years old now and can out run the fastest of dogs..my son when he was born..i was told he would never have use of his arm..rileys hospital told me he would never gain back full fuction..i worked with him every day..he has full use of his arm..i won't give up unless it brings him more harm than good.

My Dribbles
 

Here is Dribbles she is a 1 year cockapoo/ poodle mix she has a cleft lip and the pallat as well I had to bur feed her and bottle feed. You have to be very positive regardless of what people tell you I was and my girl survived.

Your pup is eating so I think this is a really good sign. I think as long as they can eat they definetly have a chance to make it. When Penny had puppies one of them had a severe cleft pallette(completely visible from the outside and a complete split all the way down the roof of her mouth which made a wide gap) and she was not capable of eating at all and even had problems breathing and was suffering really bad so I had to put her to sleep and it was the worst day of my life. But she wasnt not capable of eating on her own or with any help and she was just getting more and more malnurished and sick.
The vet told me as long as they can eat they will be fine, so you might have to help her eat but I think she will make it. I think if it isnt too bad I think they can correct it with surgery but dont quote me onthat. I just remember hearing that somewhere.

It was so nice to talk to you I have faith that Brody will make it you are a very strong woman and just stay positive thats the best thing for the little man and give him lots of lovin from me and my gang. Let me know what your vet says PLEASE.

*I meant to say I had to tube feed but I was so anxious after Heather called that I could barely type and my fingers were moving slower then my thoughts*

I am sending a big hug your way. Thank you. Brody ate really good and is sleeping happily.
To all of you that had kind things to say. Thank you so much.
Now I just need some names of you that are going to come clean my house ..my monster in law is coming tomorrow.... :eek:

This is Brody at two days old. I wanted you all to see who i'm fighting for.

Oh Hello Little Brody! you are just precious!!!!! I am so glad that you posted this pic! I just love the pic!

Hi Brody!!!!
 

I pm'd you if you need any help.
Bugaboo is a Cleft Palate Kid!!!

Oh Christy he is Precious and I know you are going to keep him alive and well you area very passionate and caring person. Let me know if you need anything Im only a phone call away.

He is so adorable! He is going to be the best little guy ever!! :luvu:

He looks so precious, I can see why you are fighting so hard for him.

thank you
 

I will try to get updated pics of him on here for you all..you people make me cry lol..your all so dang nice lol..thank you.

cleft palate
 

i think i might have the same problem my yorkie had 3 pups on june 20th..would of been 4 but 1 was dead inside her but she pushed him out..sadly the girl i was keeping died 3 days later..i named them samson and scooter..scooter was the runt and samson the bigger..i noticed scooter catching up to him in weight and samson putting a few oz on each time i weigh them morning and night..last night i noticed he was 15.80oz morning night 15.30oz and seem lifeless i call the emergency vet and like you not 1 i like..she thought he had a cleft palate from the shape of the roof of his mouth differ from scooter.she said he will die on me..i'm giving him the milk threw a syringe cause the bottle isn't working and he still sucks from the mother and i weigh him soon after and he's up some oz..there' is no leaking threw the nose,or coughing he just doesn't seem bubbly like he did in the beginning..do all puppies this way need the operation and what is the survival rate cause his roof looks normal except shaped a little different from scooter..when i take them in at 5wks for deworming my vet is going to check again.. i'm in ontario canada is the operation pricely and do they all need the operation cause it doesn't look severe..thanks

I raised a cleft baby and she is 4 yrs old now. I would NOT put her to sleep if she is eating!!! She sounds like a fighter. It's a long haul but these babies are worth saving. My girl is here with me today and I'd never change a thing. Hers is in her soft pallet. I did not have hers fixed. She drinks from a.water bottle and eats hard kibble. I bottle fed her until almost 4 months. She was half the literate size and now she is normal size. They do catch up. Everything is just slower. It sounds like you are doing good. Go to the leerburg website and use that formula to feed. It has more calories per cc. I used this to raise Tia. Good luck. You can do it!!!!

Sorry I said she. I mean he !!!

cleft palate
 

it's so nice to hear something nice one here..i'm taking samson to my new vet the other 1 was a vet on call and i don't like this vet but i had to go see them in emergency..i weigh him before and after a feeding..i was up at 6:30 for another feeding i weighed him then put him back in and he was feeding off of the mother before i could get his food so i thought i would wait and weigh him when he was done he was 17.60gr before and after 17.75gr so i thought he got some will feed him after which i did at 9:00 the vet asked me when he feeds any milk come threw the nose ..no is he coughing or sneezing a lot...no..did tia do this when she was small i'm gonna try this mon they will be 4wks on sunday wet puppy food mixed with the milk replacement but i will look up that website..all the vet noticed was his roof of his mouth is shaped wider then scooter his brother..did you buy tia off of a breeder that way or did you breed and keep her..i only wanted to breed chloe once and keep a girl..there would of been 4 she had 1 dead inside her but pushed him out..then the girl i was keeping died 3 days later why i don't know i took her to the vet he didn't know and didn't think to look at the roof so who knows..if samson has this hopefully i don't need the operation cause i heard it's pricey and i've sunk 1600.00 so far in this breeding process and no i'm not doing it again lol,between the stud services,x-ray to find out how many pups and was told only 3 and 2 emergency vets,dewclaws,tailed docked and first shots yup 1600.00 but i was a first time at this i bred my siberian husky once and kept a male and they were so self sufficinet nothing like these small breeds hopefully you'll answer questions at the beginning of this letter and thanks again keep in touch

cleft palate
 

hey there breny me again i took samson the 1 the emergency vet said had a cleft palate and would die on me to my vet this passed tues he does not have a cleft palate and him and his brother are doing good there eating wet food i feed them 4x a day they still feed from mom and they have water in there box all the time which they drink..but if anybody has a puppy with a cleft palate and the vet says put it down don't do it unless really nesecassary fight for these little guys i was fighting even though mine is good news still fight..thanks breny for your kind words..

cleft palate
 

hey there breny me again i took samson the 1 the emergency vet said had a cleft palate and would die on me to my vet this passed tues he does not have a cleft palate and him and his brother are doing good there eating wet food i feed them 4x a day they still feed from mom and they have water in there box all the time which they drink..but if anybody has a puppy with a cleft palate and the vet says put it down don't do it unless really nesecassary fight for these little guys i was fighting even though mine is good news still fight..thanks breny for your kind words..