Cleft Palet Puppy owner? Are you out there? I need your help!

[luvdorkyyorkies]

I started Joker on canned food because it seemed I could not sustain his weight anymore with formula. He just wouldnt gain at all. I added nutracal to it to increase calories. But he began fighting me too with syringe feedings ( i didnt have luck with bottle feedings) One reason is because I was trying to feed him extra cc's of it and he just didnt want it. Plus he was worrying me with all the formula that was begining to bubble from his nose more.
I tried dry cat food because of the small size of the food but he just wasnt interested so against the advice off the website I started him on mighty dog and little cesars because he liked the strong smell and texture, so soft. ( I tried others but he didnt like them) Besides he barely had any teeth. Thats when he also got his milkshake three times a day in a cup. This is when he went from 9 ozs to 14 ozs almost over night. I had to seperate him from his brothers because they were much bigger and to tough on him. Plus he ate better alone at about 6-7weeks. He did get to sleep at night with them though.
I started by just putting a tiny bit of canned on his tongue, toward the back. Then once he started showing interest in a few days I started putting a little pyramid of it on a saucer. AFTER EVERY FEEDING I SUCTIONED HIM WITH a BABIES BULB SYRINGE. He would sneeze and he sounded nasally with wet breathing.Most of the time I did get canned food out of the cleft and the nasal passage. You could see it wedged in the area. Now he tends to take food with the good side of his mouth and has adapted. I look after I feed him but rarely does he have any canned in the cleft now. And now he is starting on dry so if his weight does not drop I will wean him to dry only since it is the safer.
I got the antibiotics from my vet. I phoned him told him I had a cleft palate baby, found a website with a lady who reccommended this kind of antibiotic so he gave it to me.
I didnt give antibiotics just like they said on the website. I gave it everyother day until he was 4 weeks old. He would sound nasally with wet respirations so I gave it.
If you have raised your baby without any antibiotic to this point, Im not so sure you need it. If it where me I would try some canned food, but thats only if it were me and I had luck with it. I hate to tell you definitely do it and your baby get pneumonia. Since your baby didnt act real hungry maybe she is eating some dry food now!!
It depends on the palate I think. Jokers is the cleft lip with just one side of the mouth (all toward the front) where the cleft is. One nasal passage is open into the front of the mouth, right next to the long canine tooth. So its a minor cleft I think and does not run toward the middle of the mouth.
Please keep us updated Im very interested to keep up on your babies progress. I think she is going to make it!

[Breny]

You have no idea how good it feels to talk to you!
My cleft is in the soft palet in the rear of her mouth. The top hard palet is together and her lip is fine. At what age did yours start eating? She will be 5 weeks old on Sunday. I'm having the same problem. She seems sooo skinny. I need her to gain more. I have nutrical as well. Do I mixit in her bottle?
I tried can food last night. She showed interest and ate a TINY bit but it came right out her nose. She actually shows more interest in food than the others do. Today I left hard food mostined with water but the mom always eats it. The coming out the nose thing, just started. I havn't had an issue with that until recent. She did fine thru the night and this morning with her bottle and minimal came out her nose. I think its a nipple thing. Some come out to fast so I switched a few till I found one just right.
I'm scared with the soft food but I want to get her eating so she'll gain some weight. Any ideas? My vet hasn't been all that helpful, just told me to do what I was doing and we'd evaluate her at a later time. I havn't called him on her since.
She too sounds all spit and sputtery like theres liquid in her nose or throat. Especially after just eating is the worse. Its kinda scary.

Any advise on how to get her eating. Or is it still to early?

So you think I won't need antibiotics at this point then?

I thought about seperating her from her large brothers and sister. The biggest is a brut , but she gives it right back to him. I've been hesitant on seperating her, just becasue of her being alone, and keeping her warm and everything. Her mom still takes care of her, just doesn't feed her.

Any ideas. You have no idea how good it is to talk to someone who's went thru this!!!

[luvdorkyyorkies]

Its very nice to talk and compare notes with you too!
I myself would separate her during feeding times, in a draftfree area with plenty of bedding during feeding times. I think I would put her in that area with your miostened dry food for 2-3 hours to let her eat at her leisure(while u are at work). That way you can monitor if shes eating the food, with no mom or litter mates interference. Just try once a day at first if your afraid of her being separated from the group. I did sometimes let Joker eat with his litter mates but he never got his fill. They ate it all before he had a chance to fill up.
Yes I put nutracal right in with the formula, it was actually nutrdrops that was more liquidfied and mixed easy in the formula.
I see why you are afraid of the canned since her cleft palate is so far back, it would really be hard to bypass it with feedings. The only thing I can think of is if she eats, make sure you chase it with a bit of water and suction too to try to keep it as clean as possible. (no easy feat!) I think the earlier she starts eating on her own the better, because Joker did much better then. When he lapped Formula on his own, there was very little ever coming from his nose, when I force fed him it happened all the time. He did very well eating the canned and dry now, when he could control the way he ate. I think I would offer a small saucer of formula daily along with the dry mioistened food to her in the separate area. I think she needs the oppurtunity to have the time to learn on her own without everyone else trying to drink and eat her stuff. Due to the location of her cleft she may just be a baby who will need formula right up until she can get the dry hard. If she is getting canned food coming out her nose everytime when she is eating it on her own, she sure could get pneumonia easily. Maybe trying the formula in a cup on her own with the honey everyday might be a better choice for her after you monitor her.
My vet thought I was wasting my time on my puppy. But I dont feel I was. He does so well now I really dont think he will need surgery, since the cleft is so frontal. He knows how to eat to bypass the area. Your babies cleft I think is in a worse place, and its quite amazing how far you have brought her. Great job!
They say most experience somewhat of a close down around 5-6 months, maybe this will happen for your baby. I dont see any change in Jokers cleft right now, but hes still only 3 1/2 months.
I know about skinny! Joker looked terrible until he began to eat on this own. He was always covered in formula and he was sticky too! Now he is fat and fluffy, legs so short his belly almost drags the ground!.......lol Sometimes he was weak and would colapse on this back right leg if he tried to turn, but now he hops like a rabbit and there is no problem with that. If your girl is full of energy maybe she gets enough at this point from formula. But I encourage adding the honey!...........it worked better then the nutradrops for the Joker.
You might want to discuss with your vet about having antibiotics on hand if you decide to go with the regualr food along with her formula.
I would private message all this to you but I feel its important we keep it up on the board for the next person who needs some help.
For anyone who raises one of these puppies, they make absolutely one of the best companions in the world. They have been handled so much, their personailites are incredible and so are their social skills!
Ill post a Joker picture in the next few days.
Please let us know on how her feedings go!!!

[Breny]

The funny thing is , the rest of the litter is not eating food yet? They are 5 weeks old on Sunday and they show very little interest in the food, soft canned, all.

I added some Nutrical to her formula last night. Although I already use a high calorie formula that I make.

The milk coming up her nose is something new. It just started this week and its been hit and miss. I feel so bad when this happens! I just want this horible nightmare over for her.

I'll take your advice on the feeding. What did you keep in with your little one when you seperated him? I worry about her being alone and getting chilled. I also really don't know what to put her in! Any suggestions??? I currently have the whole litter in a playpen. One side they sleep on towels and the other side is lined in puppy pee pads for them to potty on.

Help!

[luvdorkyyorkies]

I do the exact same thing with my puppies, clean bedding (towels or padding) on one side, pee area with newspaper or pads on the other.
But Joker was getting the tar beat out of him so I put him in his own kennel. I put a wash cloth in a small dog food dish and he slept in the dish. I kept a saucer of water, a saucer of milkshake, and a saucer of canned food with a few pieces of dry food too. He also had a pee area, but he is almost houseborke to outside now.
Maybe work on your baby "lapping the formula on her own first thing" When she does this, this will free you from the bottle feedings. "Then you can rest!" Then just always offer a tiny of canned, a few kebbles of dry. If she drinks the formula her self from a cup, then just keep the other food available at all times. She will adapt.
You have to be exhausted. Try having her drink from a cup or saucer, your special formula, in her own special place. Once she does that, just keep all of that she can drink available all the time but also have dry available if she wants it. I think you have it whipped if you teach her to drink on her own.

Joker wanted to eat solids before everyone else too.....he was so hungry. He Had to depend on me....and I just couldnt keep up with his needs as he grew.

[Breny]

She is just soo skinny. I felt dicouraged today when I weighed her and her weight was down!!! Did he ever lose weight? She's been gaining continually until this week. She normally consumes about 20 oz of her formula per 7 days. I know this because on every Sunday I have to make a new batch, Well this week I had to make a new batch tonight (Saturday). So she's eaten more this week but had a weight lose. Its so frustrating. I'm trying to do everything I can.

I went and bought a tall, long, plastic tote to put her in. Long enought to have a sleep area, eat area, and potty area. She went right in for the milk in the bowl and of course dunked her face and then then that was the end of that. How long will this take for her to do it on her own? She then went for the sof food (I'm trying anything!) Well she took her first attempt of it and spited and sputtered, but went right back for it 2 more times. Spitting and sputtering each time. She ate a tiny tiny bit. Like my husband said, she's going to have to learn the right way for her to eat. How long do you think it will take???

So of course I felt bad for her and picked her up and bottle fed her, and bottle fed her the rest of the day. Plus she hates being alone, and I feel bad and put her back with the rest. Should I maybe just put her in her new area for feedings?

Oh sometimes I just feel like I'm doing something wrong and just cry. Then the next feeding she'll do great and I think okay she is going to be fine. I think I'm so worn out emotionally.

She fell asleep during a feeding today and I got a good look inside her mouth. Her top front hard palate is together, Its in the back before the throat that has the cleft.

She has her teeth now! She's chewing when she feels good. She was actually playing tug of war with my shirt today She's just sooo tiny.

How old is yours now? What does he weigh??? did you feel frustrated, down, sad on some days too?

[Breny]

Ok, so this morning I seperated her while I go to work. Oh she cried!!! I feel horrible! I left her with formula, hard food and canned food. I seen her yesterday attempt to lick but not very much. At what age was yours doing it on his own?

I felt bad seperating her today but I worry about the others being so rough and they are getting rougher by the day!

[luvdorkyyorkies]

Hi Breny,
Sorry for my delays in responses. Been so busy.
If shes really unhappy I would just leave her out for feedings. If you have another more docile puppy maybe put them in with her for company.
Joker was eating canned around 6 1/2 weeks or so. He was drinking formula on his own 6-7 weeks. Joker is 3 1/2 months old. Once he started formula and canned he gained weight consistently, but before that he started losing tiny amounts.......which was tons since he was nothing but a walking skeleton with a poochy belly. Now Im proud to say he is working on 1 1/2 lbs!!
Your not doing anything wrong, obviously your doing alot right or your baby would not be alive today without a doubt.
Just keep offering the food and the formula, to allow her to try to adapt, if she cant get the job done then continue to bottle feed her. One day you will look in there and she will be lapping the formula or nawing on dry food! Due to her really bad placement of her cleft I think she will take longer to adapt then Joker. Dry food is probably the best option all around for her. Maybe try offering the dry by hand, one nugget at a time, let her roll it around then try again.
I think with consistent trying in a week your baby will be doing better. Saying a lil prayer for you and your baby.

[Breny]

I'll be going home at lunch to make sure she's ok and to feed her. She is very active. I'll have to take a pic and post it , so you can see how skinny she is. Can I see a updated pic of Joker? So was he the only one you kept from the litter?

The other pups are way too rough. I'm not sure there is a calm one for her to be with! Well maybe the other little girl but she has her moments too!

Its just frustrating with her losing weight. I can't wait until she eats alot on her own. She struggles with the canned but goes back for a nother lick of it. So I put a little drop of it in with her today. I'll see if she had any when I get home.

So her placement is worse? I was hoping not to hear that!

Thanks so much for your blessings and taking your time with me to talk. I so much appreciate it!

[luvdorkyyorkies]

I just took this picture for you. I was trying for more of a body picture but the lil bugger wouldnt stay still. You cant see his cleft lip in this one because its on the other side. Ill try to get a better picture when I have the time.
Yes we only kept him from the litter.

[Breny]

He's awesome! So cute. Did he have a different voice then the rest? Tia seems to talk like a munchkin from the wizard of Oz. Really bizarr

I'll try and take a pic tonight. Well I went home at lunch and see was hungry as ever. She had spilled some hard food, but I don't think she ate anything. She did fine seperated, so I kepted her like that since her brothers and sisters were going crazy beating eachother up.

After I was done feeding her I watch her take like two laps of formula from the bowl. Wasn't much.

Someone suggested I try gerbers babyfood. What do you think?

[Breny]

Originally Posted by luvdorkyyorkies

Yes we only kept him from the litter.

Were you planning on keeping any before he blessed your life? How many pups were there? Do you have the mom and the dad?

[luvdorkyyorkies]

Yep definitely the voice of a munchkin here too!......but as he grows it has deepened some. No we hadnt planned on keeping any of the puppies but Joker came along. After feeding him, mothering him it would be very difficult to place him outside of our home. I own the mom and Dad and they are part of our yorkie family. there were 4 pups counting Joker.
Baby food might be worth a try, but the texture might mean it would stick in the cleft more, but she might do well and love it. I think its all hit and miss at this point.
Glad you liked the pic, cant wait to see your babies.
Well........two laps of formula is sure a start, pretty soon she will drink a cup of it

[luvdorkyyorkies]

There were 4 puppies counting Joker in the litter, all boys.

[luvdorkyyorkies]

Oh Breny and yes I was so sad, exhausted and frustrated many days. I wasnt always positive either. I thought a few days he surely would die because he had seizures because of low sugar attacks. It was just awful. He smelled bad because I was afraid to bath him for a long time.
His eyes were almost always snappy though and so expressive. You could tell he wanted to live. So i do know how hard it is but its gonna get easier soon.