Cleft Palate Puppies, (They are So worth the time to save)

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Cleft Palate Puppies

(They are So worth the time to save)

In 1999, I had the opportunity, to save this puppy. It was not one of my puppies, but I took over on a mission to save him. Tube feeding every 2 hours, for weeks, around the clock. Saving puppies takes time sometimes, but it is really worth it.

Most vets and breeders will tell you to euthanize, and for good reason, as they do not want to see the puppy suffer, and most people, do not realize how much time it can take. If someone just tries to save the puppy by putting a little effort into it, instead of a LOT, the puppy will suffer, and slowly die. This is NOT fair.

It is encouraging to hear that they can be saved with commitment and time.

Many cleft puppies are being saved around the World, and the Vets that recommended euthanasia are getting a to see how good these puppies can do. And what a normal, healthy, active life they can live. The Vets cannot be blamed for recommending euthanasia. That is what they learned in Vet School, and it has been the normal recommendation for years and years. The Vets also believe clefts have to be repaired ASAP. For the puppy to survive. That is not always true.

What is Cleft?

A cleft palate is an opening in roof of the mouth, Clefts can be very different in size and placement. Pictured to the left is a cleft on a 4 month Cleft puppy.

This pup was bottle fed for 5 weeks, & tube fed for 6 weeks, He now swallows kibble whole, & drinks water from a bowl

He is a normal, active thriving puppy, that shows no medical signs of being a “Poor Do-er”

We decided on surgery, at 6 to 9 months of age, we watched and waited for a natural close down, but it didn't happen. At this time there was no reason for surgery to improve his life/health.

Photo courtesy of Bev, from BC Canada

Cleft Puppies cannot nurse no matter how hard they try, as they cannot get any suction. It would be like you trying to suck on your finger without closing your mouth. Also Anything going into the mouth can get into the sinuses and nasal passages, and could cause the pup to get sinusitis and/or pneumonia. The signs of a cleft pup is when they try to nurse, there is no latch on and can only mouth the nipple.

Some cleft palates are so severe that euthanasia is necessary. Cleft puppies normally die within days if human feeding doesn’t start (Bottle or Tube)
PLEASE, do not let these pups starve to death, that is totally unfair.
If you choose not to intervene, please take the pup to the Vet and have him humanly put to sleep, as otherwise they will slowly starve to death.

A Decision Must be made...

The question you need to ask yourself is :

Are you willing and able, and do you have the “TIME” and desire to devote to the care of your special pup.

If your answer is yes, It is recommended you seek info from an experienced breeder, as time is VERY important to intervene. Key word search under "Hennwood Labradors website, and Cleft Palate Puppies"

We have had the most rewarding experience of saving one of these pups. I work full time, so with the help of a friend, We did it… Bev from Canada.

As of 2005

Cleft Palate Surgery
5 hours of surgery
cost of surgery $2,300.00

misc. costs before surgery $700

Some small Clefts can be fixed for $1,200.00

Courtesy of MistyTrails Havanese

"Brosa, a 13 week old Boxer puppy with a hare lip/cleft palate. He was rescued by Boxer Rescue Atlantic Canada at 4 days old and was tube-fed every 2 hours until 6 weeks old by a wonderful and dedicated foster mother. He is small for his age/breed, but completely healthy except for the 2 holes in his mouth. He can eat and drink normally (hard kibble and treats only as soft food gets trapped and poses an infection risk). His palate changed/closed dramatically in weeks 10-12; therefore, the veterinarian recommends we wait to perform the palate repair during his castration appointment in the summer of 2009. Brosa was adopted by in February 2009 and is ecstatic to torment an older sister Delta (Boxer mix), an older brother Oscar (Lhasa Apso) and 2 cats."

Brosa, a 13 week old Boxer puppy with a cleft palate.

"At 13 weeks, he weighed 13.5 lbs. A steady gain of about 1 lb (or so) a week. I'll be weighing him weekly just to stay on top of it, due to being slightly undersized."