Cleft Palate In Labrador Puppy

I had never encountered a cleft palate puppy in my 31 years of raising Labradors and I did not want to believe that I had one now… It seemed the destiny of a cleft palate puppy was not good – not good at all. So I chose not to look in his mouth and just help the determined little guy get some milk.

Cleft palate in labrador puppy. While any puppy might be born with a cleft palate, the condition appears more often in certain breeds. These include beagles, Chihuahuas, Shetland sheepdogs, Labrador and golden retrievers, cocker spaniels, schnauzers, German shepherds, dachshunds, Brittany spaniels, Staffordshire bull terriers, collies, toy poodles, Norwegian elkhounds and Bernese mountain dogs. A cleft lip is a gap in the line of a puppy’s lips. Signs and Symptoms. A cleft palate is visible if you are looking at the roof (hard palate) of a dogs mouth. It will look like a split in the middle of the hard palate. A cleft lip looks like a split or indentation in the lip extending up to the nose. Difficulty nursing from birth. Milk. Purebred dogs and cats have a higher incidence of cleft palate, and brachycephalic breeds, with their short stubby faces, are most commonly affected. Cleft palates may occur more commonly in Boston terriers, Pekingese, bulldogs, miniature schnauzers, beagles, cocker spaniels, dachshunds, and Siamese cats. A cleft palate is an opening between the mouth (oral cavity) and the nose (nasal cavity. Older puppies with a mild cleft palate may show less distress, but a visit to the veterinarian to determine the extent of the cleft is crucial to your pet’s well being. A cleft palate is an opening between the mouth (oral cavity) and nose (nasal cavity), which occurs when the tissues forming the palate do not fuse together properly.

Check for a cleft palate manually. You can peer into a puppy's mouth or reach within it to check for a cleft palate in the hard palate. Simply look at the roof of the dog’s mouth or run your finger along this area. Look or feel for signs that the palate is not entirely fused. A puppy born with a cleft palate should be pulled from mom immediately. If the puppy does manage to nurse just a little, they will be exposed to aspiration pneumonia. The safest way to feed a cleft palate baby is to tube-feed them. Below is a video showing how to tube-feed a puppy. Bronson the pup was one of a litter of nine that were born to a chocolate lab via c-section. However, when the owners realised that he had a cleft palate, they decided to have him put down. Puppies with cleft palates don't have a great chance of survival, but one vet technician was determined to give him a second chance at life. Brandon Boyers visited the Jackson County Animal Shelter last week to look for chickens, only to fall in love with a 2-month-old Labrador-Retriever mix with a cleft lip, wife Ashley Boyers told.

Bronson the puppy wasn't supposed to live. The chocolate Labrador Retriever was born with a cleft palate in a litter of nine, and his owners opted to have him euthanized as most puppies born with. A cleft palate is a birth defect whereby a hole (cleft) in the roof of the mouth (palate) develops in a puppy during gestation. Puppies born with cleft palate can experience difficulty nursing which will greatly increase their risk of developing aspiration pneumonia – a serious life threatening condition. While any puppy might be born with a cleft palate, the condition appears more often in certain breeds. These include beagles, Chihuahuas, Shetland sheepdogs, Labrador and golden retrievers, cocker spaniels, schnauzers, German shepherds, dachshunds, Brittany spaniels, Staffordshire bull terriers, collies, toy poodles, Norwegian elkhounds and Bernese mountain dogs. Causes. Cleft palate is most likely inherited, since it is a congenital disorder. Dog breeds with shorter noses are most likely to have cleft palates, including beagles, dachshunds, Cocker spaniels, German shepherds, Labrador retrievers and Shih Tzu.

Cleft Palate in a Labrador Puppy: A Survivor Story. Annelise Enslin. On 27 May 2016, Diana and Jerry Greer’s Labrador, Tiggy, whelped and had 6 puppies. Unfortunately one was stillborn, which left five. Two days after whelping Diana noticed that the firstborn puppy was losing weight and on closer inspection found that he had difficulty suckling. Cleft palates: One of the most common congenital defects seen in puppies and kittens Fact #1: A cleft palate is a defect of the palate (the roof of the mouth) that can occur in newborn kittens and puppies. Part of the palate may only be affected, or the defect may extend the full length. The cleft palate in dogs condition is often hereditary most vets and breeders recommend the male be neutered, and the female spayed to prevent passing the condition along. A few of the breeds this condition is common in are Cocker Spaniels, Beagles, Brittany Spaniels, German Shepherds, Pointers, Labrador Retrievers and Pekinese. Cleft palate is most often a congenital disorder, likely inherited. There is a breed predilection in beagles, Cocker spaniels, dachshunds, German shepherds, Labrador retrievers, schnauzers, Shetland sheepdogs, and brachycephalic (short-nosed) breeds.