Sometimes puppies are born that can't suckle properly, and it's almost always because they have a cleft palate. A cleft palate can be a complete division up the middle of the palate, or roof of the mouth, or it can just be a small hole in the palate.
Canine cleft palate is a failure of the two sides of the palate to fuse correctly during the embryonic stage of development. 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. A cleft pale in dogs can be either a genetic defect, or due to something occurring during the development of the embryo. Surgical correction of cleft palate.
All puppies should be examined for a cleft palate as early as possible, by opening the jaws and looking at the roof of the mouth. If the breed is very small, it may be necessary to get your Vet to check for you.
It is possible to correct a cleft palate surgically. However the pup must be old enough to undergo an anesthetic, so in the early stages of its life the puppy will need hand feeding with a stomach tube.
Cleft palate of the outer soft tissue, sometimes called canine hare lip, can repaired surgically at about six months of age. Small holes in the roof of the mouth can self correct as the pup grows older, but may also be corrected surgically if so desired.
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