We almost lost her this week

[Ronni]

She developed rhinitis, a common issue with cleft palate pups. The mucous membranes in the nose become irritated and inflamed, which has happened a couple of times already, but this time it progressed to a bacterial infection, which required antibiotics.

Because rhinitis is so common with cleft palate puppies, and is often chronic, it’s not always easy to know if/when it requires actual treatment.

Luckily we have a wonderful emergency vet clinic about 35 minutes away so as soon as we realized that this needed to be treated I rushed her there. In spite of the infection, the vet was very pleased with her overall condition and was complimentary of her care so far. It was especially nice to hear because some vets are quite judgmental about keeping a cleft palate puppy alive.

She got a bit worse before the antibiotics kicked in, hadn’t eaten in almost 48 hours so I was syringe feeding her a watered down combo of Nutracal and karo syrup (one for the concentrated nutrients, the other to ward off hypoglycemia..another common problem with tiny dogs.) But she finally turned the corner, after 36 hours on the antibiotics, and now she’s almost well, other than a bit of stuffiness still, and she tires more easily.

Shes a fighter, for sure!!

 

[IrishEyes]

Bless your heart Ronni! I can sure understand your need to give her all the chances she can get.
You are a hero in that regard for sure. Prayers that she is given the strength through your love
to get herself through these.

 

[PeppermintPatty]

That puppy is so lucky to have you caring for it. Bless you both for caring so much.

 

[Pepper]

Dogs and cats bring out the best in people. Ronni, that makes you the best! Good thoughts for a great pup!

 

[VaughanJB]

So happy she's doing better. It's tough, isn't it?

I walked my dog this morning, and I noticed he's moving much slower these days. But even thinking about it puts a lump in my throat.

I hope your dog has better days!

 

[Fritz]

are they unable to fix the cleft palate @Ronni?

 

[Pinky]

Ronni, bless you for loving this precious pup. You've gone over and beyond to do what was needed. I hope she continues to do well.

 

[RadishRose]

Good job you guys! Bless you and that precious puppy

 

[Ronni]

are they unable to fix the cleft palate @Ronni?

@Fritz cleft palate surgery is a specialized procedure so not every vet can or is willing to perform it. It’s a long surgery, expensive, with a long recovery period where the pup can’t eat normally and has to be kept quiet and still because of the feeding tube that’s surgically inserted….diffucult for an energetic pup.

The cost is prohibitive for shelters, it’s not lifesaving surgery, cleft puppies tend to manage well as adults as long as they’ve had the specialized care they need to train them how to eat and drink, and to clear their cleft as needed, skills which are passed on to the right adopter.

Plus palate surgeries are not always successful. What begins as a closed incision will sometimes (perhaps even often? I haven’t done a deep dive into the statistics yet) reopen in whole, or in part, which necessitates further surgeries.

If the cleft reopens with a small opening compared to the unrepaired cleft, it makes it that much more difficult to remove kibble that may get lodged in there. The bigger the opening the easier the monitoring and removal is.

There’s also the danger of keeping a pup that tiny under anesthesia for an extended period of time. The final surgery decision on this little one will ultimately be up to her adopter. If it were up to me, I wouldn’t do it, having seen so many cleft babies fostered and ultimately adopted and living their best lives!

 

[Ruthanne]

I'm glad she is doing better now! Prayers for her and you for continued good health!

 

[Fritz]

@Fritz cleft palate surgery is a specialized procedure so not every vet can or is willing to perform it. It’s a long surgery, expensive, with a long recovery period where the pup can’t eat normally and has to be kept quiet and still because of the feeding tube that’s surgically inserted….diffucult for an energetic pup.

The cost is prohibitive for shelters, it’s not lifesaving surgery, cleft puppies tend to manage well as adults as long as they’ve had the specialized care they need to train them how to eat and drink, and to clear their cleft as needed, skills which are passed on to the right adopter.

Plus palate surgeries are not always successful. What begins as a closed incision will sometimes (perhaps even often? I haven’t done a deep dive into the statistics yet) reopen in whole, or in part, which necessitates further surgeries.

If the cleft reopens with a small opening compared to the unrepaired cleft, it makes it that much more difficult to remove kibble that may get lodged in there. The bigger the opening the easier the monitoring and removal is.

There’s also the danger of keeping a pup that tiny under anesthesia for an extended period of time. The final surgery decision on this little one will ultimately be up to her adopter. If it were up to me, I wouldn’t do it, having seen so many cleft babies fostered and ultimately adopted and living their best lives!

Well good luck with her hon.