Cleft Palate repair thread and warning some graphic photos

[Jeff]

So as most of you know when I adopted Cliff he has a Cleft palate. This is pretty rare in Labradors. I write this more as history and to document it, maybe my story with this will help other googling. I will update as this progresses because at the time I write this the story is not over yet. My knowledge is limited, I am no expert, I can only tell my experience. My thoughts, discussions with the vet, and various trainers. Do not take my experiences as you're own. There are, as I learned many different types of Cleft palate. All are unique, all are handled differently.

Cliff came from a reputable breeder, conformation champion lines on both sides, health clearances genetic testing, the works. There was never a history in their lines so when he came along it was unexpected. So it is even rarer in a pup with those lines. When they are born like that some hard decisions have the be made, the vet took him and tried to save his life, he had to be tube fed every 2 hours until he was able to eat and drink on his own even then that took special care and food. The primary reason is he could not suckle. This does occur though commonly in dogs with the short snouts, bulldogs, French bull dogs, pugs etc. It does happen in Labs and Goldens as well it is just much rarer.

What causes it, no one knows for sure, there is a genetic component. Exposure to a chemical or medication by the mother during pregnancy has been connected but it is honestly hard to tell. The one thing that is known though is a dog born with this condition is way more likely to pass that on. He will be neutered at age 2 when he is fully grown.

Anyway, when he came to me, he was a beautiful pup, 5 and a half months old, ready to take on the world as any lab pup does. We went on many adventures and training was started on a lot of levels as growing up he didn't experience as much as a normal pup would. However, he did get to experience a lot of different things. For him the vets office is home and awesome and everyone loves me. When we go there he knows the way in from every single door, he knows the way through the back room must stop and say Hi to everyone and everyone knows him, his story. However, he never got to experience swimming or things like that, due to the nature of his defect he could drown. Toys were limited to soft toys only, so that desire to chew was on rubber things. He could not chew on anything organic, it could pass through that hole into the nose and then decay. Any foods or things sticky or soft and mushy were dangerous, peanut butter for example, pumpkin, soft cheese, even shredded cheese could go into his nasal cavity and be stuck, decay or worse travel back into the nose and organs there. Everything that went into his mouth has the potential to be lethal. Drinking water was something different for him as well. He would basically get a mouthful and noseful of water, then pull his head out of the water fast tilt his head back so it would go down the right hole. Something he taught himself and how he learned to survive. He really didn't know any different this is just how life is, and how it works.

Despite all that, he was just a super happy puppy living in his world having a blast. I took him camping to Dog Scout camp and on his adventures. We began working on manners and walking mile a day not a mile and a half a day. I had to be extra vigilant of everything what ever a lab pup might get into his mouth. However, I am pretty determined to give this guy the best life I can.

It is hard to watch them knowing what potential he has, and his little life struggles. He would get kibble stuck in there, and there was nothing could do to help. Sometimes he could get it out with his tongue, sometimes we would be playing with toys and suddenly a piece a kibble stuck since breakfast would just fall out sometimes the kibble would get moist enough to break up and he would violently sneeze the food out his nose. This was one example, I knew he had food in there bugging him but nothing i could do about it.


Selfie cam is the best way to get photos to see what is going on. Usually when he is panting after play or yawning you can get a good pic. Other times when playing and he would get wound up put the hand on top of his head where he couldn't reach it. Which he would roll over, playing Oh I am going to get your hand. I took this phot the night before the surgery. We played hard that evening for as long as he could go. Every single toy he has. It would be a while before we could play again.



So he got his surgery on Monday to repair it. As this picture is posted it is 6 days after surgery.




So the surgery went good but there was a complication. He could not stop bleeding from his nose. Bloody nose was expected but this was continuous flow they couldn't stop. They would get it to stop, for an hour it would open again. They had to keep him 3 nights, I was not allowed to see him either for fear he would be too excited and open it up again or make it worse. Through some experimentation and different drugs they were able to get it to stop. A new drug I was not aware of is an ancient Chinese herbal medicine, Yunnan Baiyao. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yunnan_Baiyao

Finally Thursday Cliff got to come home. And he was high as a kits as you can tell from the photo. Looks like has been on a 3 day bender with Snoop Dog.


We are still in recovery, this needs time to heal. No toys, no playing for 2 weeks total, the follow up visit is on the 28th. We are hoping everything heals correctly and there is no need for another surgery. It is possible but this next one should not be as bad. It is hard to tell but at the very front of his mouth it is a very hard place to heal and stay sealed. There is not much flesh there. So there is a slight chance there might be another surgery, sometimes if the hole is small they leave it as it may grow together. Then again this small doesn't pose much of a threat or problem. All of this will be determined later and I will add to this thread. Right now we are just in keep calm mode. With a almost 7 month old lab puppy.

However, it will all be worth it. I about cried when he came home and went to get a drink, he drank very much like any lab that has been doing this for his whole life. He pulled his head up once for a sec then right back in he went got a huge drink. He didn't have to pull his head up. He already figure it out.

We are hanging in there though. There is a lot of medication, antibiotic, sedative, pain medication, the Chinese herbs all at different hours. His food needs to soak for 10 minutes before eating, however it can't get too soft for fear of of it sticking in the incision. I think I have mentioned before one of Hemi's favorite treats was Happy Howie's Food rolls, you can cut them up any size you want. I had the vet check and Cliff could use those before and after the surgery, they are like the consistency of ham, which when big enough they couldn't go in the hole, they are soft enough for after surgery. So his diet is his moistened food and Happy Howie's as treats. However, we were given the approval to expand. Cooked cubed Carrots, peas and green beans have been tested and are very much approved of by Cliff.

Some of the other post care issues, runny nose. This is expected and will improve and eventually go away, a lot of irritation in there. Best way to describe it is imagine a toddler with a cold. Occasionally you can hear the nose rattling and you know they need to blow it. Cept you can't get a dog to blow their nose. So ever seen a toddler with a plugged nose sneeze. It is exactly like that. 5 inch long strings of snot out the nose. Sometimes a little blood in them. but that's getting better. Lots of boredom, when the sedative is not making him sleep. All toys had to be taken away, so there are many attempts to make toys out of what he can. His leash, my feet, my slippers and my hat if I am wearing then or not. He will search for his toys. He is not supposed to go for long walks. So we make multiple laps around the house multiple times a day. We are doing paw targeting exercises, and training. Remember how Hemi used to paint pictures.

Cliff is an artist in the making


He will get there very quickly, he learned that really fast, so expect some Cliff Artwork soon.

Some other things I have noticed. Before his surgery his nose was extraordinary. He was doing things like nose games really well. Well beyond Hemi at that age. Hemi was trained in wilderness search and rescue by 11 months but that was a lot of work. Cliff is naturally doing things like air scenting. I often wonders what would happen after surgery. If he would loose this ability, or it would stay the same. My thought was he was taking in extra air through his mouth. Actually it was not what I expected, his sense of smell has grown to amazing levels. Actually he has been struggling a little with this. It is like sensory overload. He is experiencing the world on many new levels through scent and a dogs nose is already so powerful. He apparently was working extremely hard to smell what he was smelling and now he doesn't have to try. I am planning to start working on nosework next week and see what he can do with it.

Pretty much take it day by day now. Will update as things change, progress, whatever. Hopefully it progresses and keeps moving in a positive direction.

[SoapySophie]

Wonderful - he couldn't have ended up with a more perfect dad.

[Black Labbies]

What an incredible story, Jeff! And very well written! Thanks so much for sharing your and Cliff's experiences with us.

I agree with SoapySofie, you're Cliff's perfect dad! Cliff came into your life to ease your loss of Hemi, but you came into Cliff's life to ease his struggles with his cleft palate and discomfort. The two of you were meant for each other. What a wonderful bond you two have!

Get well very soon Cliff! We're sending you love and healing vibes, can you feel them?

[Snowshoe]

Wonderful Jeff, entertaining and educational. Thank you for telling us Cliff's story. You and he are a match made to be. Cliff, you go little boy puppy. Well, maybe not quite yet, but I am confident you will enjoy an active life when completely healed.

[smartrock]

Doctor Jeff, Cliff could not be in better hands!

I didn't think about how the cleft palate might affect his vomeronasal organ and smelling ability. Maybe things do smell smellier since they're not being diluted by air coming in through his mouth. Or maybe he could also "taste" the scents and now he doesn't and has to work harder to get the same effect. Interesting. I hope he adjusts soon to his new normal.

[Berna]

Wishing Cliff a speedy recovery!

[Macy]

This was fascinating to read and see. Happy uneventful healing for Cliff.

[barry581]

Best wishes for a quick and uneventful recovery for Cliff. Thanks for sharing this.

[Myboo]

Thank you for this amazing post. Wishing Cliff lots of good vibes and healing thoughts. He has been through so much from the moment he was born and yet, he is a smiley, happy guy. I think a lot of it is due to the love and care that you gave him. It must have been so stressful having him gone for three days.


Jeff, don’t forget to take care of yourself too!

[Jeff]

So the follow up and Final piece to this for now. There is more to come unfortunately but not for a while.

The first post finished was 5 days post surgery. On the 6th day he was still down in the dumps a little but you could tell he was felling better. We went out to potty and he did a huge sneeze and blew another huge slimy string of snot out. Looked at me like oh dear help dad. So yeah I looked at my empty hand and just wiped that big old string of snot off, which was very much like glue. We went inside, me doing all the doors one handed also holding the leash. and I notice in the snot on my hand was some really dark red blood like old scabs. I don't know how deep this snot came from but it was a lot and deep. I washed my hands and got a warm washcloth for his face and he was instantly feeling way better. That was as it turns out the last of it to come out. He turned around super fast then.

The next day even on Trazadone he was running around and ready to take on the world. Still no toys at all. I went to the bathroom next morning and suddenly heard a whole lot of excited clatter. I didn't crate him he had been just fine. I was like oh crap, I quickly run out there to see he had got my wallet of the desk and was flinging it in the air, cards were flying out he put some holes in my drivers license. Just having a good old time. He was up and around early and a wild man. I actually called the vet to get permission to take him for a walk, she said only 1 mile. We did a mile and a half. Next morning, working from home he was sitting beside me, UPS man came to the door I went and got the package and came back just in time to see my phone between his paws getting ready to be chewed on. Luckily I was in time to save it. We walked 2 miles that day LOL. Didn't care what vet said. he was going to run out of pain meds the next day but still had to take antibiotics and trazadone.

I got another picture out in the sun, all the stitches were still in.



We pretty much continued like this until his 2 week Checkup. The exception was the day before his checkup I made breakfast, he got to try Bacon and some scrambled eggs for the first time ever in his life. He was a big fan

Anyway, we went to the vet on Monday, and well I decided not to give him Trazadone in the morning. Boy was he a hellion all day. When we got to the vet he was running everywhere seeing everyone. The vet wanted to take him back to the OR with all the lighting to get a good look. Took 3 people to hold him still he was squirming, when the vet came back she was sweating and breathing hard. She said, well he is feeling a whole lot better. I told her I upped his walks too and she said I can certainly see why. Then I got the bad news. The Cleft palate wasn't fully closed. There is a very small hole still there. However the good news is, it is small enough that we will not be doing another special surgery for it. He is free to do anything he wants, eat anything he wants. Play with toys, swim and live a happy healthy life. It is small enough there is a possibility it may actually close on its own as he continues to grow. If it does not it can wait until he gets neutered in about a year and 4 months from now, then 1 or 2 more stitches in there and it should completely be closed up. It may get an infection, it is possible, however a round of antibiotics will clear it up. The only exception would be if it gets bigger. However as small as it is, it would be a much easier surgery.

I took this picture last night, shining a flashlight in there. You can see the hole as some stitches still not dissolved yet.


Anyway we celebrated, leaving the vets office and going to the huge park Hemi and I used to go to. It was where Hemi first went swimming and we used to go all the time. Sadly we have been under a drought and the lake was way down. So I didn't let Cliff in there. We did walk the 3 miles around it and then I went and got Cliff his first hamburger, no bun. We stopped for a picture, my truck is parked at the buildings way in the background.


Much to Cliffs delight, he now has all his toys back, even after that huge walk, when I gave him his toys back we had to play with them until 1 am. All of them. He just couldn't make up his mind sometimes 2-3 at a time. Also he has got to enjoy Cheese tax, a fried egg, and a Kong with some treats and peanut butter. The Kong was hilarious because I guess I just got too used to Hemi cleaning one out even frozen in a few minutes. Cliff had never seen a Kong and the concept was completely foreign to him. Hmm peanut butter stuff smells good but what is it. He has the kong wobbler which would dispense food by him rolling it around so he did that with the actual Kong and well the treats stuck in peanut butter wouldn't come out. So then he licked the small end. Still no treats, it took a while then he brought it to me like, hey little help here. I told him he could do it, he dropped it on my feet and a treat came out. So now he got the idea hmm if I throw this at dad the treats come out. So he tried again and sure enough after he threw it at me the treat came out. So yeah he has figured out now throw the Kong at dad and treats come out.

I will continue to update this thread as this progresses, I do hope it ends. But now it is looking like this won't end until Neutering.