Cleft Palate
by Race Foster, DVM and Marty Smith, DVM
Drs. Foster & Smith, Inc.
This article will help you better understand cleft palate
in puppies and kittens. If your pet is showing any symptoms or signs of
disease, please contact your veterinarian. We want you and your pet to
be happy and healthy.
Cleft palate is a skeletal disorder occasionally seen in puppies and
kittens of all breeds. A cleft palate results when the bones forming the
roof of the mouth do not grow normally. This results in an opening in the
roof of the mouth that communicates into the nasal cavity.
What are the symptoms?
Puppies and kittens as young as one day old will often have milk come out
their noses as they nurse. They may also inhale milk into their lungs,
causing a difficulty in breathing or even pneumonia. When the pet's mouth
is examined, a slit will be seen in the roof of the mouth.
What are the risks?
The milk tends to enter the nasal passages and lungs. Most patients will
die at an early age from pneumonia and/or malnourishment.
What is the management?
Mild openings in the mouth roof can be surgically corrected. More severe
instances cannot. Frequently if the cleft palate cannot be surgically closed,
euthanasia is advised.
