A cleft palate is a gap in the roof of the mouth that leaves the oral and nasal cavities open to each other, because the palatal tissues failed to fuse before birth. In newborn puppies it means milk goes up the nose and down the trachea, so the first weeks are about feeding safely and preventing aspiration pneumonia; repair comes later, once the puppy has grown.
Key facts
Cleft palate at a glance- Species and system: dog (also cats, especially Siamese, and most domestic species); oral cavity, digestive and respiratory tracts.
- Cause: failed fusion of the palate in early gestation; mostly inherited, with teratogenic and nutritional causes also described.
- Classic case: a newborn brachycephalic puppy that cannot suckle well, with milk coming from the nostrils.
- Two levels: primary cleft (lip and incisive bone, "cleft lip") and secondary cleft (hard and/or soft palate).
- Main danger: aspiration pneumonia and poor growth.
- Not zoonotic and not reportable. Affected dogs should not be bred.
What's inside
12 sections in the full guide- Key facts
- How the NAVLE tests this
- Cause and pathophysiology
- Clinical signs
- Diagnosis
- Differential diagnoses
- Treatment and management
- Prevention, control and genetic counseling
- Prognosis
- Quick review
- Test yourself
- References
The full guide also has 5 tables, 3 figures, 3 self-test questions and 14 references, available to NAVLE members.
Read the full study guide
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