Cleft Palate in Puppies:
- A cleft palate is an abnormal opening in the roof of the mouth. It is the result of failure of the two sides of the palate (roof of the mouth) to come together and fuse during embryonic development. A cleft palate results in an opening between the nasal passages and the mouth.
- What is it? {www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/mouth/c_dg_cleft_palate}
- More info at Veterinary Parner {https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&catId=102899&id=9335819}
- Cleft Palate Repair {www.michigananimalhospital.com/page/421528816}
Fading Puppy Syndrome:
- What is fading puppy syndrome? Fading puppy syndrome is a term used to describe puppies that are apparently normal at birth but gradually “fade” and die within the first two weeks of life. Normal pre-weaning losses in dogs, including stillborn puppies, can be up to thirty percent (30%), with about half of these deaths occurring within the first week of life. {read more at VCA Northwest Veterinary Sp}
Swimmer Puppies:
An infrequent, puzzling phenomenon. Pectus excavatum, also known as funnel chest or sunken chest, is a congenital skeletal deformity in dogs that causes the sternum and costal cartilages to deviate ventro-dorsal. The exact cause is unclear. Pectus excavatum is present at birth, but may not be obvious until several weeks after birth, or until a puppy shows symptoms of breathing difficulty or failure to thrive. Many affected animals are asymptomatic, and there is no evidence that clinical signs are related to the severity of the deformity.
- Swimmer Puppies {www.lowchensaustralia.com/breeding/swimmers.htm}
- Swimmer Puppy Syndrome by Fred Lantig {www.cardicommentary.de/PDF-filer/Swimmers.pdf}
- Chest Bone Deformity in Dogs, PetMD Editorial {www.pedmd.com}
- Chest Bone Deformity in Dogs, WagWalking.com article
Whelping a Singleton Puppy:
“When the dam only has one puppy… There IS cause for concern. There are many things not in the puppy’s favor.
- The pup may be too big to deliver naturally; MOST singletons must be delivered by C-section.
- Many dams often will not go into labor with a singleton puppy, as there are not enough hormones to trigger labor.
- As we have found, many dams will not produce milk with a singleton. The hormones are just not there, as a dam produces milk based on demand. No demand, no milk!” [read more at dogbreedinfo.com]