mouth problems

Question
We have an approximately 3 month old kitten.  The kitten was found wild outside.  We have taken him in, fed him, had him for about a week.  3 days after we found him, he threw up some plastic.  We assume that he ate it while he was outside.  After that, he began to act sickly.  We have taken him to the local vet several times.  Today, it was noticed that the palette of the mouth has a large hole in it.  The vet was not to helpful, out of his league, and recommended a pet hospital about 2 hours from here and said that his care would be over 1000 USD.  What is the possibility of the hole healing?  What can we do to make him more comfortable?

Answer
Hi Daniel,

I think the illness and plastic piece he vomited up were unrelated to the hole in her mouth.

At this point, it's not likely the hole in his palate will close up. I believe you are dealing with a secondary cleft palate, a congenital deformity that a kitten is born with. The hard palate of the roof does not form fully, and while many animals survive with the condition, at least initially, the hole allows food to travel up into the nasal passages and sinus cavities. This can result in chronic infections, and in severe cases, malnutrition.

There's not a lot you can do to make the kitten more comfortable without surgically repairing the deformity. If the hole is on the smaller side, sometimes it's best to feed a strictly dry food diet. Cats don't chew dry kibble well, swallowing about 80% of it whole. There is a smaller chance that these pieces will get pushed into his nasal cavity, if the hole is small, than if you feed a mushy canned food.

Short of surgery, you will need to keep an eye on him and treat him for sinus infections as they arise. Any chronic nasal discharge, sneezing or stuffiness should be investigated by the vet.

Good luck!
Jessica