Cleft

Question
I have a mini schnauzer who had a litter of seven pups.  One of the pups was about half the size of his litter mates.  I've feed him with a syringe and a nipple since his birth.  When I tried to get him on gruel and tried to get him to lap liquids he panics and has liquid come out his nose.   I believe I see a very small hole in the roof of his mouth.  He is now 6 weeks of age, and I have him on antibiotics as he developed a possible sinus infection.   He is eating milk replacer again now.  My question is will a cleft close up on its own,,,,,,,,or will it get bigger as the pup grows??  I have a vet appointment in the A.M.   Any and all  info. you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

Answer
Hi Wanda. This is usally not something that fixes itself, he will most likely need surgery to correct it. It the hole is not too big, then he may just need to be watched while eating or drinking, and may not require surgery. You'll have to let your vet have a look and see what he thinks, he may even send you to a specialist. I'm going to give you a good link on this subject. Please have a look at it, and let me know if I can help with anything else.

www.shilohgtf.com/Cleft%2520Lip_Palate.htm