Puppy with harelip!?

Question
Hi there my and my mums chihuahua has whelped 4 gorgeous puppies this morning. 1 of them has a harelip and although we are prepared to bottle rear him if needed we would love him to feed from mum. We have checked his pallete and he does not have a cleft so we are hopefull he may be able to feed. My question is: How will we know if he has fed? He seems content and is not activly searching but we are scared he is just giving up-surely a hungry pup would be screaming!? We did offer him some formula in a bottle and he did take some(about 1-2 mls) Thanks in advance!

Answer
Hi Leanne. The best way to tell if a puppy is getting enough to eat, is his belly will be round and full, not sunken in. He'll be well hydrated, if you gently pull the skin on the back of his neck up, it will go back down fast. A well fed puppy will also be quiet, as a hungy puppy will be rooting around and crying a lot. If his harelip is bad, you may have to tube feed him to save him. If you've never done that before, I suggest getting your vet, or another experienced breeder, to show you how to do this properly. Keep an eye on him, and see if you can actually watch him nurse. If he has any trouble at all, tube feeding will most likely be what saves him. Good luck, and let me know if I can help with anything else.