Simon ? a special-needs puppy

There’s a saying in the world of purebred dogs that if you breed long enough, you will encounter everything — the good and the bad. I’ve been selectively breeding purebred dogs for more than 35 years, and I know only too well how true that statement is. There are a myriad of genetic and congenital problems that can crop up in a litter. In fact, statistics support a 20 percent mortality rate in most litters! I’ve seen a puppy born without a anus and another born with a stomach so tiny that it could not eat what it needed to survive.One problem frequently seen in almost every breed is a puppy born with a cleft palate — an opening in the roof of its mouth which prevents the puppy from being able to nurse. Most breeders euthanize these puppies immediately.Early this year, we delivered a litter of nine whippet puppies. The delivery went smoothly but later I noticed that one tiny pup wasn’t able to hang onto a nipple to nurse. I checked his mouth but couldn’t see anything wrong. Assuming that his problem stemmed from his size (he was half the size of his siblings), I decided to jump start him with supplemental feedings.Two days later, we took the litter to the vet. I asked my vet to check over the tiny puppy as he was still having trouble nursing. My vet immediately found a small v-shaped hole way in the back of the roof of the pup’s mouth. I shook my head and began the discussion of euthanizing the pup. But my kind and caring vet pointed out that the hole was small and in the back of the soft palate. She wondered if we might want to give this pup a chance at surviving. I was doubtful, but took him home.Feeding a cleft palate puppy is not easy. If food goes up into the hole, the pup can aspirate and get pneumonia and die. I elected to tube feed the pup. With Carla holding the puppy in her lap, I carefully threaded it into the pup’s mouth and down into his stomach. The syringe on the end of the feeding tube held the formula. I pushed the plunger slowly, watching the pup’s stomach expand. When his tummy was pleasantly round, I slowly pulled the tube out, and the pup was put back with his mother and littermates until the next feeding time.This went on for three weeks. Now the hard part started. As soon as the puppies were old enough to be weaned onto solid food, we had to encourage this puppy to chew dry food and lap water. We started with kitten food because it’s smaller and has a strong odor. Carla held the puppy in her lap and offered him one pellet at a time. We were astounded at how quickly he caught on. He was eating on his own!We hadn’t named him up to this point because we weren’t sure he would live. But this scrappy little fella had no intentions of leaving this world any time soon. Now, I confess I’m an “American Idol” fan. One evening, I said to Carla, “I think we should name the puppy Hollowell American Idol and call him Simon.”Simon is an amazing puppy. He is very social and learns very quickly. He learned his name within a day and would come when called. He was still half the size of his littermates, but he was growing, albeit slowly.One day I caught him eating with his mother out of her bowl. I held my breath, afraid he might choke. When he finished his snack, he dashed off to go on another adventure. He was just fine!The hole in Simon’s mouth has gotten bigger. I suppose that goes along with growing. There is always a danger he will aspirate — especially if he should vomit. We’ve discussed having the hole closed surgically, but it’s major surgery and there are no guarantees. Carla says we will have Simon as long as God wants us to have him. He delights us every day with his bright eyes and joyful attitude.Would I do this again? Probably not. Am I sorry we did it this one time? Absolutely not!Diane Laratta has been actively involved in the sport of purebred dogs for over 35 years. She is a member of the Dog Writer’s Association of America, The Poodle Club of America, The American Whippet Club, and the Pet Dog Trainer’s Association. She owns and operates The Hollowell Academy of Dog Training & Grooming. Questions concerning choosing a dog or about dog training/behavior may be sent to her at 201 E. Kiracofe, Elida, OH 45807 or emailed to larattad@wcoil.com.