Review of palostochisis in canine neonates: an epidemiological study, medical-surgical treatments, and prognosis.

Abstract

Around the 7% of the newborns dogs show one or more congenital malformations, of which a 5% died in the first weeks of life. Of the total neonatal mortality rate, approximately a 68% is because any congenital defect. The one that affects puppies the most is the cleft palate, either primary or secondary. The signs are simply to distinguish in case of survival as coughing and outflow of milk from the nares. In general, the owner and/or the veterinary opt to euthanize. In case of choose surgery there are a lot of techniques that could be used depending on type of cleft palate, seriousness, and surgeon’s judgment. Usually, the prognosis is quite good apart from a few complications such as aspiration pneumonia, dehiscence, lack of underlying bony support at the suture lines, infection of the surgical site,… The aim of this review is to gather together all the basic and necessary information to deal with any case of cleft lip palate as well to compare the alternatives techniques of treatments and its prognosis, both in acquired cases and the ones that were born with it.