Litters with Cleft Palates

I experienced cleft palates in some of my first litters of Samoyeds. My first litter looked to be seven healthy puppies. One pup started tiring easily and falling off the teat.  He grew tired and even when he managed to hold on to the teat, I saw milk running down his nose.  An experienced Boxer friend of mine visited and was horrified to see this puppy. Firstly, she immediately recognized the problem; secondly she had not expected to see the condition in a Spitz breed. The puppy on examination had a cleft in the back half of the hard palate. It could never be reared normally. I took it to the vet to be euthanized. Other Samoyed breeders at the time expressed surprise and declared it was not a hereditary condition.

I blithely continued with my plans and the next year did another mating, uncle to niece. Not particularly close, I was told.  Firstly, the bitch went into primary inertia, so the vet did a very prompt caesarian section resulting in 5 puppies sent home to me. After 24 hours, three of the puppies were lethargic which supposed was anesthesia effects. I then called the vet out and examined the puppies with him.  Three were cleft palates.  They were all given peace.  The vet was embarrassed as he hadn’t expected to see this in a Samoyed.

I was left with a very bad taste in my mouth concerning the knowledge and advice I had been given by other breeders. Over the years I have found breeders who admit to having clefts.  Many, like me, had no warning it might happen. Equally, their respective vets were surprised to find it in a breed where the shape of the muzzle would not suggest a predisposition towards it.

I have had one cleft palate in the last 15 or so years and that was in a litter where I had supplemented the bitch with folic acid as the latest research had suggested.