01/03/2026
Hi all!!
We’ve had quite a few people reach out offering to take the cleftie babies. At this time, these babies are not going anywhere—at least not until they are old enough to leave their mama and littermates. We also need time to fully understand any potential issues or challenges they may face, which simply won’t be known for a while.
Mama is very involved in their care. She cleans them, keeps them warm, provides important urination and defication duties, nurtures them just like the rest of the litter. Their littermates are also incredibly important for proper development milestones as they grow. The clefties are able to suckle from mama and may even be receiving some nutrients from her. They are being raised in the whelping box alongside their siblings, with the only exception being that they come to work with me for half days to ensure they never miss a feeding. While we provide tube feedings to make sure they receive adequate nutrition, mama is doing nearly everything else.
To answer some common questions:
Surgery:
It will likely be possible to find a surgeon to repair the gap in the nare and lip line. We will be researching this thoroughly and, if we go that route, assembling the appropriate veterinary team.
Genetics:
Since neither the sire nor the dam has ever produced a cleft in previous litters, it is unlikely that this is genetic.
So then what?
It could be due to environmental exposure, diet, vitamin deficiency or overload, or even stress.
The likely culprit:
We may never know for certain. However, I do suspect diet may have played a role. Over the past year we had to change food sources after our previous supplier altered their processing and our delivery route was discontinued. We feed raw and previously purchased ground meats, carefully controlling organ, bone, and muscle ratios ourselves. The newer formulas are complete blends that balance those ratios automatically.
During the first several weeks of pregnancy, liver intake should be reduced due to the risk of vitamin A overload—and I completely forgot to adjust for that. It slipped my mind, and I believe that may have contributed to the cleft lips.
That said, we will do everything in our power to ensure these babies thrive and, when the time is right, find the most amazing homes possible. I will also add that they will NOT be free as many seem to be under that assumption. They are flawed cosmetically, but their potential to be amazing companions for families are just the same. They will still receive the highest standard of care as their littermates. Including extras such as early neurological stimulation, early scent introduction. Dew claws and tails have been removed. They will be completely vet checked, microchipped, wormed as appropriate. It's still a labor of love and these babies are not disposable nor should be expecter to be given away for nothing ❤️
