# Cleft pallet and blind



## oregongsdr111 (Nov 20, 2005)

Okay,
I took on a puppy that is three weeks old. She has a cleft, and is blind. The vet says that at spay time he will work on the cosmetics. 

What do you guys think her chances are for adoption? 
Has anyone has this combo before, and had a resulting sucessful adoption? 
The pup is a Shep mix, and really heavy on the mix.

My heart is so sad for this dog. She has no idea she is going to have a tuff time, and she is REALLY sassy.

Just looking to see what types of success any of you have had with special needs dogs. 
I have had lots of dogs with serious bone breakage, hips, elbows, ect. but never issues like this.


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## kshort (Jun 4, 2004)

Paula,
I think there is the perfect home out there for this puppy. Imperfections don't matter to many. I know I wouldn't hesitate to adopt a dog with these issues.


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## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

Meri had a littermate that had a cleft palate. The breeder hand-fed her for 9 weeks, and when the other pups were sold, a local family was THRILLED to adopt her because that pup was so used to being handled that she was one of the sweetest little pups I've ever met. Great personality and just a joy to be around. 

A dog that can't see still has her nose, which gives her far more information than her eyes ever would. Presuming that the palate grows together, or that it can be surgically repaired enough that the pup can smell normally enough, I don't anticipate a lot of problems for her. 

I have an active dog household, and I would be hesitant to adopt a dog that has orthopedic problems, because an orthopedically disabled pup could get hurt in the chaos. But your pup would be able to do fine in my household. She would rely on her nose and her ears for most things, and her packmates to guide her when vision is particularly necessary. 

I'm not much for looking at the world through rose-colored glasses, but I do think she'll be able to find a home where she'll be wanted and loved.


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## Nikkoli110 (Sep 9, 2008)

I think she'll be fine. She may have a tough time, but she may not know it either. I've seen alot of tri-pods out there who don't know they're suposed to have 4 legs! They think everyone else has an extra! And for the blind, I've never had any experience in that, but I'm sure there are forums/websites out there with plenty of info. For finding the right home, I bet there are alot of families out there who would love a dog that is special. I certainly would love her!


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## srfd44-2 (May 20, 2004)

How bad is the cleft ? I have a cat who had a cleft and I had it surgically repaired. He was 4 months old when the surgery was done. The vet had never done this kind of surgery before so he went to another hospital to see it done. Midnight is 10 years old now. He is small for a cat due to his medical problem, but other then that he is fine and healthy. Hope your little girl does well.


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## MatsiRed (Dec 5, 2004)

_For finding the right home, I bet there are alot of families out there who would love a dog that is special. _

I agree with this. I know from personal experience, I'm attracted to pathetic old throwaway dogs. I also have a friend who adopted a dog only because he was blind and supposedly old.

And Kris, what about Smiley, remember? He had a jaw only a mother could love, and found a great home. I think Kris keeps in touch with them.

Sometimes I feel the worse for dogs with NO apparent problems sitting in shelters because there is little that makes them stand out among the rest.

Sometimes, the more a dog needs us, the more compelled many of us feel to take the leap. I have found there are many people out there like that, and for this little guy you are speaking about, I'll bet she'll find her special someone, too. Especially since she is 'just a baby'.


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## hudak004 (Aug 3, 2006)

Layla was born blind, now 2 years, I swear half the time I forget she is blind, she has NO problems getting around, she has lived with me in 2 different houses and in MINUTES she knew the layout of each house, it is so rare that she runs into anything, maybe a handful of times or so. She goes on walks, she plays ball, she loves tracking, just a normal dog! She is a real spitfire personalty wise... I could go on









Im sure this pup will make someone a wonderful friend!


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## oregongsdr111 (Nov 20, 2005)

Thank you all for the encouragment.
When I took her in I was thinking in the back of my mind I might be making a lifelong commiment on this one.

The blindness was a bigger concern of the two issues.
Does anyone here know of any good resources on working with a blind pup?

I am not sure if I just let her roam around and work things out, or if I should lead her around with scent, or keep her leashed (later)?

It is not to much of an issues today, as she is so young, but would love to start her out right. 

: )


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## pupresq (Dec 2, 2005)

I have fostered several blind dogs now and have been amazed both by how well they coped and how quickly they were adopted. We didn't do anything super special although I was careful to teach them where they stairs were and to rope off anything that could be a danger. They learned very quickly how to navigate the house though, to the point of going down our back stairs in and out of the yard totally unassisted (something I wish I could say myself!). 

I'm far from an expert but one tip is to shuffle your feet when you walk with her so she can hear where you are. That seemed to help our's feel more secure as they moved around until they got the lay of the land. 

The dogs I have had were dogs that went blind later in life, but I transported a blind GSD/Husky puppy from brightstar and I was AMAZED by her spunkyness and energy. You would have a very hard time knowing she was blind. She was friendly and outgoing and just a neat dog. Hopefully your little one will grow up the same way. As long as she is kept safe and socialized like any other dog, she may never realize she's any different. 

Good luck with this little one and thanks for giving her a chance!


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## AndreaG (Mar 3, 2006)

Yep, blindness is totally NOT a big deal for a dog. We had a blind siberian layka when I was a kid, and he was one of the proudest, best dogs ever. He would occasionally bump into things when off leash in a forest, but not nearly as much as I would have thought. He never stumbled when on familiar grounds. He was a happy dog, too. I have no doubt that from a dog's point of view, this is like losing the abiility to smell would be for us: annoying, but no big deal.
He wasn't born blind, he had glaucoma that was left untreted by his previous owners (who then proceeded to dump him on a trainstation where I've found him.)

No idea about the cleft palate part.








The only thing I would probably try to find out, though, if he has any other internal anomaly as well. Maybe an ultrasound or Xray or sg.


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## oregongsdr111 (Nov 20, 2005)

Yes, the vet says we will check for heart and other issues as she gets older, and before spay. They said the fact that she has made it this far is a great sign as she is a survivor. 

She is the smallest of the three, but the most noticed as she demands attention.

Thanks again for all the support and advise. This will add a new experience for me as I have never raised / fostered a blind infant.

I have done deaf, and that was VERY hard. 
Well, off to feed the crew. : )


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## hudak004 (Aug 3, 2006)

blinddogs.net has some info, but really there isnt too much special attention Layla needed, when I first brought her inside I kept her on a leash, but she followed Bixler all through the house and kinda used the walls as guidance. I did keep the basement door shut for a while until she knew the steps were there, but now it doesnt matter. You will be so amazed at how smart blind dogs are! 

With them being born blind its much easier, since they dont know any other way, they have no idea that they are any different!

Layla's only issue, which may or maynot even be related to her blindness is she is reactive to other dogs (but she loves her brother and sister) So I would say to be sure to socialize with a lot of dogs so thats not an issue, but who knows if its related to her being blind or not.


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## Jazzstorm (Nov 29, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: MatsiRed_For finding the right home, I bet there are alot of families out there who would love a dog that is special. _
> 
> I agree with this. I know from personal experience, I'm attracted to pathetic old throwaway dogs. I also have a friend who adopted a dog only because he was blind and supposedly old.
> 
> ...


 <span style="color: #3333FF">OOOH I remember Smiley!!







I just LOVED him!







</span>


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## kshort (Jun 4, 2004)

> Quote:And Kris, what about Smiley, remember? He had a jaw only a mother could love, and found a great home. I think Kris keeps in touch with them.


SMILEY??? Someone mentioned Smiley???? 

His mom is now a very active member of this board! And his name is now Riley, but I think to everyone who fell in love with him here, he'll always be Smiley Riley...









V - you know how I am. Any chance I get to post a picture of Smiley Riley, I'm takin' it!!! 

He was adopted into the most perfect home ever. I think he's gorgeous. I will always, always be in love with this boy... 










Okay - I'm done hijacking. Back to Paula's little one...


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## Nikkoli110 (Sep 9, 2008)

How sweet is he??!!? I love him! He makes _me _Smiley!


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## oregongsdr111 (Nov 20, 2005)

Okay, you started it. I am going to post a picture.
I also need a name. We are refering to them as wetland 1,2,3,

This little one is a girl.

By the way, I have fallen for so many "smiley's" at the shelter. You just can't help but grin when you see those faces.


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## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

> Quote:
> I am not sure if I just let her roam around and work things out, or if I should lead her around with scent, or keep her leashed (later)?


Did you mean like extra scent, like a chemical scent? No, I wouldn't do that. Just let her use her own sense of smell.

I tether pups to me anyhow, to TRY to keep them out of trouble (LOL, they still find it though). So I think a tether is a good idea, until she learns the layout of your house. She's basically going to be learning to air-scent you and the others who live in your home. Tethering her to you while she's teeny will give her some sense of security until she develops this skill better.


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## oregongsdr111 (Nov 20, 2005)

Oh, I'm sorry, I am never very clear in a post. 
I was thinking of something like having her follow an article of clothing, or a special toy, or something like that to help her establish a path in the house. I am freaking out about her someday running as a playful eight week old, and bashing her sweet little facing into the wall.


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## pupresq (Dec 2, 2005)

Honestly - you'll be amazed and how well she'll navigate! I always have been. And I find blind dogs easier than deaf because they're so much easier to communicate with. I think there are all kinds of air currents that flow around objects which help blind dogs as they move around. 

Homer, my sweet old man blind Cocker boy, could flawlessly navigate our house, and he learned it pretty much by himself. 

The only blind dog I've had who had a rough time was a tiny Chihuahua and she had been manhandled and dropped in her previous home. She was very freaked out by hands coming at her because she didn't know (and couldn't see) what was happening. Your little girl is lucky to be growing up surrounded by love and care. I bet she grows up to be a confident young lady and even if she has the occasional collision, she'll take it in stride.


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## pupresq (Dec 2, 2005)

Name idea? 

Cecilia - "female given name of Latin origin meaning the way for the blind. It is derived from a Roman family name, which was itself derived from the Latin word caecus, meaning blind.

Cecilia, the name of Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecilia


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## shilohsmom (Jul 14, 2003)

I have worked several blind dogs with various degrees of sucess. My advise here is to expose her to as much as you can and get her use to lots of contact with people. The biggest problems I've encountered have to do with the dog which is now grown up, not having lots of exposure and then when someone walks up to the dog to pet it for example and it snaps at them. Suddenly then you have a large dog that can't see and is now considered dangerous. 
I also know there are some people that only want special needs dogs. They are fewer and harder to find, but they are out there. It would help if your website has a special needs only area-that way the people looking for these types of dogs can go right there. If there are other rescues in your area that also have a special needs area it would help if they could cross-post her there. Again, your trying to capture the attention of a smaller group of people so the more exposure you can get for her the better. 
Good luck and were going to want to see pics!!!


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## shilohsmom (Jul 14, 2003)

Just wanted to add, I know with one of the dogs I worked that was blind, I was able to contact the media and have him shown on their news stories of pets in need of a home. That might be a way to get the word out better as well.


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## BJDimock (Sep 14, 2008)

Helping her eat through the cleft will be a hard job but good for you!!! The blindness wouldn't bother me a bit, especially since it sounds like she never had vision. (You wouldn't believe how many clients come into work with their older dogs for routine check ups and are blown away when we tell them they have gone blind. Most owners don't even notice because their dogs adapt so well.)
As for your concern of a lifelong commitment, I was in the same spot 5 months ago when I offered to foster 2 week old Frodo until he was old enough to go to a new home. With a shattered hock, he is destined to have some hind end motility issues as he gets older. We were very honest with all potential adopters, and my office even offered discounts on future vet care.(We all became pretty attached to the ugly little hedgehog!)
He ended up with me.
Nobody was quite willing to take on the burden, and in the end, I couldn't imagine it any other way. What seemed to be a management issue with people was what I did every day because I loved the little man. It always amazes me where our own personal angels show up.


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## pupresq (Dec 2, 2005)

I have had no problems at all adopting out my blind puppers. It seems to be a disability that triggers sympathy and that people are willing to deal with. I didn't get a ton of applications (except for the tiny Chihuahua) but the ones I did get were really really good. The lady that has Homer is one of my all time favorite adopters. She has a huge heart and is the best dog-mom to him you could ask for. The other blind dog I placed was a mini Poodle named Clementine. She had one eye missing, the other one blind, needed a back leg amputated, was old, and occasionally had seizures. It was pretty obvious to me that she would be staying here for the duration. Nevertheless, I posted her online. I think it was within a couple days that I had a fantastic ap from a couple in GA. They adopted her and she's living large with them and their other 3 Poodles.









It's weird but I honestly think it's easier to place a blind dog that a lot of the perfectly healthy ones. Ortho issues can also be a tough place, especially if they are likely to cost $ down the line, but blindness seems to be okay with people and to bring out the best in some of them.


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## oregongsdr111 (Nov 20, 2005)

Thanks for the great ideas. Media is an awesome idea. I will give that a shot.
Cecilia will be her new name. I like what is stands for.
She is not a real looker, but has a ton of personality. 

I wish I knew what she is breed wise. The pups all look so different.
Most likely all different dads??

Thanks again for all your input. It has made me feel better about her chances on finding an adoptive home.

: )


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## oregongsdr111 (Nov 20, 2005)

Great news!!!!

My daughter and granddaughter stopped by last night, and they fell in love. Our little girl has a home. She took her now so she can start working with her ASAP.

I am so happy. This way I can still be involved with her, and even dog sit. : )


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## pupresq (Dec 2, 2005)

Great news!!! That certainly sounds like an absolutely perfect outcome!









See? I told you! You always think you're going to keep the blind ones and then before you thought possible - they've flown the coop!


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## BMD0123 (Oct 15, 2008)

The blindness wouldn't concern me at all! She'll actually have it easier since she was born blind. I've worked with several blind dogs and they get along great! 
How bad is her cleft though? That is what would really scare me. I've only had experience with one cleft palate puppy, but that one had to be tube fed and she ended up with aspiration pneumonia b/c the breeder let her nurse for about 30 sec. when she was first born, before she realized the puppy had a cleft (she looked normal but then milk started coming out her nose).








Once the cleft is repaired will she be able to chew on bones, etc or could these damage the repair? You are a WONDERFUL person for taking in these babies and giving this little girl a chance!


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