BiBi's full story is below. She was a cleft palate puppy and she was worth saving!
in this picture, we were on our way to go canoeing and she LOVED every minute of it (on 07/07/13)! At that time she was 16 months old and living a normal life with a full cleft palate and no surgery needed. So many cleft palates puppies die or are euthanized before they have a chance to live. I have never regretted going against everything I had read and was advised -- I chose life for Bibi. Her story is below and please excuse any errors. Bibi means, lady of the house & she sure is!
Bibi's Story began on March 16th, 2012...
Bibi in January 2020
On March 16th, 2012 -- I was thrilled to be a part of the miracle of life again. We had six beautiful Miniature Schnauzer puppies and Bibi was one of them. Of course, my greatest concern the first few weeks is making sure that they are growing and thriving on their mom’s milk and care.
I noticed right away that the little black female puppy (Bibi) wasn’t latching onto her mom and nursing like her litter-mates. They were born Friday evening and I wanted to give her a little time figuring out how to latch on and nurse. By the next morning -- I knew that she wasn’t getting as much milk as her siblings and by Saturday evening my worst fears were confirmed--her weight was dropping fast. The other five puppies were gaining wonderfully by that point. I couldn’t sleep Saturday night and I was up and down more often than usual because I knew that something was not right. The puppies are born and whelped in my bedroom so I can monitor them closely. Sunday morning, I tried bottle feeding and syringe feeding her but that was a disaster. Milk came out of her nose many times and I knew that each time this happened, I was taking the risk of the milk being aspirated causing pneumonia and killing her. That morning, I called my vet at his home three times and texted him for a 4th contact. There was no way she could wait until Monday morning to see him.
My vet called me after the text and asked how long it would take us to meet him at the clinic--the clinic was closed that day. We were there within a half-hour and he gave her an exam (We talked all day but he knew after the text that she needed to be seen ASAP). At that time, we couldn’t figure out what her issue was but she was definitely determined to live and was very active and spunky. He showed me how to tube-feed her and educated me on the risks, such as aspirating milk. Right now, I tube feed her every two hours around the clock (this page was originally posted in 2012 and is written mostly in present tense but sometimes past tense).
On Sunday March 18th, 2012 (prior to our vet visit), she had dropped to 4.6 oz from 5.6 oz at birth. You could see her spine, tail bones, and ribs. By Monday morning, after tube feeding her all night, her weight-loss stopped and she was holding steady. I took Bibi and her litter-mates to the vet to have their tails docked and dew claws removed. My vet felt like she was improving, so he went ahead and docked her tail and dew claws. However, by Tuesday, the formula had given her runny stool and I took her back to the vet on Wednesday. She was given medicine to help with the diarrhea. By Thursday, she was crying out when Piper cleaned her because her tail became sore and ended up splitting open underneath… I decided to remove the stitch and take the pressure off of her skin and wound. I cleaned her wound with peroxide and put triple antibiotic on it three times a day. On March 28th, her tail healed and looked nice (she weighed 9.5 oz). I think the runny stool and her mom cleaning her more often caused this issue in the first week.
Tube feeding has not been easy and it is risky… I have never tube fed, so far, she has survived my mistakes and lack of experience. These mistakes have been from not inserting the tube far enough and ending up in her lungs… to feeding her too little, to probably too much… In addition, keeping her from nursing has been hard and she does get in there and try, which means she is getting milk into her lungs… ugh! However, removing her from her mom and litter-mates isn’t the best course of action at this time (At four weeks old -- she was separated from her litter but she does have supervised play time daily and ended being put back with them after a few days). She has never had a significant amount of milk in her lungs. Just a drop or two that came back out her nose. I also put her upside down to help the milk come out with gravity and some gentle swinging. I also blew in her face to get her to sneeze and used a bulb.
I found her cleft palate Friday (March 23rd, 2012) at one week old. My husband and I were taking turns holding each puppy and scratching them behind their head. They were making us laugh because they would pump their little back leg and do funny things with their tongue and mouth. As soon as she opened her mouth very wide, I saw the cleft. My heart sank and then it all made sense. She has a cleft palate. Her hard cleft has a pin hole right under her nose. Then, her mid-cleft is split. It's no more than the width of a tooth pick and then it opens wider as it goes back to her soft palate (as she got older the cleft got wider in her hard and soft palate). Her soft palate is also not closed.
Saturday morning, I was on the phone again to my vet. Monday (the 26th, 2012) we had a phone consultation with a surgeon that specializes in this type of birth defect. After talking to my vet, the surgeon said her cleft is most certainly repairable and she will heal and be able to do everything a normal dog can do… chew bones, etc… I have an appointment scheduled for an exam at four weeks old and to create a plan for her at four weeks old. She will have to be tube fed until she is old enough to have the surgery and while her palate heals. UPDATE: We never had her cleft repaired. My husband and I agree she is worth the sacrifice and we really pray for a wonderful outcome for her! *Birth defects often come with other birth defects. However, her Mom did not reject her and at two weeks old, she is still taking care of her -- so we feel confident that the cleft is her only issue. IF she would have had other health problems or her Mom had rejected her (indicating other health issues) we would have had her euthanized to spare further suffering in the future.
NOTE: Most breeders never realize they have a cleft palate puppy. These puppies don't thrive and starve to death within 12 to 36 hours or within days. Many breeders assume that you will lose a puppy every now and then and figure it's just one of those sad things. If the cleft is obvious or found, these puppies are left to starve to death or are euthanized by the breeder or a vet (please if you can't help them -- have them euthanized asap). My husband and I feel like we have brought her into this world and we need to save her or try. I raise Miniature Schnauzers because I love this breed and dogs in general. They add so much to our lives. I made my decision to save her life because once the palate has been repaired; she will be a healthy dog with an excellent quality of life for many years to come. If she was suffering or her quality of a normal life was compromised, my vet, husband, and I would have made a different choice for her, but she is thriving and I hope she can overcome her biggest threat. I want to see her running around the yard soon chasing sticks.
If you have a puppy with this birth defect, get medical help right away and do not allow them to starve to death. If you decide to save a cleft palate puppy -- it is a big commitment that requires you to rearrange your life around feeding and caring for the puppy until after they have healed from the surgery or until they have shown they can eat hard kibble on their own. This means, a five week to six month commitment. Also, be prepared for the expense (formula is costly and they have to be on it for weeks to months). The surgery alone is $1200 to $1600 in 2012 and that is if everything goes well (keep in mind -- some puppies require two operations). Other costs are included in this type of recovery, too, which means you are looking at around $2500 or more to get the puppy ready for adoption or to keep them. Do what is best for the puppy, if anything, don't let them suffer. If you have a puppy that is not thriving -- then something is wrong and you need to end the suffering, this might require having the vet put them to sleep. I included the cost in this post because you need to be prepared for what you have committed yourself to do for the puppy.
*Bibi had several families that would have loved to adopt her but we decided to keep Bibi almost right away. It's now 2020 and she turns EIGHT YEARS OLD in March! We just adore her!
I noticed right away that the little black female puppy (Bibi) wasn’t latching onto her mom and nursing like her litter-mates. They were born Friday evening and I wanted to give her a little time figuring out how to latch on and nurse. By the next morning -- I knew that she wasn’t getting as much milk as her siblings and by Saturday evening my worst fears were confirmed--her weight was dropping fast. The other five puppies were gaining wonderfully by that point. I couldn’t sleep Saturday night and I was up and down more often than usual because I knew that something was not right. The puppies are born and whelped in my bedroom so I can monitor them closely. Sunday morning, I tried bottle feeding and syringe feeding her but that was a disaster. Milk came out of her nose many times and I knew that each time this happened, I was taking the risk of the milk being aspirated causing pneumonia and killing her. That morning, I called my vet at his home three times and texted him for a 4th contact. There was no way she could wait until Monday morning to see him.
My vet called me after the text and asked how long it would take us to meet him at the clinic--the clinic was closed that day. We were there within a half-hour and he gave her an exam (We talked all day but he knew after the text that she needed to be seen ASAP). At that time, we couldn’t figure out what her issue was but she was definitely determined to live and was very active and spunky. He showed me how to tube-feed her and educated me on the risks, such as aspirating milk. Right now, I tube feed her every two hours around the clock (this page was originally posted in 2012 and is written mostly in present tense but sometimes past tense).
On Sunday March 18th, 2012 (prior to our vet visit), she had dropped to 4.6 oz from 5.6 oz at birth. You could see her spine, tail bones, and ribs. By Monday morning, after tube feeding her all night, her weight-loss stopped and she was holding steady. I took Bibi and her litter-mates to the vet to have their tails docked and dew claws removed. My vet felt like she was improving, so he went ahead and docked her tail and dew claws. However, by Tuesday, the formula had given her runny stool and I took her back to the vet on Wednesday. She was given medicine to help with the diarrhea. By Thursday, she was crying out when Piper cleaned her because her tail became sore and ended up splitting open underneath… I decided to remove the stitch and take the pressure off of her skin and wound. I cleaned her wound with peroxide and put triple antibiotic on it three times a day. On March 28th, her tail healed and looked nice (she weighed 9.5 oz). I think the runny stool and her mom cleaning her more often caused this issue in the first week.
Tube feeding has not been easy and it is risky… I have never tube fed, so far, she has survived my mistakes and lack of experience. These mistakes have been from not inserting the tube far enough and ending up in her lungs… to feeding her too little, to probably too much… In addition, keeping her from nursing has been hard and she does get in there and try, which means she is getting milk into her lungs… ugh! However, removing her from her mom and litter-mates isn’t the best course of action at this time (At four weeks old -- she was separated from her litter but she does have supervised play time daily and ended being put back with them after a few days). She has never had a significant amount of milk in her lungs. Just a drop or two that came back out her nose. I also put her upside down to help the milk come out with gravity and some gentle swinging. I also blew in her face to get her to sneeze and used a bulb.
I found her cleft palate Friday (March 23rd, 2012) at one week old. My husband and I were taking turns holding each puppy and scratching them behind their head. They were making us laugh because they would pump their little back leg and do funny things with their tongue and mouth. As soon as she opened her mouth very wide, I saw the cleft. My heart sank and then it all made sense. She has a cleft palate. Her hard cleft has a pin hole right under her nose. Then, her mid-cleft is split. It's no more than the width of a tooth pick and then it opens wider as it goes back to her soft palate (as she got older the cleft got wider in her hard and soft palate). Her soft palate is also not closed.
Saturday morning, I was on the phone again to my vet. Monday (the 26th, 2012) we had a phone consultation with a surgeon that specializes in this type of birth defect. After talking to my vet, the surgeon said her cleft is most certainly repairable and she will heal and be able to do everything a normal dog can do… chew bones, etc… I have an appointment scheduled for an exam at four weeks old and to create a plan for her at four weeks old. She will have to be tube fed until she is old enough to have the surgery and while her palate heals. UPDATE: We never had her cleft repaired. My husband and I agree she is worth the sacrifice and we really pray for a wonderful outcome for her! *Birth defects often come with other birth defects. However, her Mom did not reject her and at two weeks old, she is still taking care of her -- so we feel confident that the cleft is her only issue. IF she would have had other health problems or her Mom had rejected her (indicating other health issues) we would have had her euthanized to spare further suffering in the future.
NOTE: Most breeders never realize they have a cleft palate puppy. These puppies don't thrive and starve to death within 12 to 36 hours or within days. Many breeders assume that you will lose a puppy every now and then and figure it's just one of those sad things. If the cleft is obvious or found, these puppies are left to starve to death or are euthanized by the breeder or a vet (please if you can't help them -- have them euthanized asap). My husband and I feel like we have brought her into this world and we need to save her or try. I raise Miniature Schnauzers because I love this breed and dogs in general. They add so much to our lives. I made my decision to save her life because once the palate has been repaired; she will be a healthy dog with an excellent quality of life for many years to come. If she was suffering or her quality of a normal life was compromised, my vet, husband, and I would have made a different choice for her, but she is thriving and I hope she can overcome her biggest threat. I want to see her running around the yard soon chasing sticks.
If you have a puppy with this birth defect, get medical help right away and do not allow them to starve to death. If you decide to save a cleft palate puppy -- it is a big commitment that requires you to rearrange your life around feeding and caring for the puppy until after they have healed from the surgery or until they have shown they can eat hard kibble on their own. This means, a five week to six month commitment. Also, be prepared for the expense (formula is costly and they have to be on it for weeks to months). The surgery alone is $1200 to $1600 in 2012 and that is if everything goes well (keep in mind -- some puppies require two operations). Other costs are included in this type of recovery, too, which means you are looking at around $2500 or more to get the puppy ready for adoption or to keep them. Do what is best for the puppy, if anything, don't let them suffer. If you have a puppy that is not thriving -- then something is wrong and you need to end the suffering, this might require having the vet put them to sleep. I included the cost in this post because you need to be prepared for what you have committed yourself to do for the puppy.
*Bibi had several families that would have loved to adopt her but we decided to keep Bibi almost right away. It's now 2020 and she turns EIGHT YEARS OLD in March! We just adore her!
Bibi's Diary in 2012 (includes weight gain, updates, and advice). Lady Bibi's cleft palate is pictured, which was taken when she was 5 months old.
BB's CLEFT PALATE. TOP ARROW OPEN HARD CLEFT. BOTTOM ARROW OPEN SOFT CLEFT
* March 16th, birth 5.6 oz (sibs range 5.1 to 7.2)
* March 18th, 4.6 0z, vet visit -- she couldn't nurse.
* March 22, 5.5 oz (about to birth weight!)
* March 25th, 7.1 oz
* March 27th, 8.7 oz! (Siblings range 13.95 to 17.8)
* March 28th, 9.5 oz! (Siblings range 14.85 to 19.1)
* March 29th, 10.85 oz! We are into double digits now! (Siblings range from 16.10 to 21.5 oz)
* March 30th, 11.60 oz! We are reaching our daily goal of 2/3 an ounce gained or more! :)
* March 31st, 12.25oz! (My goal is for her to weigh one pound by Monday evening)
* April 1st, 13.25 oz!
* April 2nd, 13.60 oz.... she hasn't gained enough... so, I am going to increase the cc's.
* April 3rd, 14.50 oz! She is getting an infection (in her tail where it was cropped) and is now on Cefadroxil (antibiotic).
* April 4th, ONE POUND (16 oz)! The last few days have been rough. She is on antibiotics, which caused an upset stomach. She is getting unflavored Pedialyte a couple times a day now too. Her siblings range from 19.85 to 27.0 oz. She isn't to far behind the 2nd smallest in the litter! :)
* April 5th, 16.35 oz. I had her sleep in a basket in my bed last night so I would know if she had a belly ache. I decided to back off on the amount I was feeding her to help her system have less to digest. It helped her stomach feel better and she gained a little, which is good enough for today. I have added a few drops of Kaopectate to her formula, per the vets advice. I would like to share something most adorable about Lady BB -- so far she can't bark or growl like her siblings, she hisses more like a kitten. She makes this sound when she is excited, hungry, or uncomfortable. A few days ago she started hissing quite loudly and all of her siblings turned and just looked at her -- like what the heck is that?! It was so cute but made me and my daughter want to laugh and cry all at the same time. I will probably cry the first time I hear her bark -- who would have ever of thought that a barking dog would be so anticipated and wonderful!?
* April 6th, 17.1 oz! She has started to kick up a fuss when I tube feed her (I don't blame her) and she aspirated milk yesterday, which came out her nose and mouth. I used a bulb to get out what I could from her lungs. I am thankful she is already on antibiotics, which I hope helps her from getting an infection in her lungs. It's OFFICIAL, Bibi can growl! lol Her booty is sore and when her Mom was cleaning her, she protested with lots of growling. :)
* April 7th, 18.6 oz! She is so feisty when it's tubing time, poor puppy. She still tries to nurse and sometimes if her siblings have nursed first and she half latches on she will get some milk but she can not swallow it. She also sounds congested afterwards. My vet has told me not to let her nurse because she will get it into her lungs. I feel bad every time I make her stop.
* April 8th, 19.5oz and April 10th 22.95 oz! Bibi has another stomach-ache today. The formula and antibiotics cause her tummy troubles. I am getting ready to add Kaeopectate back into her Pedialyte for the next few days again.
* April 12th, 24.7 oz (Siblings range from 27 oz to 36 oz) Bibi goes for her consultation tomorrow! During the past 4 weeks I have tried to stay focused on being positive and getting her to this goal! :) The Clinic called today with questions about her feeding schedule and her weight. They were very surprised to hear how well she is doing and liked hearing that she isn't scrawny and weak. I can't wait to post how her appointment goes! STAY TUNED!!
*April 13th, Bibi had her consultation at the Surgeon today. At this point he plans to do the surgery between 12 to 16 weeks (FYI: she never did get the cleft repaired and does very well). It will be more successful if we allow her the time to grow and her palate to get bigger and more mature (yes, getting her to this age will be tough because of the risk of infection but I am driven to see it done for her). He said that the pin hole in her palate will be a simple repair and the challenge will be her soft palate. It looks like her hard palate closed on it's own and now she mostly just has the issue with her soft palate and the pin hole. She has another appointment for May 18th to see how she is doing and determine a date for the surgery. Tomorrow I will start mixing a wet puppy food in with her formula and giving her that through the tube. Over the next two weeks she will be slowly weaned off of the milk and water will replace the milk in her canned puppy food mixture. He said she does not need to take the antibiotics and he doesn't see any sign that she has an infection. HOWEVER, on our way home I fed her because she acted hungry and it had been awhile. Then she needed to poo and she always gets worked up because she has battled soft stool from the beginning and it has made her butt sore, which he said is probably diet related. Well, she started to howl in the most pitiful way, that gave her the hiccups, and then she started throwing up everything I fed her... out her nose it came and I didn't think I was going to get her to stop. I brought the bulb with me and sucked as much of it as I could out of her lungs and nose.... Yes, it is Friday the 13th right (okay I don't believe in that but it did cross my mind)... Anyway, to be safe I am going to finish out her antibiotics. When we got home and I took care of all of my dog's needs and her littermates -- she and I took a nice long nap. When she got up she ate and then was VERY hyper and rowdy with her littermates. I think she missed them! I can also introduce her to a water bottle for drinking and around 8 weeks try out a water bowl.
* April 16th, Bibi goes to the Vet again tomorrow to have a temporary feeding tube put into her neck and down into her stomach because she has started to fight being tubed every couple of hours and she has aspirated milk several times these past few days and is now at risk for getting aspiration pneumonia. I am very nervous about this but we have no other option.
* April 17th, Great news! My vet decided not to add the feeding tube and showed me how to wrap her like a burrito -- they do this with cats. Also, her stomach can't handle the amount of milk she would need to thrive and continue growing. So, my vet is having me add the canned meat to her diet. I mix about 5 cc's of formula, 5 cc's of water, and 5cc's of meat together. The canned meat is very fine and I get it from my vet. The brand is Hills Prescription Diet a/d. Over the next 10 days I will omit the formula and do about 3/4 a can to one can a day for a 2 pound puppy with water. The canned meat is very high in calories and isn't your normal canned meat BUT I also have to add Di-calcium phosphate.
* April 18th, well... every day is something new. Bibi is a Schnauzer and likes to sniff EVERYTHING. Today she was sniffing under my dresser (that's where all the dust bunnies live) and she sniffed the wrong dust bunny up her nose. Of course, I didn't realize it at the time. I heard her sneeze and thought -- I better dust under there. About 15 minutes later her nose is really watering and the next thing I know, she is foaming out of her mouth and nose. Like she was having a seizure. I panicked... called my vet and was ready to take her there asap. He asked what happened and at first I thought maybe when I was pulling her feeding tube out some meat got left behind. He said her body was reacting to the foreign object in her nose and she was over producing saliva and mucus to clear her sinuses. She was drooling so badly too. About 15 minutes later, she fell asleep, and when she got up she was back to normal. Geez... this has been a learning experience. Hello grey hairs and high blood pressure! Bibi also barked for the first time today (her siblings could bark a few weeks ago)! She also will howl with me and it's adorable!
* April 24, Bibi weighs TWO POUNDS! :) I am very excited that she is doing so well! Bibi does spend about half the day with her siblings or more. At night she sleeps in our room but most of the day she is playing with them. I do take her out when I feed and water them. She needs the socialization with them and the bonding and playtime too. I also want to thank the Corbin's for their donation towards Lady BB's surgery -- it really means a lot to us!
* April 25th, Well... Bibi showed me that she is more than ready to eat puppy food like a normal puppy. Today after feeding her siblings and thinking I had picked up every piece of puppy food -- I put Bibi back in with her buddies and then she found a piece of kibble. By the time I could get to her she had swallowed it! So, I gave her another piece and she gobbled it up! I fed her 15 more pieces and she wanted more but I had just given her 25cc's of the meat mixture so I had to cut her off. I also let her drink water from a bowl and she did ok... she sneezed a few times but seemed just fine. The past week or two we have had issues with her gagging and food coming back up into her throat and I have had to use the bulb after feeding her and in between feedings (lots of congestion with meat mixed in). Hopefully by feeding her hard puppy food -- she won't have these issues anymore. It would be wonderful for her and me if I only had to hand feed her puppy food. She wants to eat and drink so bad and just showed me that she can do this! I do pre-soak the puppy food for a few minutes before I let the puppies eat and I will continue to do that for Bibi so that it doesn't scratch her throat when she swallows it... I am not sure how having more teeth will affect her eating and if it will create complications but we will see what happens. Most dogs swallow their food close to whole anyway... I am still tube feeding her water about four times a day (one ounce of water per pound of body weight), just in case she isn't getting enough when she tries to drink water from the bowl. She and her siblings also went to the vet for their first vaccinations and he was very pleased with all of them and Lady BB's progress! :) He said I am doing a great job.
* May 5th, Bibi is doing GREAT!! She turned 7 weeks old on April 27th. Bibi is eating and drinking from a bowl like a normal puppy. She does get a runny nose from the water but it is not harmful to her. She goes for another consultation with the surgeon on May 18th @ 9 weeks old (update, I decided against the surgery and I am glad that I did. She does wonderful just as she is). She is fearless and loves people. I will be updating a picture of her Schnauzer cut later this week. She is no longer separated from her siblings either because she doesn't need to be... an upcoming challenge is when we take her outside this coming week for potty training -- hopefully she doesn't sniff things up her nose and get things in her mouth that will cause her problems. I could not feel more blessed and hopeful about her future! *Yes, we are still keeping her! lol I have had more than one person ask and I understand why because she is very special and wonderful! :)
*May 8th, Today I got a good look inside of Bibi's mouth and cleft. I am amazed at her progress after looking at the cleft palate in the sunlight and now that she is bigger. She actually has openings all along the center of her cleft, which opens into a V into her soft palate -- which is also not closed! She eats and drinks all by herself and she plays outside and has done just fine. :) I had hoped the cleft would get smaller but it hasn't and I can see that it is not as small as I had thought BUT she has done well anyway! YIPPEE!!
* May 14th, yesterday Bibi (and Bristol) went with us to my Mom's for Mothers' Day and my Mother-in-laws. Bibi had a blast! She played outside and ran all over the place. She loved my Mom and In-laws adult Mini's and did not have one accident! She pottied outside like a good girl. :) She loved all the people and was quite pooped when we got home. It's amazing to think how hard I prayed that she would end up a normal little doggie -- she is just a normal little puppy and it's wonderful!!
* May 22nd, Bibi went to the vet today and she weighs 3.7 pounds! The vet said for her petite build she is right on track for her weight. :) She also had her second puppy vaccinations. She was not feeling well yesterday. She puked four times, was running a slight fever, and wasn't eating much. I called the clinic and they had me give her Kayro Syrup (1/2 cc to 1 cc) and rub it on her gums every two hours. This helps keep her energy and blood glucose from dropping. I also did not give her food or water for four hours to help stop the puking. She is much better today. My vet thinks her sinuses were irritated. Also, I switched her to drinking from a rabbit bottle (she was drinking from a bowl but a lot of water would run back out her nose) and switched her puppy food to Science Diet. The chicken chunks in Purina One kept getting stuck in her cleft causing irritation and excessive drainage.
* May 25th, Bibi's last two litter mates left today (together). They all turned 10 weeks old today. Bibi doesn't know what to do yet... she has cried and looked for them. Poor puppy. On the positive side, she is doing very well and LET the potty training begin!! lol I am going to attempt to be firm and train her to sleep in her crate in our room, eventually leaving the door open at night. Many dogs seek solitude in their crates and like them -- we will see if I can teach her to do the same thing. lol UPDATE 2017: Bibi has been sleeping in our bed for over five years, ha ha. So much for being firm.
* May 26th, Major FAIL -- Bibi did not sleep in her crate last night! lol I tried but when she started howling in the most pitiful way... in bed she came. She got up a few times in the night to potty but did very well. This is the second time I have slept with her and it might not be the last time. She is doing so well and we do plan on having her surgery but the urgency is gone. It is better for the dog and more successful the older they are. She has an appointment when she is 12 weeks old with the surgeon for another consultation. I will continue to keep you posted and might have to create a drop down menu under her main heading so that this doesn't become one LONG story to read. On a funny note -- I have been working on getting back into shape. I spent 11 hours this week total, speed walking. I was feeling pretty good about my progress until Bibi started chewing on my double chin created by looking down -- instead of her bone!
* June 18th, Bibi is doing great! She is now 13 weeks old! Other than occasionally sneezing and a few other nasal irritations every now and then -- no one can tell she has a cleft palate. Of course, we are getting it fixed once her palate is closer to being fully developed. She now has an open cleft from the front to the back of her palate. I was hoping it would grow closed but it is actually getting bigger as she gets bigger. However, she is doing great and full of energy. What a blessing she has been in our lives. :) As you can see from the video above at 14 weeks old, she is loving life!!
* June 29th, Bibi weighs 6.5 pounds!!! She is growing so well and has never had to have her cleft palate repaired -- what a blessing she has been in our lives!!!!
* August 02, 2012, Bibi is doing wonderful!! She is now almost 5 months old! She is playful and spirited. She greets everyone with puppy kisses and a joy that is contagious! In her first weeks of life this is all I hoped for her and more! So far we have not had surgery on her cleft palate. It is now wider but she hasn't had a single issue with it. I will be making an appointment for her to be spayed within a month or two and we will decide then if she needs surgery and what the risks are for her... Because she is doing so well, I hate to have this done without reason. She has also taught me that these puppies can be saved and once they get past the nursing stage -- they can eat and drink normally. I will continue to post updates. I need to update her picture. Around 10 weeks of age because of her teething and we assume cleft palate affecting that; her ears went straight up like a bunny rabbits (videos below show this)! It is most adorable on her but I think she is wonderful no matter what!!
* AUGUST 14th. 2012, It has been a while since we've to make a trip to the vet. Bibi was having a hard time clearing her nasal passage and her palate. I took her to the vet and he put her "under" so that he could flush her nasal passage and cleft palate. She is feeling much better and I am thankful this is the first time we have had to have that done. My vet said she had food and mucus packed in there... She is doing very well now!
* September 20th, 2012, Bibi is now 6 months old and is at the vet being spayed (with new research though, I wish I had waited until she was older). I am anxious to receive the call that everything went well. I will be picking her up in a few hours because they consider her a special needs puppy and do not feel comfortable keeping her over night. She is very active and playful -- it should be fun trying to keep her calm over the next few weeks, lol. She has truly been a ray of sunshine in our lives -- I am forever grateful.
*December 10th, 2012 Bibi is doing very well and one would never know she had a cleft palate. She is full of energy and a wonderful loving pet!
* Jan 27th, 2013, Bibi is doing WONDERFUL! She now weighs around 11 pounds. She LOVES going on walks. I could not be more blessed to have such a loyal and loving dog. Her best buddy is my daughter's Schnauzer Bristol. They love playing together. Bibi also plays fetch and she will bring the toy back for me to throw again. She eats hard kibble, drinks from a bowl, and we count our blessing her cleft palate has not needed repaired as this is risky and often needs done more than once. <3
**** May 21st, 2013... all I can say is WOW! Bibi is the light of our life! She loves to play fetch, she loves barking, one of her favorites places to sit is in the window seat or on our love seat in front of our family room window. She also is excellent on a leash and loves going on walks. She is also a "little miss bossy pants" and likes to direct the other dogs and cats, lol. She is normal in every way. I never thought it was possible to love a little dog so much!
UPDATE June 2017: Bibi is now five years old and the love of our lives! She never had the cleft palate surgery and lives life to the fullest. Since she learned to eat, drink, and breathe with the cleft... it would only have caused issues to repair it. She does not have a cleft lip though. She has a cleft in her hard and soft palate.
UPDATE January 3rd, 2020: We can't imagine the last almost eight years without Bibi. She is the best little dog ever. Her spunk and sweetness are so captivating and endearing. She is our heart and we love her dearly. Hard to believe that she is almost EIGHT YEARS OLD!
* March 18th, 4.6 0z, vet visit -- she couldn't nurse.
* March 22, 5.5 oz (about to birth weight!)
* March 25th, 7.1 oz
* March 27th, 8.7 oz! (Siblings range 13.95 to 17.8)
* March 28th, 9.5 oz! (Siblings range 14.85 to 19.1)
* March 29th, 10.85 oz! We are into double digits now! (Siblings range from 16.10 to 21.5 oz)
* March 30th, 11.60 oz! We are reaching our daily goal of 2/3 an ounce gained or more! :)
* March 31st, 12.25oz! (My goal is for her to weigh one pound by Monday evening)
* April 1st, 13.25 oz!
* April 2nd, 13.60 oz.... she hasn't gained enough... so, I am going to increase the cc's.
* April 3rd, 14.50 oz! She is getting an infection (in her tail where it was cropped) and is now on Cefadroxil (antibiotic).
* April 4th, ONE POUND (16 oz)! The last few days have been rough. She is on antibiotics, which caused an upset stomach. She is getting unflavored Pedialyte a couple times a day now too. Her siblings range from 19.85 to 27.0 oz. She isn't to far behind the 2nd smallest in the litter! :)
* April 5th, 16.35 oz. I had her sleep in a basket in my bed last night so I would know if she had a belly ache. I decided to back off on the amount I was feeding her to help her system have less to digest. It helped her stomach feel better and she gained a little, which is good enough for today. I have added a few drops of Kaopectate to her formula, per the vets advice. I would like to share something most adorable about Lady BB -- so far she can't bark or growl like her siblings, she hisses more like a kitten. She makes this sound when she is excited, hungry, or uncomfortable. A few days ago she started hissing quite loudly and all of her siblings turned and just looked at her -- like what the heck is that?! It was so cute but made me and my daughter want to laugh and cry all at the same time. I will probably cry the first time I hear her bark -- who would have ever of thought that a barking dog would be so anticipated and wonderful!?
* April 6th, 17.1 oz! She has started to kick up a fuss when I tube feed her (I don't blame her) and she aspirated milk yesterday, which came out her nose and mouth. I used a bulb to get out what I could from her lungs. I am thankful she is already on antibiotics, which I hope helps her from getting an infection in her lungs. It's OFFICIAL, Bibi can growl! lol Her booty is sore and when her Mom was cleaning her, she protested with lots of growling. :)
* April 7th, 18.6 oz! She is so feisty when it's tubing time, poor puppy. She still tries to nurse and sometimes if her siblings have nursed first and she half latches on she will get some milk but she can not swallow it. She also sounds congested afterwards. My vet has told me not to let her nurse because she will get it into her lungs. I feel bad every time I make her stop.
* April 8th, 19.5oz and April 10th 22.95 oz! Bibi has another stomach-ache today. The formula and antibiotics cause her tummy troubles. I am getting ready to add Kaeopectate back into her Pedialyte for the next few days again.
* April 12th, 24.7 oz (Siblings range from 27 oz to 36 oz) Bibi goes for her consultation tomorrow! During the past 4 weeks I have tried to stay focused on being positive and getting her to this goal! :) The Clinic called today with questions about her feeding schedule and her weight. They were very surprised to hear how well she is doing and liked hearing that she isn't scrawny and weak. I can't wait to post how her appointment goes! STAY TUNED!!
*April 13th, Bibi had her consultation at the Surgeon today. At this point he plans to do the surgery between 12 to 16 weeks (FYI: she never did get the cleft repaired and does very well). It will be more successful if we allow her the time to grow and her palate to get bigger and more mature (yes, getting her to this age will be tough because of the risk of infection but I am driven to see it done for her). He said that the pin hole in her palate will be a simple repair and the challenge will be her soft palate. It looks like her hard palate closed on it's own and now she mostly just has the issue with her soft palate and the pin hole. She has another appointment for May 18th to see how she is doing and determine a date for the surgery. Tomorrow I will start mixing a wet puppy food in with her formula and giving her that through the tube. Over the next two weeks she will be slowly weaned off of the milk and water will replace the milk in her canned puppy food mixture. He said she does not need to take the antibiotics and he doesn't see any sign that she has an infection. HOWEVER, on our way home I fed her because she acted hungry and it had been awhile. Then she needed to poo and she always gets worked up because she has battled soft stool from the beginning and it has made her butt sore, which he said is probably diet related. Well, she started to howl in the most pitiful way, that gave her the hiccups, and then she started throwing up everything I fed her... out her nose it came and I didn't think I was going to get her to stop. I brought the bulb with me and sucked as much of it as I could out of her lungs and nose.... Yes, it is Friday the 13th right (okay I don't believe in that but it did cross my mind)... Anyway, to be safe I am going to finish out her antibiotics. When we got home and I took care of all of my dog's needs and her littermates -- she and I took a nice long nap. When she got up she ate and then was VERY hyper and rowdy with her littermates. I think she missed them! I can also introduce her to a water bottle for drinking and around 8 weeks try out a water bowl.
* April 16th, Bibi goes to the Vet again tomorrow to have a temporary feeding tube put into her neck and down into her stomach because she has started to fight being tubed every couple of hours and she has aspirated milk several times these past few days and is now at risk for getting aspiration pneumonia. I am very nervous about this but we have no other option.
* April 17th, Great news! My vet decided not to add the feeding tube and showed me how to wrap her like a burrito -- they do this with cats. Also, her stomach can't handle the amount of milk she would need to thrive and continue growing. So, my vet is having me add the canned meat to her diet. I mix about 5 cc's of formula, 5 cc's of water, and 5cc's of meat together. The canned meat is very fine and I get it from my vet. The brand is Hills Prescription Diet a/d. Over the next 10 days I will omit the formula and do about 3/4 a can to one can a day for a 2 pound puppy with water. The canned meat is very high in calories and isn't your normal canned meat BUT I also have to add Di-calcium phosphate.
* April 18th, well... every day is something new. Bibi is a Schnauzer and likes to sniff EVERYTHING. Today she was sniffing under my dresser (that's where all the dust bunnies live) and she sniffed the wrong dust bunny up her nose. Of course, I didn't realize it at the time. I heard her sneeze and thought -- I better dust under there. About 15 minutes later her nose is really watering and the next thing I know, she is foaming out of her mouth and nose. Like she was having a seizure. I panicked... called my vet and was ready to take her there asap. He asked what happened and at first I thought maybe when I was pulling her feeding tube out some meat got left behind. He said her body was reacting to the foreign object in her nose and she was over producing saliva and mucus to clear her sinuses. She was drooling so badly too. About 15 minutes later, she fell asleep, and when she got up she was back to normal. Geez... this has been a learning experience. Hello grey hairs and high blood pressure! Bibi also barked for the first time today (her siblings could bark a few weeks ago)! She also will howl with me and it's adorable!
* April 24, Bibi weighs TWO POUNDS! :) I am very excited that she is doing so well! Bibi does spend about half the day with her siblings or more. At night she sleeps in our room but most of the day she is playing with them. I do take her out when I feed and water them. She needs the socialization with them and the bonding and playtime too. I also want to thank the Corbin's for their donation towards Lady BB's surgery -- it really means a lot to us!
* April 25th, Well... Bibi showed me that she is more than ready to eat puppy food like a normal puppy. Today after feeding her siblings and thinking I had picked up every piece of puppy food -- I put Bibi back in with her buddies and then she found a piece of kibble. By the time I could get to her she had swallowed it! So, I gave her another piece and she gobbled it up! I fed her 15 more pieces and she wanted more but I had just given her 25cc's of the meat mixture so I had to cut her off. I also let her drink water from a bowl and she did ok... she sneezed a few times but seemed just fine. The past week or two we have had issues with her gagging and food coming back up into her throat and I have had to use the bulb after feeding her and in between feedings (lots of congestion with meat mixed in). Hopefully by feeding her hard puppy food -- she won't have these issues anymore. It would be wonderful for her and me if I only had to hand feed her puppy food. She wants to eat and drink so bad and just showed me that she can do this! I do pre-soak the puppy food for a few minutes before I let the puppies eat and I will continue to do that for Bibi so that it doesn't scratch her throat when she swallows it... I am not sure how having more teeth will affect her eating and if it will create complications but we will see what happens. Most dogs swallow their food close to whole anyway... I am still tube feeding her water about four times a day (one ounce of water per pound of body weight), just in case she isn't getting enough when she tries to drink water from the bowl. She and her siblings also went to the vet for their first vaccinations and he was very pleased with all of them and Lady BB's progress! :) He said I am doing a great job.
* May 5th, Bibi is doing GREAT!! She turned 7 weeks old on April 27th. Bibi is eating and drinking from a bowl like a normal puppy. She does get a runny nose from the water but it is not harmful to her. She goes for another consultation with the surgeon on May 18th @ 9 weeks old (update, I decided against the surgery and I am glad that I did. She does wonderful just as she is). She is fearless and loves people. I will be updating a picture of her Schnauzer cut later this week. She is no longer separated from her siblings either because she doesn't need to be... an upcoming challenge is when we take her outside this coming week for potty training -- hopefully she doesn't sniff things up her nose and get things in her mouth that will cause her problems. I could not feel more blessed and hopeful about her future! *Yes, we are still keeping her! lol I have had more than one person ask and I understand why because she is very special and wonderful! :)
*May 8th, Today I got a good look inside of Bibi's mouth and cleft. I am amazed at her progress after looking at the cleft palate in the sunlight and now that she is bigger. She actually has openings all along the center of her cleft, which opens into a V into her soft palate -- which is also not closed! She eats and drinks all by herself and she plays outside and has done just fine. :) I had hoped the cleft would get smaller but it hasn't and I can see that it is not as small as I had thought BUT she has done well anyway! YIPPEE!!
* May 14th, yesterday Bibi (and Bristol) went with us to my Mom's for Mothers' Day and my Mother-in-laws. Bibi had a blast! She played outside and ran all over the place. She loved my Mom and In-laws adult Mini's and did not have one accident! She pottied outside like a good girl. :) She loved all the people and was quite pooped when we got home. It's amazing to think how hard I prayed that she would end up a normal little doggie -- she is just a normal little puppy and it's wonderful!!
* May 22nd, Bibi went to the vet today and she weighs 3.7 pounds! The vet said for her petite build she is right on track for her weight. :) She also had her second puppy vaccinations. She was not feeling well yesterday. She puked four times, was running a slight fever, and wasn't eating much. I called the clinic and they had me give her Kayro Syrup (1/2 cc to 1 cc) and rub it on her gums every two hours. This helps keep her energy and blood glucose from dropping. I also did not give her food or water for four hours to help stop the puking. She is much better today. My vet thinks her sinuses were irritated. Also, I switched her to drinking from a rabbit bottle (she was drinking from a bowl but a lot of water would run back out her nose) and switched her puppy food to Science Diet. The chicken chunks in Purina One kept getting stuck in her cleft causing irritation and excessive drainage.
* May 25th, Bibi's last two litter mates left today (together). They all turned 10 weeks old today. Bibi doesn't know what to do yet... she has cried and looked for them. Poor puppy. On the positive side, she is doing very well and LET the potty training begin!! lol I am going to attempt to be firm and train her to sleep in her crate in our room, eventually leaving the door open at night. Many dogs seek solitude in their crates and like them -- we will see if I can teach her to do the same thing. lol UPDATE 2017: Bibi has been sleeping in our bed for over five years, ha ha. So much for being firm.
* May 26th, Major FAIL -- Bibi did not sleep in her crate last night! lol I tried but when she started howling in the most pitiful way... in bed she came. She got up a few times in the night to potty but did very well. This is the second time I have slept with her and it might not be the last time. She is doing so well and we do plan on having her surgery but the urgency is gone. It is better for the dog and more successful the older they are. She has an appointment when she is 12 weeks old with the surgeon for another consultation. I will continue to keep you posted and might have to create a drop down menu under her main heading so that this doesn't become one LONG story to read. On a funny note -- I have been working on getting back into shape. I spent 11 hours this week total, speed walking. I was feeling pretty good about my progress until Bibi started chewing on my double chin created by looking down -- instead of her bone!
* June 18th, Bibi is doing great! She is now 13 weeks old! Other than occasionally sneezing and a few other nasal irritations every now and then -- no one can tell she has a cleft palate. Of course, we are getting it fixed once her palate is closer to being fully developed. She now has an open cleft from the front to the back of her palate. I was hoping it would grow closed but it is actually getting bigger as she gets bigger. However, she is doing great and full of energy. What a blessing she has been in our lives. :) As you can see from the video above at 14 weeks old, she is loving life!!
* June 29th, Bibi weighs 6.5 pounds!!! She is growing so well and has never had to have her cleft palate repaired -- what a blessing she has been in our lives!!!!
* August 02, 2012, Bibi is doing wonderful!! She is now almost 5 months old! She is playful and spirited. She greets everyone with puppy kisses and a joy that is contagious! In her first weeks of life this is all I hoped for her and more! So far we have not had surgery on her cleft palate. It is now wider but she hasn't had a single issue with it. I will be making an appointment for her to be spayed within a month or two and we will decide then if she needs surgery and what the risks are for her... Because she is doing so well, I hate to have this done without reason. She has also taught me that these puppies can be saved and once they get past the nursing stage -- they can eat and drink normally. I will continue to post updates. I need to update her picture. Around 10 weeks of age because of her teething and we assume cleft palate affecting that; her ears went straight up like a bunny rabbits (videos below show this)! It is most adorable on her but I think she is wonderful no matter what!!
* AUGUST 14th. 2012, It has been a while since we've to make a trip to the vet. Bibi was having a hard time clearing her nasal passage and her palate. I took her to the vet and he put her "under" so that he could flush her nasal passage and cleft palate. She is feeling much better and I am thankful this is the first time we have had to have that done. My vet said she had food and mucus packed in there... She is doing very well now!
* September 20th, 2012, Bibi is now 6 months old and is at the vet being spayed (with new research though, I wish I had waited until she was older). I am anxious to receive the call that everything went well. I will be picking her up in a few hours because they consider her a special needs puppy and do not feel comfortable keeping her over night. She is very active and playful -- it should be fun trying to keep her calm over the next few weeks, lol. She has truly been a ray of sunshine in our lives -- I am forever grateful.
*December 10th, 2012 Bibi is doing very well and one would never know she had a cleft palate. She is full of energy and a wonderful loving pet!
* Jan 27th, 2013, Bibi is doing WONDERFUL! She now weighs around 11 pounds. She LOVES going on walks. I could not be more blessed to have such a loyal and loving dog. Her best buddy is my daughter's Schnauzer Bristol. They love playing together. Bibi also plays fetch and she will bring the toy back for me to throw again. She eats hard kibble, drinks from a bowl, and we count our blessing her cleft palate has not needed repaired as this is risky and often needs done more than once. <3
**** May 21st, 2013... all I can say is WOW! Bibi is the light of our life! She loves to play fetch, she loves barking, one of her favorites places to sit is in the window seat or on our love seat in front of our family room window. She also is excellent on a leash and loves going on walks. She is also a "little miss bossy pants" and likes to direct the other dogs and cats, lol. She is normal in every way. I never thought it was possible to love a little dog so much!
UPDATE June 2017: Bibi is now five years old and the love of our lives! She never had the cleft palate surgery and lives life to the fullest. Since she learned to eat, drink, and breathe with the cleft... it would only have caused issues to repair it. She does not have a cleft lip though. She has a cleft in her hard and soft palate.
UPDATE January 3rd, 2020: We can't imagine the last almost eight years without Bibi. She is the best little dog ever. Her spunk and sweetness are so captivating and endearing. She is our heart and we love her dearly. Hard to believe that she is almost EIGHT YEARS OLD!
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Bibi at 5 weeks -- kicking some piggy butt!
Bibi playing in water @ 14 weeks old -- growling sounds are from puppies playing under my feet. lol
(VIDEO NOW LOADS AND PLAYS CORRECTLY) |
BiBi, Louie, Edie, Boo, Otto, and Maddie @ 5wks
Bibi at 5 months old playing on our bed with her toys. She has not needed surgery on her cleft palate -- when she is spayed, I would like to have our vet take a picture of her cleft while she is out.
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Please share Bibi's story on Facebook.
Lady BB on August 24th, 2012 after our walk.
Many people are totally unaware that puppies can have cleft palates and they can be saved if they do have one!
Link to copy and paste on facebook. http://www.ilovemyminischnauzer.com/bbs-story.html
Link to copy and paste on facebook. http://www.ilovemyminischnauzer.com/bbs-story.html
* Here is a very helpful site that I went too often for help with my cleft palate puppy. Sadly Anne passed away from cancer. Her website has been left active to help others save their cleft palate puppies. Anne Hennion, of Hennwood Labradors. http://hennwood.tripod.com/cleft_pup_info.htm
