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CLEFT PALATE Cleft palate is a congenital malformation of the inside upper roof of the mouth. The most common defect is a split in the roof of the mouth than runs lengthwise from the front gums to the back of the mouth. When a kid is born with a cleft palate, this condition may not be noticed immediately. You may wonder why the dam did not feed her kid, when in fact the kid with a cleft palate does not have a good sucking reflex. Oftentimes the dam knows something is wrong with a kid and refuses to feed it when first born. A defective kid is a threat to the genetic integrity of the herd as well as to its overall physical safety. If the kid lives, begins to nurse, and subsequently eats solid foods, the cleft palate will get wider as the kid grows. Liquid and soon solid food will begin to come out of the kid's nose, giving the appearance of its having runny nostrils. You will begin to notice that the kid is not growing at the same rate as other kids, because nutrients that the kid's body needs in order to grow are not reaching its digestive system. By the time the kid is three to four months old, if it lives that long, it will be significantly smaller and poorer than other kids of its same age. As time passes, the cleft palate kid will develop health problems. The runny nose usually turns into pneumonia and subsequently death. Sometimes other congenital birth defects, often heart-related, appear along with the cleft palate. A wise goat raiser will check the inside of every newborn's mouth for the presence of a cleft palate. Cleft palate is a congenital birth defect that is hereditary. If you breed the dam to a different buck, the problem likely will not recur. Surgical repair of a cleft palate in a goat is not only difficult but also expensive even if you can find a vet qualified to do it. Because cleft palate is passed genetically from parent to offspring, you should not breed a goat with this condition, even if the cleft palate is repaired. The most realistic option is to put the goat down when it begins to suffer serious ill health resulting from this birth defect. Suzanne W. Gasparotto |
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Important! Please Read This Notice! All information provided in these articles is based either on personal experience or information provided by others whose treatments and practices have been discussed fully with a vet for accuracy and effectiveness before passing them on to readers. In all cases, it is your responsibility to obtain veterinary services and advice before using any of the information provided in these articles. Suzanne Gasparotto is not a veterinarian.Neither tennesseemeatgoats.com nor any of the contributors to this website will be held responsible for the use of any information contained herein. |
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The author, Suzanne Gasparotto, hereby grants to local goat publications and club newsletters, permission to reprint articles published on the Onion Creek Ranch website under these conditions: THE ARTICLE MUST BE REPRODUCED IN ITS ENTIRETY AND THE AUTHOR'S NAME, ADDRESS, AND CONTACT INFORMATION MUST BE INCLUDED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE REPRINT. We would appreciate notification from any clubs or publications when the articles are used. (A copy of the newsletter or publication would also be a welcome addition to our growing library of goat related information!) |
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All information and photos copyright © Onion Creek Ranch and may not be used without express written permission of Onion Creek Ranch. TENNESSEE MEAT GOAT ™ and TEXMASTER™ are Trademarks of Onion Creek Ranch . All artwork and graphics © DTP, Ink and Onion Creek Ranch. |
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