Congenital unilateral cleft of the soft palate in six dogs

Abstract

Unilateral cleft of the soft palate occurs sporadically in dogs, and there are few reports in the veterinary literature regarding its aetiology and management. This report describes six dogs with the condition. The dogs' primary presenting problem was rhinitis. The defects were successfully repaired using a two-layer closure technique with absorbable suture in five of the cases. Surgical correction was not performed in the remaining case.