Another day, another victim of the miserable backyard trade in designer puppies and we are angry, upset and frustrated yet again. Little Enzo was given away by his breeder at just 3 days old as he had a cleft palate. No cash to be made, only huge vet bills looming so pass the problem on. Fortunately, he ended up with someone who actually cared. They tube fed him until he was 5 weeks old, but could not afford to continue his care so reached out for help and Enzo moved in to our care.

Enzos prognosis is very guarded. He has barely any soft palate and his hard palate has a hole right through it. We can opt to euthanise now, or refer him to specialist vets Langfords in Bristol to see if he is a potential candidate for surgery. If Langfords think he is suitable for surgery, we need to keep everything crossed that he will survive until he is 14 weeks old. Sadly many pups dont make it due to complications.

Once he reaches 14 weeks old he still needs to be re-assessed for surgery and may not be suitable. Sadly without surgery the only option is to put him to sleep. Tough choices. However, whilst he is teeny weeny, he is currently a very strong and happy pup. His vet costs could total around £4,000 with the referral, pre-op care and surgery. Weve decided to give him the very best chance and refer him, taking it one day at a time. If at any point we feel his welfare is being compromised we will make the right decision.

We dont know why Enzo was born with a cleft palate but brachycephalic (flat-nosed) breeds such as English Bulldogs have a 30% higher risk than other breeds. Although genetics are considered the main cause of this problem, nutritional deficiencies and viruses that affect the mother during pregnancy may also increase the risk. Backyard breeders dont care about health though. The breeder probably knows their bitch is churning out pups with cleft palates but they are collateral damage.

Please keep him in your thoughts and if you could donate to his pre-op costs we would be very grateful.