Buckets the Frenchie was born via c-section at my work on 4/13/21 weighing 7 ounces. Out of a litter of 3, he was the only one with a congenital birth defect consisting of a cleft lip and a cleft hard and soft palate.

 

 

This means he has no soft tissue in the back of his throat and that he has a hole in the roof of his mouth that communicates with his sinuses. Causing food to come out of his nose and runs a risk for aspiration. His lip defect is the most obvious but least concerning.

 

 

The owners surrendered ownership to me a few hours later. I passed a stomach tube every 2 hours around the clock for 7 weeks to keep him alive. It was touch and go the first few weeks but he continued to grow.

 

 

He has been on a diet of blended dog food mixed into gelatin since 7-8 weeks. He is able to basically swallow this food whole and I don’t have to worry about anything potentially getting stuck in the roof of his mouth/sinuses. He is unable to drink out of a regular bowl, instead he uses a large hamster bottle.

 

 

I have invested a lot of time and effort into keeping this guy alive and in turn have became very attached. He has made it to 6 months and almost 11 pounds and is now at the age where surgical repair is appropriate. He has surgery scheduled for 11/3/21 with a board certified surgeon at Oregon Veterinary Referal Association (OVRA).

 

 

He has turned into the happiest little puppy.

So many people have also fallen in love with this little turd and have asked how they can help. Any donations are greatly appreciated and will help to continue better Bucky’s quality of life.