Yesterday I spoke at length with Dr. Kim Panter of the USDA Poisonous Plant Research Facility in Logan, Utah, about Sassy’s cleft palate, shown above.
Dr. Panter has for years been researching cleft palate in goats, which has resulted not only in better understanding of the condition in goats and other livestock, but also new treatments for the condition in human babies. He has worked with a team of surgeons in Boston on surgical techniques, and has also helped develop an appliance for children with cleft palate.
We discussed Sassy’s condition at length. He said that her prognosis is more optimistic because she has survived the first ten days of life. She will, he said, learn to eat more carefully so that food doesn’t go into her lungs. But she will always be at risk for pneumonia from food or dust getting into her lungs. (Dust? This is southern Utah rangeland– there’s dust everywhere!) His facility has goats with severely cleft palates that are six and seven years old, though I gather they receive special food and don’t browse with the other goats.
Dr. Panter said that surgery was most likely an option, and perhaps the best option. It would, he said, reduce (but not eliminate) the likelihood of her catching pneumonia. Surgery is not risk free, however. Goats do not react well to anesthesia, so that itself is a risk. And there’s a risk of blood going into the lungs, another cause of pneumonia.
We still don’t have enough information to make a decision, but we’re making progress. I’ve sent a photo of Sassy’s palate to Dr. Panter, and hope that will give him more information with which to suggest to us a course of action. His facility won;t do the surgery, but will our vet the information with which to be able to do it.
We love our goats, and we want them to live healthy, happy lives. Losing one is hard. (See The Long Night I, II & III) But even with the tragedies, our lives are richer for having them.
