Nicholas is a German Shepherd, born on May 13, 1999. He was born with a
cleft palate, a condition where the front left side of his hard palate was
missing. Due to this condition he was unable to nurse from his mother
since birth. At birth the breeder began tube feeding the pup.
When we approached the breeder (a great friend of ours) a few days after the birth of Nicholas, we asked if we could adopt him. This meant taking over the tube feeding, a process whereby formula (Esbilac) was fed through a tube inserted via his mouth into his stomach. It was a grueling process, with feedings every 2-3 hours, but well worth it.
When Nicholas was 4 weeks old the gentle weaning process began. The Esbilac was reduced with milk, and the mix was thickened with dry baby's oatmeal (Gerber). At about 5 weeks of age the Esbilac was eliminated, and a slurry mix of oatmeal and milk was fed to Nicholas through the tube. At about 6 weeks of age dry puppy food was introduced and tube feeding ceased. However, due to Nicholas' condition, he could not eat in the normal way. His palate condition meant that all food had to be ground to a powder and mixed with liquid to form a slurry mix.
When Nicholas was about 3 months of age he had his first surgical procedure to correct his cleft palate. Dr. Gary Goldstein performed the procedure, and did an excellent job. Tissue from the pup's gum and mouth flaps were used to close the palate as much as possible. This left Nicholas with small hole as he was still small, and there was not enough tissue available to completely close the palate.
When Nicholas was 7 months of age he had his second surgical procedure. This operation completely closed the palate, reformed the left nostril which was partially closed after the first surgery, and extended the left mouth flap. Nicholas also had a substantial number of teeth on his left side removed. This was done to alleviate cutting and deformity due to the lack of a true gum line and natural palate.
Nicholas is now as good as new, with a pretty funky looking face (one only a mother could love). He is happy, playful, and a great addition to the family. He loves playing with Angel, and he especially loves to pick on Joshua. At last check, in early January of 2000, he weighed a bit over 70 pounds, and will probably approach 100 pounds when full grown.
If you would like to see more photos of Nicholas, please visit his photo album by clicking here.
To learn more about German Shepherds you should check out some of Nicholas's favorite sites:
 | The American Kennel Club |
| German Shepherd Club of Western Pennsylvania |
| German Shepherd Connections |
| Arf-Net |
| German Shepherd Dog Club of America, Inc. |