The Edmonton Journal puppycam that has been live-streaming the little Bernese Mountain dog since her birth Aug. 1, is back up and running showing the now 4 week old named Keepsake go through her day after a successful Cleft Palate surgery . When she was two days old, her owners noticed she was having trouble nursing and took her to the vet for an exam which is when the cleft palate was discovered. A puppy born with a cleft palate needs to be tube-fed the mother’s milk directly into its little belly if the puppy feeds on its own the milk will begin to bubble out through their little nose. In non severe cases once the puppy is old enough to eat soft food they are able to survive on their own and flourish with proper care.
In the case of little Keepsake she needed some extra help so a Plastic Surgeon was called in to help perform the surgery with the help of a veterinarian to administer the anesthetic and monitor the puppy. The doctor that was called in Gordon Wilkes is one of two that perform Cleft Palate surgery for humans in Northern Alberta and it just so happens that he attempted to repair the cleft palate of a calf born on an Alberta farm. Typically, large farm animals are euthanized as there are no other real options for them, but this family just couldn’t at least try to give the little calf the chance of survival as two of their children were born with cleft palates. They called the doctor who performed those successful surgeries and asked if he would help them. As an animal lover and dog owner he agreed to try and help the calf if they could have a vet there to help him oversee the surgery. Unfortunately in that case he was not successful in repairing the entire Palate because his instruments were just not big enough to do the job the little calf failed to thrive and was put down 6 weeks later. Dr. Wilkes felt completely confident on what the outcome would be with the little puppy he knew his instruments would work and he would be performing the surgery in a clean and sterile environment with a veterinarian and staff on hand to monitor and assist. The surgery went well and Keepsake was on the road to recovery and a completely normal life quickly. Well as normal a life as a puppy can have when they are an International star.
When it was announced that Keepsakes surgery was successful a group of very dedicated fans an ocean away stopped what they were doing on the trading floor in London to cheer the good news. London’s Canary Wharf is home several major banks. In one of the big banks, there are three 50-inch monitors in the reception area, all tuned into the puppy cam watching the little Bernese mountain puppy Keepsake. In the course of a business day, about 10,000 people pass the monitors many of whom stop and take a moment to watch the little puppy. Keepsake is also a star in the Netherlands, where Anna de Weert is teaching her Grade 5 students a lesson in video technology, responsible pet ownership and animal husbandry, all rolled into one. She says her class is “thrilled” to be able to keep track of the goings-on of the little puppy.
As of the publishing of this post the adorable little Keepsake is rolling around in her whelping box with her human mommy. You can watch Keepsake for yourself
what a great story
Benny & Lily