A new technique for feeding dogs with a congenital cleft palate for surgical research

In humans, cleft palate (CP) is one of the most common malformations. Although surgeons use palatoplasty to close CP defects in children, its consequences for subsequent facial growth have prompted investigations into other novel surgical alternatives. The animal models of CP used to evaluate new su...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: López-Gordillo, Yamila et al., González-Meli, B, Martínez Sanz, Elena, Casado Gómez, Inmaculada, Martín Álvaro, María Concepción, González Aranda, Pablo, Paradas Lara, Irene, Maldonado Bautista, Estela, Maestro De Las Casas, María Del Carmen, Prados Frutos, Juan Carlos, Martínez Álvarez, María Concepción
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2011
País:España
Institución:Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
Repositorio:Docta Complutense
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:docta.ucm.es:20.500.14352/101441
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/101441
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:61
Cleft palate
Dog
Refinement
Feeding technique
Ciencias Biomédicas
24 Ciencias de la Vida
32 Ciencias Médicas
Descripción
Sumario:In humans, cleft palate (CP) is one of the most common malformations. Although surgeons use palatoplasty to close CP defects in children, its consequences for subsequent facial growth have prompted investigations into other novel surgical alternatives. The animal models of CP used to evaluate new surgical treatments are frequently obtained by creating surgically induced clefts in adult dogs. This procedure has been ethically criticized due to its severity and questionable value as an animal model for human CP. Dogs born with a congenital CP would be much better for this purpose, provided they developed CP at a sufficient rate and could be fed. Up until now, feeding these pups carried the risk of aspiration pneumonia, while impeding normal suckling and chewing, and thus compromising orofacial growth. We developed a technique for feeding dog pups with CP from birth to the time of surgery using two old Spanish pointer dog pups bearing a complete CP. This dog strain develops CP in 15-20% of the offspring spontaneously. Custom-made feeding teats and palatal prostheses adapted to the pups' palates were made from thermoplastic plates. This feeding technique allowed lactation, eating and drinking in the pups with CP, with only sporadic rhinitis. To determine whether the use of this palatal prosthesis interferes with palatal growth, the palates of three littermate German shorthaired pointer pups without CP, either wearing or not wearing (controls) the prosthesis, were measured. The results showed that the permanent use of this prosthesis does not impede palatal growth in the pups.