96 CANINE AND FELINE SURGERY 



narrow slit, the edges may be scarified and allowed to heal 

 b}' granulation, but if there is some perceptible space to be 

 closed sutures must be inserted. On account of the friability 

 of the mucous membrane in puppies and kittens, this is some- 

 times difficult, as the stitches readily tear out. 



Cocaine is applied and the mouth held open. An incision 

 is made longitudinalh' on either side parallel M'ith the cleft, 

 and a sufficient amount of the palate is separated from the 

 bone with the end of a fine blunt curved pair of scissors (care 

 being taken not to remove it at the top or bottom) to enable 

 the edges to be drawn together ; the edges are pared or 

 scraped so that they present a uniformly ra\\- surface ; 

 interrupted silk sutures are then inserted with a special palate 

 needle, and tied in the usual ^^■a^'. 



F^nignosis should al\\"a3's be guarded. The accidents liable 

 to happen are that fatal haemorrhage may ensue and the 

 portion of palate ma\' be torn completeh' off. There is ah\'ays 

 a little difficulty about t}ing the sutures, o\\4ng to the small 

 space in which one must work and the delicate manipulation 

 required to pre\'ent the sutures from tearing out. 



If, however, the patient can be reared until some months 

 old, the palate is much tougher, and the danger from this 

 latter contingency much less. 



It is astonishing, too, to what extent a cleft palate may exist without 

 the owner's attention having been drawn to it The author had one 

 instance in a cat, eighteen months old and in excellent condition, in which 

 the cleft «as directly in the centre of the palate, elliptical in shape, and 

 about the size of a melon-seed. This had not been observed until about 

 a month before it was brought for operation, the result of the latter being 

 quite satisfactory. 



Rodent Ulcer of the Lip. 



This is not infrequently seen in the cat, the under surface 

 of the upper lip being most commonly affected. It is usually 

 supposed to have its origin in the bite from a rat or another 

 cat, and if neglected will develop into a nasty, hard, ulcerating 



