Cleft lip in puppy.

Hello, I’m considering taking on a Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy with a cleft lip. As of right now, he is eating, and otherwise seems to be thriving as a normal puppy should. My question is what kind of problems could we run into as he gets older? Are dogs with cleft lips more prone to anything major? The cleft is only in the lip, not in the pallet. Thank you for any info!

Hello there - it is good news that your puppy is thriving.  A large problem associated with a cleft lips in puppies relates to their ability to suckle milk at a young age, so this is great news.  The problems associated with a cleft can range from absolutely negligible / cosmetic, to aspiration pneumonia and death.  It is a good idea to ask your vet to check the extent of the defect;  if, as you say, only the lip is involved then this can be encouraging.  I have known exposed gum / tongue etc to undergo a drying effect and I have also witnessed a predisposition to dental disease from this sort of lesion, but your vet who can fully examine the patient should be able to offer the best opinion as to what is likely to follow in this case.