You might have seen Felix’s lovely face if you frequently lurk on Imgur. Felix, who is perhaps the most-loved dog on social media, has won thousands of fans’ hearts with his adorable face. pintiks writes
Felix, who was born with a cleft lip and palate, has seen his fair share of hardships. Thankfully, he underwent successful oral surgery in January to correct it! Felix is currently as content and healthy as any other good guy around, and he recently made his first splash in the river, which wasn’t conceivable a year ago!
Felix was an 11-day-old puppy when I received him. Felix’s rescuer and owner, Jamie, told Bored Panda, “I was the rescue worker who was called in by the breeder after they noticed that one of the puppies from their litter was not thriving and was actually dying because he had a severe cleft palate and cleft lip, and was not able to nurse off of his mother properly. “At this time, he had aspiration pneumonia and wouldn’t survive another day. For the following seven weeks, I tube-fed him at home. I also took care of his pneumonia. He is currently an adult Black Lab who is 14 months old!
According to Jamie, “a cleft lip and palate has no recognized etiology.” It is a congenital condition that affects both people and animals. It is believed to be caused by the mother’s poor nutrition or exposure to toxins during pregnancy.
Sadly, this darling kid also suffers from several medical issues in addition to cleft lip and palate. But he refuses to let it interfere with his enjoyment! Due to the fact that his colon developed on the incorrect side of his body, Felix also experiences digestive problems. Strange but effective. Felix’s owner informed us that despite the fact that he only has one working eyeball, his jaws don’t line up, and the right side of his face resembles a melted candle, Felix is probably fine. “Since none of his teeth line up, he must consume largely canned food. Sometimes I give him hard food so he can feel like “one of the gang” but it’s kind of hard for him to scoop it up. Keeps him busy though.”
Felix’s clefts were corrected through corrective surgery on January 31, according to Jamie, Felix’s owner, who spoke with Bored Panda. “Both the hard and soft palates were affected by his unilateral cleft palate. His doctor was able to use his own tissue to recreate the roof of his mouth and even the soft palate, which was missing. He has had a neurological tic since his operation, which is presumably the result of his skull moving, and it periodically leads him to spin around and growl at the air. To assist him with that, we are experimenting with novel drugs.
Before his operation, Felix’s owner said to Bored Panda that the unfortunate boy was unable to eat or drink regularly. Every time he ate, she said, “I had to use a special tool I invented to wipe the food out of his cleft.” He also required routine sedation so the vet could clean and cleanse it. We live in Alaska, so one time there was a whole salmon skin up there. Another time, a plastic dental flosser was caught up there. He was a bit of a disaster.
Fortunately for Felix, he lives in a big and loving family. “Felix has 4 siblings!” Jamie told Bored Panda. “I have another dog with a cleft (not as severe and didn’t require surgery). His name is Sammy and he is an Australian Cattle Dog. I have a miniature dachshund named PB who is 12 years old. I have Baby Girl, a terrier from Bethel Alaska. And finally, there’s Meera, who looks like a 20-pound brindled whippet. They are an odd bunch, and all from the rescue. I work for a veterinarian who does exclusively rescue work. He’s a great man. Felix gets along great with all of his brothers and sisters, as well as his cat friend, and any and all fosters that I bring home. I have fostered well over 400 dogs since 2013.”
Felix appears to be content and secure in his home with his devoted owner and siblings. Jamie said, “Felix is the happiest dog I’ve ever owned. He has more energy than he or I know what to do with and is blissfully unaware of his health issues. This past weekend, I was able to take him swimming for the first time ever, and he performed fantastic. This summer, I’m hoping to be able to teach him to be a “true retriever.” He would have died in a matter of seconds if I had attempted to take him swimming before his operation.
Playing is undoubtedly the one activity that this cheerful and vivacious goofy enjoys doing the most! Felix’s owner told Bored Panda that if you throw the ball, he will play with it for the rest of the day. He can now eat and drink regularly, and I’ve never met a stronger dog. He had a feeding tube coming out of his neck after his operation, and for a few weeks I had to force liquid dog food through it. While I was doing it, he never protested and remained so motionless. He was unable to chew, which was challenging because he enjoys always having something in his mouth! He’s been a wonderful soldier, and I wish him nothing but the best in the future!
Obviously, Felix is very loved in his house. There, he gets to play with other dogs, cats, and his favorite stuffed animals. In fact, he loves the stuffed toys so much, he recently ate two of them and had to have surgery!
