Jacqui Glover owns a dog named Midge, a Wigan whippet. Since the day that Midge was born, Jacqui knew that he was different. He was born with a cleft palate.
Midge found it hard to suckle. He couldn’t eat properly. He was weak. They believe that this was because the little pooch was born prematurely. However, Midge is a fighter. He wouldn’t let any of these hold him back. After all, he has his mom to back him up.
Midge trades trash for treats on his walks. #trashtag pic.twitter.com/mBlfxlB2Cr
— Jacqui Glover (@wildwhippies) March 12, 2019
Despite his difficult condition, Jacqui never left Midge’s side. She was determined to help him win this battle. She promised to do everything to avoid putting Midge to sleep.
Midge’s dental nurse said that he would have a chance, but he would need to be intensively hand-reared. Because of his cleft palate, Midge couldn’t chew big chunks of food. So, Jacqui gave Midge a special diet that consists of small pieces of food. She used the meal plan called “true instinct” diet, which means that Midge would only feed on dry, bite-sized food only.
Midge's story in Manchester Evening News. #cleftstrong #cleftpalatepup https://t.co/pezLRsk45c
— Jacqui Glover (@wildwhippies) January 10, 2019
Six months into the diet, Jacqui’s once weak fur baby transformed into a healthy pup. Because of that, Midge didn’t need to undergo the surgery that they once thought he needed. Thankfully, Jacqui’s patience paid off.
Now, Midge has grown into a healthy dog. He’s on training at Kings Park Whippet and Dog Racing Club and is soon to become a racing dog. Recently, he also participated in the trash tag challenge. Jacqui is delighted to see how Midge has grown into the dog that he is now.
Jacqui said that she’s confident that, regardless of Midge’s disability, he will become a perfect little athlete in the future. Considering everything that he’s been through, there’s no doubt Midge indeed become one someday. He has already gone a long way, and surely he can do more.
Credit: Jacqui Glover