Sometimes puppies are born that can't suckle properly, and it's almost alway's because they have a cleft palate. A cleft palate can be a complete division up the middle of the palate, or roof of the mouth, or it can just be a small hole in the palate.Canine cleft palate is a failure of the two sides of the palate to fuse correctly during the embryonic stage of developement. It can just be the soft tissue, in which case it only presents as a cosmetic malformation, but if the hard palate is affect.