My Puppy has a Soft Fontanel
If you have a puppy with a soft spot at the top of his head read on.
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First of all there is no need to worry about an open fontanel unless the puppy shows signs of Congenital Hydrocephalus
What is an open fontanel?
If your puppy has a soft fontanel (soft spot, molera, fontanel) you've probably felt it when rubbing the top of her head.
A fontanel is an area at the top of the head where the skull has not yet grown together. Human babies also have a fontanel at birth.
This leaves an area at the top centre that feels soft and mushy when you touch it.
In most puppies the fontanel is never even noticed and it grows over very quickly (within 4 weeks).
The time it takes for an open fontanel to disappear varies greatly between dogs and breeds. Usually they close in the first 4 weeks but some fontanels take as long as a year. In most cases an open fontanel will disappear by 4 months.
If your puppy has a soft fontanel it is very likely a small breed, Chihuahua, Yorkie, Boston Terrier etc. (listed below)
Open fontanel is commonly seen in Chihuahuas where it is referred to as molera . It is so common in fact that there are those who regard it as a sign of purity of breed in the Chihuahua.
More likely still is that your puppy is an especially tiny puppy known as the teacup breeds.
Teacups and Tinies
Although these are referred to as breeds they are not breeds but selective breeding to produce smaller puppies. Breeding to produce the smallest animal means that sometimes the weakest and smallest of a litter would be chosen for breeding purposes rather than the biggest, healthiest and strongest.
Numerous other small breeds occasionally have a fontanel that never closes. Toy and teacup breeds are more likely to have a permanently open fontanel than larger dogs.
If your puppy has a soft fontanel she can live a long and active life and most do! There are a couple of things you need to look out for though.
What to watch for if your puppy has a soft fontanel
- Congenital hydrocephalus
- Brain injury
Hydrocephalus (water on the brain) ~
can be a concern if your puppy has an open fontanel. Signs and symptoms of congenital hydrocephalus usually show up when the puppy is between 8 and 12 weeks old. If there are going to be health issues they are likely to show up before the pup is 4 months.Signs include
- a dome shape to the head
- walking in circles or pushing his head into corners
- seizures
- blindness
- abnormal behavior
- lack of co-ordination
- learning difficulty (housetraining difficulties)
- eyes that look downward (and sometimes outward)
Some puppies with mild symptoms will recover without intervention. For others the prognosis is grim.
Preliminary studies and observations are showing that the following breeds have the greatest liklihood of developing congenital hydrocephalus. They are also the breeds most likely to have an open fontanel.
Toy breeds
Brachycephalic breeds (short faced)
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If your puppy has a soft fontanel after the age of 4 months it may still close slowly over the coming year but there is a possibility that the fontanel will be permanent.
What if the fontanel never closes?
Brain injury ~
Because the top of the brain is essentially unprotected when your puppy has a soft fontanel he may have a higher risk of brain injury in the event of a fall or blow to the head. In some cases (but only some cases) these dogs suffer serious brain damage and even die from a fall or hard impact.
Mostly though, the puppy lives a long and active life completely oblivious to the fact that she is at any risk. It's the owner who worries.
A fontanel (opening) that is the thickness of a pencil or smaller is generally of little concern. When it exceeds the size of a dime it should be watched. Nothing can be done to close the fontanel.
If your puppy is alert, lively and bright eyed you probably have nothing to worry about.
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