Jeepers' Mom <smreagan.DeleteThis@infi.net> wrote:
>Is it normal or harmful for a 8-week old Peke puppy to have a soft spot on
>its head as a baby would have? Will it grow together as a baby's does?
>Itis not very large.
>
>My elderly friend has one with this and is very concerned about it.
>
>Any helpful info would be appreciated and passed along to her.
That's called an open cranial fontanelle or patent molera.
It's not uncommon in toy breeds (Chihuahuas are particularly
known for it) though I haven't found any specific reference
to it occurring in Pekingese.
All puppies go through a stage of development where their
skull bones have not yet fused; it is considered open fontelle
when this process occurs later than expected. The opening
still may fuse at this point, or may remain permanently
open. Even if the opening doesn't close, it's not considered
a very serious condition as long as head injuries are avoided.
(I would suspect that a responsible Pekingese breeder would
also avoid breeding dogs with this trait, but since it's
not my breed I can't say that for sure.)
I hope that helps,
Dianne
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