# Soft spot on head - when will this close by?



## Ellie-Evie (Mar 24, 2013)

Evie had quite a big soft spot / molera / fontanel (so many spellings of it everywhere) when she was a puppy. She is 10 months old now and it has definitely closed a lot but is not completely closed. When you look at her head in a certain light you can see the slightly shadowed area where it dips in still and hasn't completely closed. I've read that by about 1 year old it would have finished closing, and if it hasn't then the dog will always have a soft spot. Is this accurate information? I'm just worried that when she's play fighting etc she might knock it accidentally and cause an injury or worse :-(


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## cpaoline (Oct 9, 2012)

from what I understand they should close. I have recently heard about some apple heads that still have slight openings. She should be fine playing and doing day to day activities.


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## jesuschick (Dec 5, 2010)

Some will close, some will not. My girls range in age from 2.5 years to my oldest who will be 3 years of age next month.

Ruby is my biggest (4 pounds/1.8kg) and hers was closed by 1 year. Hope (3.7 pounds/1.6kg) and Eden (3.2 pounds/1.4kg) both have theirs and the window of opportunity for theirs to close is gone.

Hope's was huge as a puppy. Easily the size of a large grape. Hers is now just a bit larger than a large pea. Eden, our smallest and youngest still has quite a large molera but it is smaller than when she was a pup. 

I would be curious to hear if others with Chis on the smaller end of the size scale still have them, as adults, rather than those who are larger.


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## pupluv168 (Mar 7, 2012)

A molera is normal in this breed and doesn't really mean you have to take extra precautions with her, unless some tragedy happens and she falls on her head or something. 

Toby will be 2 in October and he still has one about the size of a dime (he is just under 5.5 lbs.). My moms chi Rocky has a small one still at 1.5 years old and about 8 lbs. Both of theirs have closed a lot since they were pups, but I would expect that they are there forever. 

Last night, Toby jumped off the couch instead of using his stairs (trying to copy his cousin who is staying with us and not a chi). He hit his head hard on the coffee table, right where his molera is. I freaked out and watched him all night. Didn't sleep. I was totally ready to take him to the ER if necessary. But he was fine. Didn't even phase him, let alone hurt him. So, basically there is no worry in letting her play normally and be a normal chi, even if she has a molera. 


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## Ellie-Evie (Mar 24, 2013)

Thank you for your help  . Had made me feel a bit better now


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