True or False:
Small and toy breed dogs take longer for their soft spots to close?
My breeder says because the puppy’s soft spot hasn’t closed that there is a chance for seizures, temporary blindness, etc for the first year. Is this just typical for small breeds, or is something really wrong with this puppy?

Yes, it’s true. Because the birth canal of small breeds are so narrow and a puppy’s head is the biggest part of the puppy’s body, having a molera or an opening that allows the skull to be flexible makes it easier for that big head to slide out. In some cases, the opening will fuse on its own as the puppy grows up, and in some cases it will remain open for the rest of its life, which is completely fine. One of my dogs, Dottie, is a super-healthy 10 year old and she has a soft spot. Having a molera is a typical trait of the breed and does not make your dog more prone to seizures or blindness (I’m surprised a knowledgeable breeder wouldn’t know this). However, trauma to the soft spot may cause those conditions, so you want to avoid situations where your chihuahua can hit its head (but you would be careful whether or not your chi had a soft spot…right?)
Your breeder might be telling you this because his dogs have a genetic problem causing them to be prone to seizures and temporary blindness and he wants to blame it on the soft spot.

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Tags: Breed Info, Chihuahua Puppy, Health, Molera, Soft Spot