Weird compression / dent in skull. Is this normal skull structure?!

[Bitsy]

Originally Posted by Xuanz

Im sorry to hear about Peyton is he alright now.? and thank you for sharing your experiences. Ruffles is my first doggy. Ive never had a dog before so there are alot of things i do not know even though i did much research before i got Ruffles it seem that i still have much to learn.. Ive been with the vet since i got Ruffles which isnt long onli 2 visits to the vets so far.. My friend who has a yorkie also brings her yorkie to see this same vet.

The little one really stole my heart the first time i saw him. Now every little thing that happened to him can make my day or break my heart. I hope everything is well.. I hope im not overreacting.. I just wish that he can be healthy and happy...

Looks like we were typing at the same time. My "First Peyton" did not make it. He had such severe hydrocephalus that his body just started shutting down. I had taken him to Purdue University small animal hospital (they are one of the best in the country) and had him seen by the ER. They were able to stabilize him enough to look inside his head with an ultrasound the next morning. That is when we discovered the severity of the hydrocephalus. He was suffering badly because his body couldn't regulate his potassium levels. Also, he had permanently lost his sense of hearing, sight and smell. I had to make the decision to let him rest permanently. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do, but it was the right thing to do for my little guy. I had only had him two weeks....but he will ALWAYS have a place in my heart. He was a very special puppy...I never knew I could feel so much love in such a short amount of time.

His story is tragic and not every pup with an open fontanel has this problem. As Patti said, her dog has it and is living a full wonderful life.

I'm sorry to share my story, as I am sure it will upset and worry you more, but I think it is better for you to know how important it is to get this looked into right away.

[Bitsy]

I wanted to let you know that I did get a second "Peyton" a few months later. I named him the same name as a tribute to the First Peyton. The second Peyton is such a sweetie and I know the First Peyton is looking down happily from Rainbow Bridge on all of us.

[Xuanz]

Im sorry to hear that about Peyton.. Im sure he's happy where he is now.. I really hoped Ruffles will be alright... He's taking his nap now sleeping like a baby.. I'll be devastated should anything happen to him.. I'll ask about the possible complications and prob ask them if they know of any neuro doc that i can have the number and all.. I'll get back tmr after Ruffles had seen the doc... Thank you for your help!

[Bitsy]

You are welcome. I'll keep Ruffles in my prayers. Hope the visit goes well.

[bailie]

thinking bout you and your baby ruffles,keep us posted x

[Xuanz]

Hello everyone, hank you for putting us in your thoughts and worrying. we are back from the vets.. The vets told me its a soft spot and it has no hydrocephalus.. because he says if it is we'll be able to feel that in the soft spot it is swollen and tender and the head will be dome-shaped.. but for his case its not of a concern and he says it might close up as he gets bigger and there no much problems. And he told me the possibility of getting any problems due to it is very low and that i should just be careful and not let him bump his head on anything. I told the vet about the walking side ways and got Ruffles to walk around and run around the examination room and he says its pretty normal from what he see and some puppies are like that and theres nothing to worry about. Phew (But I'll still keep a lookout for any abnormalities)

But Ruffles vomited once after we got back from the vet. This is the first time he vomited. So i called the clinic again and they told me his probably too overwhelmed and i have to keep a look out if he vomits more than 4 times he'll has to be brought in and if he vomits again he's to be feed some soft boiled food ( chicken) for the 1 to 2 days. because i had him take a bordetella vaccination as i intend to bring him for grooming soon. He had his nails clipped as well, which resulted in a bleeding nail because he struggles too much and very violently... But the breeding was stopped instantly by the vet with taptum( i dunno how to spell)
powder. My poor Ruffles (=C)

And one of the nurses told me that Ruffles is actually pretty aggressive and dominant as he bit her when she tried to touch his head and growled and tries to bite when they wanted to cut his nail, i know this is bad behavior but does any other puppies do that?.. But he doesnt do that to me or my husband though he sometimes will try to but dare not he'll do it when i tried to clean his ears and trim his hair on the paws and under belly... But he's getting better now... How do we solve this.. Ive been touching him everywhere everyday even his paw and his nails his face. But he just doesnt like it (treats lure doesnt really work)... The nurse told me that if he withdrawn his paw from me that i should say "no' in a dissatisfied tone and then take his paw and continue what i was doing, in a way force him to get use to it.. . But with Ruffles that small sometimes i just cant bring myself to do it. When he struggles he'll wiggle and wiggle like its e end of the world and uses his leg to kick his way out in an extreme way that i think he might break his bones if it continues.. i tried to hold him tighter and firmer and said 'no' but he usually dun stop till he gets his way... What am i gonna do about this...!! ( one thing about Ruffles, he doesn't really fancy treats, especially when he's really traumatized he'll just snub the treat.)

And now his sleeping, and refused to eat when i feed him.. Should i just go ahead and boil some chicken breast and feed him. because his vomited almost all of his breakfast as i can still see some undigested kibble...
oh i have one more question its about weighing scales, there's this big metal scale in the vet that measures Rufffles as 2.4 pounds(pet smart has one too and had the same measurements.) but the doc used a small scale and measured him as 2.8 pounds and told me this was more accurate becaue its more Suitable for his size. Does anyone has this encounter? which weight is he exactly. (i wish its 2.8)!

My poor Baby hopes he gets better after his nap.. =C

[Bitsy]

Glad things went well today. Hopefully your vet is right and it is nothing to worry about.

As for the swelling on the soft spot, I have heard that as well. However, my First Peyton did not have swelling out of his soft spot at all. All of the pressure was inward, on the brain. How are his eyes? Sometimes dogs with hydrocephalus have eyes that look outward to the sides more than is a normal. A little is normal I think, but not a lot.

Thanks for the update. Just keep a close eye on him. Hope his tummy feels better soon. Hugs to you both.

[Dianamartin]

The same thing was going on with my yorkie at 9 weeks old when I got him. The vet said it's normal because after all they are still "babies" and it will eventually close on it's own. It's a "fontanel" . He is now 17 weeks and I can't really feel it anymore so it must have closed. His head is hard too, we were playing and I threw his rubber ball in the air and it bonked him on the head right there. HE WAS fine!

[gemy]

Originally Posted by Xuanz

Hello everyone, hank you for putting us in your thoughts and worrying. we are back from the vets.. The vets told me its a soft spot and it has no hydrocephalus.. because he says if it is we'll be able to feel that in the soft spot it is swollen and tender and the head will be dome-shaped.. but for his case its not of a concern and he says it might close up as he gets bigger and there no much problems. And he told me the possibility of getting any problems due to it is very low and that i should just be careful and not let him bump his head on anything. I told the vet about the walking side ways and got Ruffles to walk around and run around the examination room and he says its pretty normal from what he see and some puppies are like that and theres nothing to worry about. Phew (But I'll still keep a lookout for any abnormalities)

But Ruffles vomited once after we got back from the vet. This is the first time he vomited. So i called the clinic again and they told me his probably too overwhelmed and i have to keep a look out if he vomits more than 4 times he'll has to be brought in and if he vomits again he's to be feed some soft boiled food ( chicken) for the 1 to 2 days. because i had him take a bordetella vaccination as i intend to bring him for grooming soon. He had his nails clipped as well, which resulted in a bleeding nail because he struggles too much and very violently... But the breeding was stopped instantly by the vet with taptum( i dunno how to spell)
powder. My poor Ruffles (=C)

And one of the nurses told me that Ruffles is actually pretty aggressive and dominant as he bit her when she tried to touch his head and growled and tries to bite when they wanted to cut his nail, i know this is bad behavior but does any other puppies do that?.. But he doesnt do that to me or my husband though he sometimes will try to but dare not he'll do it when i tried to clean his ears and trim his hair on the paws and under belly... But he's getting better now... How do we solve this.. Ive been touching him everywhere everyday even his paw and his nails his face. But he just doesnt like it (treats lure doesnt really work)... The nurse told me that if he withdrawn his paw from me that i should say "no' in a dissatisfied tone and then take his paw and continue what i was doing, in a way force him to get use to it.. . But with Ruffles that small sometimes i just cant bring myself to do it. When he struggles he'll wiggle and wiggle like its e end of the world and uses his leg to kick his way out in an extreme way that i think he might break his bones if it continues.. i tried to hold him tighter and firmer and said 'no' but he usually dun stop till he gets his way... What am i gonna do about this...!! ( one thing about Ruffles, he doesn't really fancy treats, especially when he's really traumatized he'll just snub the treat.)

And now his sleeping, and refused to eat when i feed him.. Should i just go ahead and boil some chicken breast and feed him. because his vomited almost all of his breakfast as i can still see some undigested kibble...
oh i have one more question its about weighing scales, there's this big metal scale in the vet that measures Rufffles as 2.4 pounds(pet smart has one too and had the same measurements.) but the doc used a small scale and measured him as 2.8 pounds and told me this was more accurate becaue its more Suitable for his size. Does anyone has this encounter? which weight is he exactly. (i wish its 2.8)!

My poor Baby hopes he gets better after his nap.. =C

So sorry I'm just getting back to this thread today. About your earlier question; BAT tests liver function. How well your liver is functioning. There is a problem Yorkies are susceptible to and it is called Liver Shunt.
There are many threads on here about it; it is a simple blood draw; once after your dog has fasted, then a second draw 2hrs after eating.

Now in terms of the food; by all means boil up some rice and chicken, you can add a small tsp of plain yogurt too to a tsp of rice and chicken. If he keeps this down, then a couple of hrs later, repeat, etc. What I do once tummy has settled is then to freeze the leftovers to be available next time with upset tummy.
In terms of regular kibble food; you can try grating a tiny bit of Parmesan cheese over the food.

Nail clipping can be a challenge with these wee ones. What you can do, is to wrap your puppy very well in a towel, leaving out only the one paw, you can also use a knee high nylon, and place that over the paw, the nails will poke through, but the fur will be held back so that you see the nails clearly. If he has dew claws don't forget to clip them. They are usually found higher up on the outside of the paw. Check for front and back dew claws.

In terms of your vet visit, did you get a referral to a neurologist? It is something I would ask for, and seriously consider taking my pup to one.