Although it will be another 11 days before she sees the surgeon again (and get the green light to resume her normal activities), Bailey seems to be doing very well after her near-death experience just a week ago. Meanwhile, we have been told that she can't even get a bath yet...

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Poor Bailey: because she so wants to sit with us in the family room in the evenings. Being a jumper, who won't take no, she also can't be stopped from jumping on and off the furniture. That means she must be confined to the kitchen for now.

Lucky Bailey: because she is still alive and seems to be feeling pretty good now. The surgeon did a good job. There were no post-surgery complications & Bailey's abdominal scar should be barely noticeable as it heals more. The incision is already fading.

We are still keeping Bailey's activity to a minimum and carrying her in & out of the house to go potty. No jumping at all. Nevertheless, I did allow her to sit for the posed photo above. I didn't plan for her to do this, but she cried and begged for the attention when she saw the other two girls getting to dress up and pose for Easter photos. So, I put a ribbon on her neck and gave her a quick 5 minute session with allowing her to do whatever she wanted for the photos. Because I currently can't give her a bath, she's not as clean as she normally would be. But that's okay. Bailey wanting to model says that she is getting better. It also allowed her special time with her person & made her happy.

I think her photo ended up being pretty cute.
More importantly, it is extra special because the photo above (and Bailey wanting to play model) says that Bailey is still here with us & is once again behaving like our Bailey. I discontinued all the pain meds the second day that she was home. Soon after that, her eyes returned to looking normal again. Obviously, the surgeon was wrong in thinking that there was a brain disorder based on Bailey's open molera. (See below what a molera is). Actually, for her tiny size, Bailey's open spot is fairly small.

Bottom line, we had a great Easter with all 3 of our girls!!!
Bailey is going to be okay.

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A "molera" (hole in the head) is a main characteristic of the Chihuahua dog breed. This incomplete ossification of the bones in your Chihuahua's head is even mentioned in the breed standard for this breed. The American Kennel Club mentions that Chihuahuas must have a well rounded "apple dome" skull, with or without molera."

In the old days, Chihuahua breeders once considered the presence of a molera as an indication that a Chi was purebred and not mixed with something else. I don't think I've ever had a Chihuahua without a molera. Sometimes, it is so small, that it's almost unnoticeable. But one has always been there. The smaller the dog, usually, the larger the molera. However, tiny Bailey's molera isn't very large.

To read more about Chihuahua moleras: https://dogdiscoveries.com/breeds/why-does-my-chihuahua-have-a-hole-in-its-head#:~:text=The%20molera%20is%20a%20characteristic%20of%20the%20Chihuahua,as%20%22open%20fontanelle%2C%22%20also%20known%20as%20%22bregmatic%20fontanelle.%22

I wish they would better educate vets more about moleras in Chihuahuas not automatically meaning there is a health problem. A molera is normal in Chihuahuas. Meanwhile, I am still very thankful to this surgeon for saving Bailey's life by stopping the deadly infection. Another few hours and the above photo would have never been possible because we wouldn't have still had Bailey.

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The original story: https://pbase.com/britestar/image/173516627

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