How To Treat Canine False Pregnancy Once and For All
Actually the “best” form of treatment for dogs experiencing false pregnancy is to give her some young pups to suckle, using her as a surrogate mother. Opportunities like this, however, are extremely rare. Not many dog owners will have several female dogs going through whelping periods in a rotating fashion. Furthermore, this approach doesn’t really solve the root problem.
A few of them may cut down carbohydrate and water in their dog’s diet to reduce milk production and excess weigh gain. In my opinion, this can have detrimental health effect with no guarantee it will work 100% all the time.
Then there are some owners gave their dogs stuff toys to help her cope with her emotional distress. Whether or not she has already built her nest, I personally think this behavior should not be encouraged. Just like surrogate mother approach, it is only a temporary or immediate solution without treating the root cause.
All the above methods, if not treated appropriately, the dog’s health may suffer in a long run.
Two Methods of Treating Canine False Pregnancy Permanently
As I mentioned earlier, canine false pregnancy is due to hormonal imbalance. It would be best to treat it medically. There are two ways you can go about it, either using the conventional method or alternative approach or maybe both.
The Conventional Medicine
If you have no intention to breed your female dog, the kindest thing to do is to have her spayed especially those bitches who suffer severe false pregnancy. In another words, if she can’t get pregnant she also can’t develop false pregnancy!
Having said, it is not advisable to spay her while she is going through her false pregnancy. This will result in prolonging her experience making it more stressful for you and your dog.
If your dog is having high milk production and if it is not suckled or extracted from the mammary glands, she can get mastitis (a hardening of the mammary glands) and may run a temperature. What you could do is to massage the breasts by applying alcohol or ointments or warm towel over them to stimulate circulation and express the milk yourself. In doing so, this will help the swelling to go down faster and reduce inflammation. If condition still persists, you will have to make a trip to the veterinarian clinic.
The vet will extract the milk from the congested glands and may give her antibiotics to treat the serious inflammation. Some vet may suggest giving her hormone pills or injections to relieve the other specific signs and sedatives drugs to control her nervous signs especially when she has disturbed rest.
The Alternative Medicine
Although there are a few alternative approaches (from TCM to Energy therapy) to treating canine false pregnancy, Homeopathy seems to be the most effective approach above all. Also, it is commonly practiced among holistic veterinarians.
Homeopathic Medicine
Although homeopathic medicine is completely safe, please keep in mind that it can have adverse effects if taken orally in neat form (undiluted) and/or in wrong dosage. Pregnant dogs should avoid taking these remedies.
Below is a list of some homeopathic remedies for treating canine false pregnancy and some of which act as anti-fertility. These are best given three weeks after the estrus ends.
- Platinum – To reduce the urge for excessive libido.
- Sepia – To treat hormonal imbalance in older female dogs.
- Ignatia – Remedies for hysteria especially adapted to the nervous temperament.
These remedies should be taken when false pregnancy has already developed.
- Asafoetida – To treat irritable and nervous restlessness.
- Belladonna – To treat acute inflammation accompanied by high fever.
- Ignatia – Remedies for hysteria especially adapted to the nervous temperament.
- Sepia – To reduce metritis. One of the most important uterine remedies.
- Thuja occidentalis – To reduce virginal inflammation.
- Pulsatilla – To relieve symptoms.
- Lachesis and Cyclamen – Help to reduce milk production.
Compared to hormone therapy (conventional medicine), homeopathic medicine will yield better result in treating canine false pregnancy. The symptoms will become milder each time and gradually they will become less noticeable, requiring lesser treatments too.
With that said, I highly suggest having the female dogs sprayed spayed if possible. After all, you could prevent many unwanted illnesses and diseases from occurring.
Apr 21st 2007
11:04 AM
I was starting to think you had forgotten about this.
Thank you.
Apr 23rd 2007
5:11 AM
Hi Rick,
No, I didn’t!
I hope it is worth the wait. And thanks for your patience.
Dec 26th 2007
3:53 PM
Thank you for a great article. My Siberian Husky has been showing signs of a false pregnancy for a couple of weeks now and finding good information has not been easy. We plan on getting her sprayed after we have treated her, we are going to try the homeopathic approach and see how we get on.
Sep 30th 2008
5:58 PM
I WONDERED WHERE YOU CAN PURCHASE HOMOPATHIC MEDICATIONS TO HELP DOGS THAT CANNOT BE SPAYED BECAUSE OF KIDNEY FAILURE, BUT HAS SO MUCH HOROMONAL PROBLEMS, AND FALSE PRENANCIES. CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME OR ADVISE WHERE I CAN GET HELP FOR MY 9 YEAR OLD YORKIE. THANK YOU
Oct 3rd 2008
2:28 PM
Hi Janet,
What I would advice you is to have a homeopathic vet look at your Yorkie to determine the best solution for her situation.
Good luck!
Nov 2nd 2008
10:37 PM
i mean i love my dog very much and have tried breeder her twice and both times..gained weight, milk and even went into labour…i wanted puppies very bad…for myself not for giving away…so of course i was heart broken but i still love her lots ..she is my baby but why would a dog keep having fault pregnancies….
Nov 4th 2008
12:58 AM
Hi Barb,
It’s no faults of theirs to experience false pregnancy. It’s “hormonal” as I explained here.
Jan 14th 2009
1:24 PM
My Great Dane Bitch is in her 4th false pregnancy. This one is by far the worse one she has had. This time she has stopped eating, and is nesting with an obsession.
For her it will last about another 2 weeks. Then back to normal (I hope). We plan to breed her May 09.
Mar 13th 2009
4:16 AM
i hope this site is still taking comments. my dog i think is going through false pregnancy. it was her first heat. she is producing milk already, but not a lot. i’m wanting to go the homeopathic way. how do i know how much to give her? she’s a 100lb mastiff. thanks
Mar 16th 2009
9:47 AM
My Great Dane is going into her second false pregnancy. Athena Blue has not had any pup’s and would love to breed her, but as soon as her vulva drops she thinks she pregnant. Her first heat she bled, but this second time she didn’t, just went right into false pregnancy.. Can someone help me.. Will she be able to have pups? Or do I need to spay her? Really lost on what to do..Hope to hear from someone soon..Thanks
May 13th 2009
11:50 PM
My Dachshund was sprayed last thursday and the following Saturday she started down this path. She is producing milk, not eating, and taking every stuffed animal in the house to our bed every night. What do we do?
May 14th 2009
8:39 PM
Hi Keith,
When was her last heat before the spay? Had she experienced false pregnancy before? If you spayed her too close to or during her heat and she had mild signs of false pregnancy syndrome, there’s a possibility she “will” experience false pregnancy again.
Since she’s already been spayed, you can’t re-spayed her!
What you could do is follow these suggestions here. Also, keep a close watch on her milk production. If it gets too much, have a vet check on her.
Having said all these, you shouldn’t worry too much. These signs will soon fade off…eventually. It does take a while for her to get accustomed to her “new” reproductive system.
HTH
Jun 28th 2009
11:15 AM
Most of this is great information however Homeopithy does not work and is quackery…..
Aug 6th 2009
12:15 PM
Hi….I Hope someone can help me! I have a 2 year old female chi my love
1 week ago she started throwing up bright red blood. app~quarter cup I took her to the vet immediately
they ran a fecal and parvo, and also did xrays.
They also gave her a shot of anti-naseau med. all test came back normal….They said she had HGE and to give her these meds
and feed her this special food and she’ll be fine. Well all was getting back to normal then she started throwing up again no blood just yellow and food. I took her back to the vet yesterday and they did multiple function blood test.
ALL NORMAL. they gave her another shot of anti naseu med and told me to hold on all food untill this morning
I did and fed her this morning. app~ 3 hrs later she threw up about a thumbnail amount of food or whatnot.
She is up to date on all her shots!
She is constipated. she does still have a little ting of blood in her BM’s ( which look totally normal)
She has had 3 heats and one pregnancy. ( pregancy 1 heat ago but almost 6-8 months ago)
I have a intacked male as well. ( hes fine)
She was in heat app~ 3 months ago her nipples are starting to sag again. I am at a loss, so is the vet. could this just be a false pregnancy, anxiety? Could she be feeding of my depression?
I am massaging and applying warm washcloths to her teets just in case.
she is not exhibiting ANY sign except for her boobs, and the throwing up.
All she relly does is lie there and look at me with longing eyes something is not right and I cant afford to take her to the vet anymore this month for sure……
If anyone has any advice please reply Thank you………..
Aug 10th 2009
11:55 PM
Animals don’t get “SPRAYED”! This page had some useful information but when you mention “spraying” when discussing animals you come across as rather uneducated!
Aug 21st 2009
2:35 AM
To the author – My apologies in advance for cluttering your blog with what is to follow. Believe me when I say I put an extreme amount of effort into restraining myself but I finally caved. I’m fed up with the amount of mudslinging on the web coming from people who would never think to do so if they weren’t safely hidden behind their computer like a coward. Anonymity does not excuse the use of malicious words regardless of merit or justification.
TIM – You’re kidding me, right? Your comment is unfounded, unnecessary and rude.
Let’s take a logical and educated approach to this since that’s what you obviously prefer…
The definition of “uneducated” is simple. It’s the lack of or absence of an education. To further define this word, we must then define the word “education.”
I’ll try to be open minded here as best I can. Who knows, maybe there’s some definition of education I wasn’t aware of and I learn something and realize you’re absolutely right. Or, God forbid, maybe I’m also uneducated and therefore I’m incapable of understanding your intellectual use of words. Geez, don’t tell my Father that. He footed half of the tab for my college education, and that would really piss him off.
Anyways, according to numerous online dictionaries, education can be defined as any of the following:
1) Activities that impart knowledge or skill – Are you telling me that she did nothing to gain this knowledge? An activity implies action, so maybe she sat on the coach and it just came to her while eating bonbons? Doubtful
2) Knowledge acquired by learning and instruction – Are you saying that she didn’t “acquire” this knowledge and was just born with it? Doubtful
3) The gradual process of acquiring knowledge – Maybe she inserted a disk into her brain and instantly downloaded all of this knowledge thereby invalidating it as “education” because her knowledge acquisition wasn’t “gradual”? Doubtful
4) One definition has the ignorance to define education as “the result of good upbringing.” That’s insulting and I won’t insult you by believing that was your criteria for awarding her the title of “uneducated.”
I’m left to assume that your only basis for making the pompous, uninformed, and baseless statement that she’s uneducated is due to one incorrect word in her article, “sprayed.”
You cannot tell me that you’re naive enough to believe she misspelled this word. That’s ludicrous considering she’s probably typed/written that word thousands of times based on her subject matter of expertise. Have you never heard of a typo? Have you never had a typo of your own that you failed to catch when proof reading? If that were the criteria in order to be called educated, I would definitely be stuck in the remedial class. Missing a typo has nothing to do with intelligence or education, it’s common human error.
Regardless of reality and what’s true and what isn’t, to claim that the author is “rather uneducated” based on one word out of thousands that she’s written is pure snobbery!
In stating someone is uneducated, you’re implying that you believe yourself to be “educated,” in essence you perceive yourself as superior. Whether that is your belief or what you intended to reflect, that is how I perceived your comment.
I don’t understand the motivation for posting a comment that lacked content or that was relevant to the subject matter. Comments on blogs or in forums are meant for the purpose of carrying on a constructive conversation or adding additional information to the subject, or anything that adds value to another reader. Yes, pointing out the error I’m sure will benefit that one in a million person who would have come along and believed she really meant sprayed and then hauled their female dog to the backyard for a good soaking with the hose. Considering the odds, does that justify wasting space on a blog she’s put countless hours and care to create and build. Unless you post your PhD in Higher Education, you have no credibility or expertise to make such a statement. Opinion with little to no fact or first hand knowledge is often called ignorance.
Before I forget, you should know commonly known and practiced netiquette states that anything written in all capital letters means that the writer is yelling those words. Yelling wasn’t necessary. I would have gotten your point loud and clear without it and it might have saved the headache I now have.
The bottom line is you’ve sullied her blog by defaming her and questioning her intellect. Your comment is a trivial, insignificant, unfounded and therefore is irrelevant. When one makes a statement that belittles another, especially with no basis and for no gainful cause, the only plausible motivation for doing so would be to prop up their ego by convincing themselves and hopefully others that they’re superior. I’m sorry if that’s true, but I still say check your snotty attitude at the door or move on! You’re polluting a website that provides a valuable service, an educational opportunity, and a positive environment to learn in. That’s not always the easiest thing to find these days.
p.s. I’m sure I’ve got a typo in this comment or possibly even a word misspelled. It’s late, I’m tired, and I’m human. Feel free to also call me uneducated if you’re inclined to do so. We do have freedom of speech regardless of its truth.
And just so I’m not a hypocrite hiding behind my computer, you’re welcome to reach me on Yahoo at azmom22.
Aug 28th 2009
12:31 PM
I am concerned, if this is a for real informational website, one would have thought that the spelling would have been correct.. you can spray your bitch all you want, hoever it will not prevent her from coming in to season.
If you Spay her and have her uterus removed, well that is a different topic,,
Now that I have said that..
I have show dogs, that means they can not be spayed until they have reached 16 points, if they happen to get there 16 points in a very short time frame then she will be shown as a special or finished bitch.
Several years ago I had a german shepard and she was a show girl, A vet that is now retired gave her the same medication that hospitals give to women who choose not to breast feed, you know what It worked, and there were no side effects? Can you explain why they do not give that any more it was safe, easy, simple and cheap.
Thank you
Janet
Aug 28th 2009
1:59 PM
Janet,
If you know the name of that medicine, you could ask your current vet to prescribe that for your dog.
As to why vets don’t give out that medicine as you stated depend on various factors. Not all vets conform to one type of medication to treat one illness. Vets give out specific medications to treat any illness base on their understanding of that drug use, how the patient would react to that drug, philosophy, and ethical code (if it’s called for).
Sep 1st 2009
2:31 AM
HI there everyone… I have an AKC brindle pug that was bred and should be somewhere between 60 and 63 days pregnant right now… she has had 2 previous litters (6 pups each) and free birthed them. She has large nipples with a great deal of mammary development and has milk. She is bigger than she was, but not huge. She has been eating grass since she was bred. The other issue is that the other last 2 breedings that this male has done have led to very small litters- in fact his owner is taking him the vet to have a sperm count done on him- she thinks the heat may have caused issues. I cannot feel pups move (I dont think), but she feels very fluid filled like a water balloon. She is acting very very healthy… runs around and plays and gives kisses… all very normal. No nesting, no territorial behavior. Points of interest may include… this is her first litter here and my first dog pregnancy (I breed ragdoll cats) and I do not have a thermometer and have not been taking her temperature. I guess I am looking for any theories on what I have here, pregnancy or false preg. I will regardless wait a few days and see what happens and watch her behavior for signs of needing to visit a vet… thanks, Amber
Nov 22nd 2009
8:16 AM
Janet, That medicine is no longer given to women who do not choose to breastfeed. Haven’t given it in nearly 20 years because it was found to be unsafe (in women anyway). If women (and dogs) are not going to be nursing a baby (litter), it is much better to just limit stimulation of the breast tissue. For your dog, do not express milk, do not rub on her belly and try to limit any other dogs in the house from licking on the nipples. Given time and no milk demand, the supply will eventually dry up. Do watch for mastitis, but unless they are engorged, do not express the milk. Good luck to you.
Jan 27th 2010
5:59 AM
Hi, I was reading up on this to find out why my dog is mothering two of her squeaky toys. We had recently gotten her spayed, but it was after that she had gone into false pregnancy. On a lot of sites it says that this happens before they are spayed, I don’t know what to do about it!!!!!
Feb 2nd 2010
8:54 AM
hello , I have a 4 yr old yorkie that i bred in early dec and she has not gained any wieght and doesnt feel pregnant to me but she has been acting like she is in labor for the last 4 days off and on , she is producing milk and her boobs are leaking at times but nothing is happening, she has been nesting for the 4 days also,she has had 1 litter 2 1/2 yrs ago and this is the first time i have bred her since ,she has 3 more days before hitting the 63 day mark,should i wait until then or should i go ahead and get a baby for her now to start nursing ? i could use some insight here , Thank you sincerely Sue
Jun 25th 2010
1:36 PM
My shitzu poodle. Whom is 2 years old. Is in her first false pregnancy. Man o man is she humping everything in site. She has all the signs of a pregnant pup. and is lactating. Does this go away?
Jun 26th 2010
8:00 PM
I have a Mountain Feist who is lactating and mothering two of her squeaky toys. I love her so much, does anyone know how to keep her from whining and crying? I comfort her and talk softly to her, which seems to help, but I have to go to work all day and leave her alone. Is there a natural medication or herbal medication that can provide her some relief?
Jul 29th 2010
9:50 PM
v have a golden retreiver female who s 2 years old.she had false pregnancy for 3 times in 3 cycles.earlier v had labs and danes so i had better experience by watching my mother how she takes care of them.just love them and try to respond patiently.if u r working take leave and try to sit with them.more than a pet it is one of our family member.i left my teaching profession just for her i have a 12 years old son too.i hope she will litter next year.our family loves everybody who loves pets.