What Happens When a Dog Goes Through a False Pregnancy?
Canine false pregnancy is a term used to describe female dogs showing signs of pregnancy, nursing, and lactation, and yet produce no puppies; either there was no mating occurred or have any fertilized eggs. This sign usually occurs after her estrus stage is over (about a month or two), and it may last for two to three months depending in type and severity from one female to another.
What Can Cause a Dog To Have a False Pregnancy?
The current research studies offer the notion that false pregnancies are the result of a major hormonal imbalance. Some female dogs have a nurturing drive so tremendous that they can show signs of a false pregnancy after every astral cycle with the signs becoming progressively more severe on each occasion. Female dogs that have this condition on an ongoing basis tend to ovulate longer than the standard four-to-five week period.
What Happens When Dogs Go Through a False Pregnancy?
Again, this is largely depending on individual female. In very mild cases, you may not notice any difference in the female’s mental or physical state. As false pregnancy progresses, many females can experience a dramatic variety of mood and sensory changes such as a swollen abdomen, mammary glands filled with milk. She will exhibit almost the exact physical symptoms, as well as behavioral symptoms, that she would go through a real pregnancy. In severe cases, she will probably have it again after each heat, the female may actually strain as if she is producing a litter.
Let’s take a closer look at the physical and behavioral symptoms during canine false pregnancy.
Morning Sickness. The most common sign in canine false pregnancy is morning sickness. You will notice that your dog is getting sick in the morning experiencing bouts of nausea and vomiting, to varying degrees. Other morning sickness symptoms include exhaustion or feeling sleepy, food cravings, frequent urination, abdominal cramps, and/or tender or swollen mammary glands.
Appetite. Changes in appetite are also extreme. When a dog is pregnant she will go through periods of huge appetite increases as well as periods of what appear to be hunger strikes which can last for days. It is not unusual to see her rejecting her regular food in favor of those that are less appealing to her when she isn’t experiencing false pregnancy.
Stool Eating. Although this is a rare case, your dog may eat stool during a false pregnancy. The technical term for stool-eating is called Coprophagia and is normally considered to be caused by some hidden behavioral problem. However, in relation to a dog experiencing a false pregnancy, it can be her body telling her that she is not getting the proper amount of nutrients that she needs to feed her unborn puppies. Even though she is not truly pregnant, her body is telling her otherwise.
Weight. Probably the most interesting aspect of a false pregnancy is the physical changes that occur in the female dog’s body. They truly mimic a real pregnancy. For example, she will experience an unusual amount of weight-gain, even if her diet hasn’t changed. Her mammary glands will increase in size and she will start production of milk and colostrum. You may also notice that her pelvic and global area may pulsate as she swells and relaxes the area.
Exercise. Nearing the time she would “give birth”, she will show nervous signs including panting and breathlessness even though she hasn’t move much all day. Getting her to exercise or go for a brisk walk is almost impossible. When coaxed, she may attempt to cry and “fake” an abdominal cramp right at the door.
Nesting. The female behavior will start displaying that of a mother who is trying to “nest.” She will spend time building her nest and form attachments to inanimate objects like toys, shoes, remote controller, and throws. She will then carry her invisible puppies around the house and taking them to her bed. Her territorial and maternal instincts will show as she protects her invisible litter, which can be upsetting for owners especially family members aren’t close to her.
With all said, the question now is “What Can You Do to Help Your Dog that Experiencing False Pregnancy?” and this will be in the next issue.
Mar 8th 2007
3:09 PM
Renee,
This is fascinating. I never knew this could happen with dogs, or animals in general.
I assume counseling isn’t suggested for dogs experiencing false pregnancy. Is hormone therapy?
Mar 8th 2007
9:38 PM
As a matter of fact, counseling is avaliable but not the way human does it. It requires the help from a pet psychic — an area I haven’t dab much into yet so can’t say much about its efficiency.
Hormone therapy? Well Rick, you have to wait for the next issue….hehehe….Someone gotta wait!
Mar 9th 2007
11:17 AM
Okay, okay. I’ll wait. I did talk to my wife. She said her sister’s dogs went through false pregnancy a couple of times. She gave her dogs a stuffed animal, and the symptoms went away fairly quickly.
Mar 9th 2007
1:20 PM
Thanks for the understanding.
About giving stuffed animal to the female, doesn’t solve the problem for good. It is a temporary solution for both parties (dog and owner).
Don’t worry too much about it for now, Rick. If hers is a mild situation, the stuffed toy might be good enough…for now.
Mar 18th 2007
9:18 AM
Hi there.
We have a Border Collie,As it is Sunday Morning i cannot get her into a vet.
LastNight for some reason,SHe was laying in Bed,I noticed she has a huge milk bad,I squeezed it and sure enough she has milk.
We had plans to breed her in the summer,To my Male Border Collie.
I just want to know if she is pregnant or not.
She has gained tremendous amount of weight,But not in her belly?
Can someone help?
The thing is that in every nipple there is milk.I know an animal can produce milk for a baby,It happend to my cat and she had never given birth.
Im boggled right now,I wish the vet was in so i could go get a scan done.
Thanks in advance.
Mar 18th 2007
10:21 AM
Hi Jamie and Lori,
If you are positive that your dog is not mated and she is experiencing false pregnancy–producing milk. Unless there are puppies that she can nurse right now (as a surrogate mother), then the next thing to do is extract the milk. If you aren’t sure how to do so, don’t worry too much. Make sure you keep her clean and dry including her bed. Keep a close watch of her at all time. Just get her to the vet first thing in the morning, get everything ready to leave before the clinic opens. Your vet will extract the milk if there’s more so that the mammary glands will not become inflamed.
I know it is silly to ask you to stay calm, but this is the best thing you can do right now. Your anxiety will probably make her more nervous and uncomfortable.
Be brave!
Mar 23rd 2007
11:29 PM
We have a small dog that is experiencing false pregnancy that started today. Her mammary glands are only slightly larger and I can’t express milk, but she is acting odd and is now ‘caring’ for 2 stuffed animals.
My mother’s dog (our dog’s sister) had 3 puppies a few days ago and unfortunately is now sick
Is it possible to bring the puppies to our dog and hope that she would care for them and eventually produce enough milk?
Mar 24th 2007
12:38 AM
Hi Janet,
It is possible, however, there are some considerations and steps to take.
1. How close are these two adult females? For example, do they get along well?
2. DO NOT REMOVE the pups away from their mother even she can’t care for them temporary. There are two options: Either move your mother’s dog and puppies to your home or bring your dog to stay with them during her course of false pregnancy (assuming the females get along). Bear in mind, nursing mothers are very protective over their youngs, so your mother (or whoever is allowed to touch the puppies) will have to make the transition smooth.
3. Not all dogs who are experiencing false pregnancy will produce milk even her mammary glands are swollen. Getting your dog to nurse the pups in order she will produce milk is very much individual case, but you could try.
Hope this helps!
Mar 24th 2007
1:02 AM
Our dogs haven’t been together in over a year and I don’t think they would do well together. I guess we will wait a bit and see how things are going and see if momma dog improves will her medicine the vet prescribed. I appreciate all the information…thank you!
Mar 24th 2007
1:10 AM
It’s my pleasure!
Sep 27th 2007
11:37 PM
I have a Siberian Husky and a Beagle that are well i think are pregnant. I know the beagle is pregnant but not sure if the husky is she is huge and tired all the time and thats not like her shes a VERY playful dog. she has huge milk bags and milk already coming out of them. If she is shes will be due in 2 weeks i’ve never had pups before so really don’t know much of the details of it. what i wanted to know is that if she the husky is having a false prgenany or not, almost like shes jealous of the beagle being pregnant is that possible?
Sep 28th 2007
6:32 AM
Hi Alicia,
The surest way to find if your Husky or any female dog is pregnant is have her checked by a vet. The vet should be able to detect it by the 3rd week (4th week if she’s off the chubby side) after she is mated.
It is a normal behavior for pet parents to give extra attention to our pregnant dogs—massages, better quality of dog food etc. If Husky senses that she is being “neglected” or not getting equal attention (commonly seen on those alpha females behaving towards another female housemate), she will act out (for example, bark at beagle, you or whoever is with the beagle or may even leave markings in house or even on her opponent—beagle) whenever favoritism is shown.
Hope this helps!
Oct 22nd 2007
10:12 AM
Thanks for all the information, you’ve been a great help. I believe my dog went or is going through a false pregnancy as she has shown many of the signs. Except for the nesting phase, she really hasn’t shown much of that.
Anyway, I’ve got a question: Can dogs that are experiencing “false pregnancy” actually go through like a physical labor? Because I’ve been suspecting for awhile now that my dog might be going through a false labor and this morning I woke up to her faint cries and a vaginal discharge that covered my blankets. She also had some vomitting.
Any information would be greatly appreciated, thank you.
Oct 24th 2007
9:28 PM
Hi Gabrielle,
I’m glad to know my article is of help to you. And to answer your question…
Yes, it is possible for dog to experience false labor as I mentioned above. However, this usually happens to those females who suffer false pregnancy every heat (first-timers usually won’t go “full swing”). As each cycle of false pregnancy intensified, the chances for the dog to go through false labor are very high. I suggest you have the vet checked on your dog to see if there’s any other complication. Also, if timing is favorable do consider spraying or use the alternative method as I mention here.
Hope this helps
Oct 25th 2007
1:27 AM
i have a min pin that i just took to the vet and found out that she had a false pregnancy, i had never heard of it in my life. i was so for sure she was pregnat,we even felt things kicking. i would like to know how many times a dog can do this and does it mean that she will have a harder time getting pregnat?
Oct 25th 2007
2:38 AM
Hi Billie,
It varies. Some dogs experienced once or X number of times and never have any false pregnancy again while others will experience in every heat cycle if no treatment is done.
False pregnancy is about hormone imbalance. Ability to conceive is about soundness of the ovaries, the fertility of the stud’s semen, and the timing of the mating. These are two different matters.
Thanks for your question and you are most welcome.
Nov 5th 2007
10:57 AM
Hello!
I have a chi that I bred -her first time. I am thinking she might have a false pregnancy. Four weeks after mating she started showing -belly got bigger. Today is 6wks and her belly is decent sized but I do not feel anything. Her teats have only got puffy, extra layers, and loosing hair around them -but she does not have the milk sac. She has not done the “caring for something” part of the false pregnancy. Will this continue as it is or will she grow more, get milk, carry a stuffed animal….? Are there only two options.. 1) have vet check her 2)see if she produced pups near the 63 day mark. Do most false pregnancies last the full 63 days? Thanks for the help.
Nov 5th 2007
9:51 PM
Hi Kimberly,
Yes, basically you’ve those two options you mentioned—to know the outcome now or to be surprised in three weeks time!
“Do most false pregnancies last the full 63 days?” In most cases, yes—give or take a few days.
For a small breed, you should be able to detect the fetuses at about 4th week. And if she’s obese, you probably cannot detect any puppies at all.
There will be a little bit of watery secretion from the teats a couple day before whelping and the actual milk will only come immediately after the birth. So you are a bit ahead of time to be expecting this at 6th week.
Whether it is genuine or fake pregnancy, just make sure you’re prepared for the whelping day. This is the time you don’t want more surprises than you can handle!
Best of luck!
Nov 6th 2007
12:08 AM
Thanks for responding! Can you tell me if it makes a difference whether a pregnant dog “fills out” high (more towards the ribs) first or lower (more towards the lower belly) first? Does one mean something and the other mean something?
Nov 6th 2007
1:52 AM
In every sense, all pregnant dogs should have their belly “fill out” not near the diaphragm
chestarea. I’m afraid I can’t say much without looking at her. If you are really concern, I’d highly suggest you seek your vet’s help, if possible get an experienced vet. Spend that little to have a peace of mind.If she is pregnant, you want to reserve that needed energy during the whelping and nursing days. Although Chihuahua may have up to 3 pups in one litter, that’s enough to keep you real busy since this is your first breeding. Moreover, this is also her first and she may be quite nervous already. Your added worries may not be good for her during this time.
I’m sorry I can’t offer further help, all the best!
Nov 6th 2007
9:35 PM
hey Renee!
Well come to find out my beagle and my husky were pregnant they had there puppies 4 weeks ago 3 days apart so i have 16 dogs in the house OUCH! HAHA but anyways thanks for the advice i guess i will know now when i breed her again. the husky had 8 pups 4 males and 4 females and the beagle had 5 pups 1 female and 4 males. so we have a house full right now. thanks for everything.
Nov 7th 2007
8:03 PM
We have a female german shepherd who has had a pervious litter no problems, we bred {got three solid ties} with a proven male.
Vet confirmed pregnant by palpatation at 24 days.
She never really gained much weight, never really increased her eating.
She had the morning sickness.
She has lots of discharge right now
Clear liquid can be squeezed from teats.
Some nesting but not crazy.
Temperature was
at 4 30 38.7
at 5 30 38.3
at 6 30 38.1
so it looks like it is going down.
Will be really interesting to see if she has one or two pups or not. We have an on going bet on this topic right now.
Nov 9th 2007
10:56 PM
Sweet pea has 2 1/2 weeks left now and today she has a brown discharge. What does that mean?
Nov 12th 2007
9:36 AM
Congrats to you, grandma Alicia!
Do you happen to have a picture or two of the pups? Send it to me so I can post it on my blog that’s if you don’t mind sharing!
I hope you have some helpers. 14 pups, no kidding! Indeed a handful!
Nov 12th 2007
9:37 AM
Hi Irene,
I think your GSD will definitely have more than 2 pups. Has she given birth already?
Nov 12th 2007
9:46 AM
Hi Kimberly,
I’m not a vet and I don’t have the liberty to give any veterinary advice. I still think Sweet pea should have a prenatal exam especially two weeks before the due date.
Just make sure her temperature isn’t below 99°F, otherwise you MUST bring her to the vet IMMEDIATELY.
Once your vet gave the green light (healthy pregnancy), start getting Sweet pea familiar with her whelping bed.
As a soon-to-be holistic practitioner, I’ve to say that our emotions (be it good or bad) can have great impact on our dog’s psychological and physiological stage.
Please seek your vet’s help so that you’re well prepared in whatever Sweet pea’s situation is.
Sending my prayers to you and Sweet pea.
Nov 12th 2007
10:44 AM
Nothing. It was a false pregnancy.
She had some discharge and dropped her temperature to 37.7 and the next hour back up to 38.3 and it was all over.
She has gone back out to the kennel!
This all took place a week ago so there is no way she has anything in there. Not at 10 weeks or 72 days.
It was all false pregnancy and we were pretty sure of that.
She had a litter of 6 a year ago. Nothing this time though.
Nov 24th 2007
6:06 PM
My 10+ year old chihuahua is leaking brown fluid from her teets. I had noticed over the last couple of days that when I rubbed her tummy my hand would come away wet. So, today I sat down,gave her a look over and noticed white milk-like liquid coming out of 4 of her teets. Only one of them has the brown liquid. Do you have any idea of what could be happening? She has been acting weird too, crawling under furniture, digging & scratching at the walls, being really jumpy. What can I do for her? What is going on?
Nov 26th 2007
4:25 AM
Hi April,
1. Has she been mated recently? If no, then she might be experience false pregnancy.
2. Has she been pregnant before and had not mated? If yes, she might be experiencing false pregnancy although it seems rare to be experiencing this for the first time at her age.
3. Are her mammary glands swollen too?
4. Had she been sprayed?
Her behaviors look like she is preparing for whelping.
Have a vet check on her mammary glands, he might suggest having her sprayed if that has not been done.
Hope this helps.
Jan 18th 2008
2:45 AM
i have a 8 month old daschund and we breed her to another daschund and it has be 60 days now and she has soon some semtomes but not very many. She just started to show but she isn’t showing very much at all. ! week after we breed her she grow her boobs and they are very large right now. We took her to the vet 25 dasy after breeding and they gave her a sonograph and they said that there was a 90% chance that there were no puppies but there is alwasy a question mark about it. Her lieghs have grew wider… What should i be expecting… my step mother thinks that she still might have puppies… I dont know what to do because she really hasnt shown any false pregnancy signs like carrying and mothering toys. but she has been nesting for the last couple days. I have als been taking her temp and it has ranged in the 100’s, 99’s. and 98’s so what do you think i should do?
Jan 18th 2008
2:48 AM
Vicky,
Base on your information, your Daschund does look like she is expecting assuming she is mated correctly and the male had previously sired at least a litter. But in keep in mind that she might not be as your vet said.
Personally I don’t recommend mating at that tender age. She is after all a puppy herself and she may not be mentally prepared let alone understand know what is going on her body.
Anyway, I can’t suggest any further other than seeking your vet assistance. They are the best persons to consult, as they are able to examine her condition.
Meanwhile, check her whelping box is fully ready. And if you plan to do the delivery yourself, make sure you have all the necessary equipment ready. In addition, have your vet after office hour telephone number handy—in case she has some complications that may need a caesarean delivery.
Good luck!
Jan 20th 2008
1:46 AM
I adopted a chihuahua/beagle mix from the humane society. She is currently going through a false pregnancy. She is well behaved and great with the kids. We have had her for 1 week. The problem is that she is not potty trained, it is 1 degree outside, and I have been reading so many horrible stories about chi’s being the most difficult dogs to potty train. She is crate trained and this makes it easy because she has no problem going in. I feel like everying is stacked against us and we will not be able to potty train her. We don’t yell at her, we praise her but I just need guidance and encouragement. She is so darling and cute. Help!
Jan 20th 2008
10:57 PM
Hi Christine,
As to your Chigle’s potty issue, I’m answering it here How To Stop My Pup From Soiling Indoor (not exactly but the approach is the same).
Feb 7th 2008
10:02 PM
Hi I have a min. Aussie.She came in heat nov 07 and was taken to a breeder on dec 2nd she had been in heat for 10 days she spent from 12-2 to 12-10 at the breeder but sad to say a breeding was not witnessed. my female has not gained much weight but her boobies have inlarged slightly and there is milk present and there is nesting activity. ive been told gestation is 60 to 65 days. breeder believes she might be pregnant or could be a false pregnancy 600 stud fee is alot to pay for a fake pregnancy breeder guarentees at least 1 live pup if not will breed again if she is having false pregnancy now is it adviseable to try again?
Feb 8th 2008
10:55 PM
Hi Lori,
I’m sorry to hear about your “misfortune.”
I’m a bit confused here. Why did you bring your dog to the breeder after she’d been on heat for 25 days? Was this the breeder’s suggestion? In any case, females will be ready to breed 12 days after the first colored discharge appears.
An experienced and genuine breeder would suggest you to stay around to witness the mating. First, if there are other male dogs you can be certain your dog is mated to correct stud. Second, most breeders would get the dogs mated twice (within the same heat period but a day or two day apart) to increase the success rate.
You may want to try again if it doesn’t require any more stud fee. But the next time around, stay put and watch. Also, I suggest bringing your dog home after the first mating (no overnight stay) and bring her back for the second mating. Should this breeding fail “again,” then you can be certain where the problem lies, false pregnancy (assuming the stud had sired at least one litters.)
Good Luck!
Feb 9th 2008
8:56 PM
Hello,i have a 8 month old female chihuahua i was wondering if i could breed her with my 2 year old male chihuahua..is it okay..or is she too small..if she is until what time can she be bred is it okay too breed her at 1 year old or she deffinatley has to be 2?
Feb 11th 2008
9:43 PM
Hi Jackie,
Preferably after her first heat, that should be a little after her first birthday. If she isn’t mentally mature, you might want to wait for another heat cycle. As to her physical condition, you’ve check with your vet.
Mar 25th 2008
11:53 AM
My 4 year old Cattle Dog came off heat a good 4-5 weeks ago and we noticed she had bruises on her legs where the male dogs usually hold onto. Now my male is not spayed and has not mated before, but I am not certain if any mating took place while she was on heat.
She has been going through changes, englarged nipples, they were dark now going very pink and starting to hang a bit. Her mammary glands have lowered but there is no milk as of yet. Her rib cage was getting pretty big, like it was sticking out a bit but now her stomach has also gotten bigger.
She has an increased appetite when she is usually a very fussy eater. She seems to be more affectionate now. Her vagina is still swollen and is a dark pinkish colour with a bit of black near the entrace. When I placed my hand on her stomach I feel this fluidy stuff moving around in different places and it comes frequently. Her stomach is firm.
I am wondering whether this a false pregancy or not.
Mar 26th 2008
12:54 PM
Kat, I take it that since you don’t know about false pregnancies and whatnot then you’re not a dog breeder. Why aren’t your animals spayed and neutered? All you have to do is go to a shelter to see what an animal overpopulation problem there is. It’s just plain irresponsible to have un-neutered animals. I hope you realize this before it’s too late and your female gets pregnant or your male impregnates another dog.
Mar 27th 2008
1:18 AM
I got my female from a farm where they had bred her on her first season. She was bred with a dingo. When the puppies were born she refused to work so they got rid of her because there was no other use for her. I’m still a teenager, my father refused to have her desexed. Now, we are making more money and I am older and I have put my foot down about desexing both of them. I know about the overpopulation problem, I’ve volunteered for the RSPCA. I’m a huge animal lover. My father does not see the point in spaying the dogs but has decided it would be best to spay the male. I want to have the female spayed because I don’t want her to catch anything or for anything bad to happen to her. I am just curious and was asking because I wanted to know what others thought, if there dogs went through the same thing. I have researching all about it trying to find an answer myself. If she is pregnant, I will let her have the puppies only because I have interests from others for them. Bringing in more money into the family with a job now helps to pay for things and the dogs come first for me.
Mar 27th 2008
2:27 AM
Hello Kat,
My apology for not getting to you sooner. Here are my answers to your questions.
Since you didn’t witness the mating process, and base on your description of your female dog, the answer could go either way. As said, the symptoms which a female experiencing canine false pregnancy aren’t that much difference to the one who is actually pregnant. It’s not that easy to conclude what her status is without physical examination. And since I’m not a trained vet, I can’t offer any further assistance on this issue here.
It’s best to have a vet checked her out, but if money is an issue, you might want to seek your local RSPCA for a free consultation. I’m sure they won’t mind returning a favor. Just remember to sound sincere, and I’m sure you are! If the vet confirms that she’s pregnant, do the necessary requirements (i.e. nutrition) during and after her pregnancy.
As to desex issue, you might want to persuade your father (after your dog “pregnancy”) to reconsider his decision. There are many health benefits besides overpopulation problem as Sunny had mentioned (I’m sure he meant well though I agree he did sound a bit too forward in his statement).
PS. Kat, I’m not sure which part of Australia you are in, maybe you’d try calling Dr. Rob Zammit (The Pet Vet) for advice and ask if he’d recommend any vet who offer consultation and maybe some services for free.
Good Luck!
Mar 27th 2008
4:42 AM
Thank you Renée for your reply. I will take my dog to see a vet or the RSPCA for a consultation. I’ve just been very curious because I havent really heard of false pregnancies before only after doing this research thus coming to this page of the site.
May 21st 2008
10:37 AM
Hi! My 5 year old pit bull is about 65 days into her pregnancy, and last night she started discharging a very thick brownish/green fluid. At that time her temperature had gone down 99.4. I have checked on her frequently, but she just doesnt seem ready for puppies and since last night her temp as raised a little to 100.1. Is this fluid normal?
May 22nd 2008
8:55 AM
Hi Mariah,
The greenish fluid is normal. Given that temperature, she should be delivering any time now. Is this her first pregnancy?
May 22nd 2008
10:53 AM
Thanks, now I feel a little better. No, this isn’t her first pregnancy. We breed her about 2 years ago, and this time I am having a hard time remembering what happened last time. I took her temp. again this morning, and now it has gone back up to 101.2. Does their temp. just drop down for a little while, than raise again? I am just worried because it seems like it is taking a little too long. The last thing I want is to put her in any danger.
May 28th 2008
2:00 AM
First let me say I am a firm believer and practicer of spaying and neutering. I have only one dog unspayed, and she is scheduled for surgery next month. My question is just one of curiosity mostly. I have a 6 month old male (neutered) chihuahua, and my female chi who is around 9 months old. I got the male Rudy, when he was a baby, 8 wks, and the female Elsie, when she was about 7-8 months old. Rudy was neutered on may 5, Elsie came in heat about 10 days prior to that. For the weekend prior to his neuter, the were very interested in each other. So, I guess I said all that to ask this
Could he at 5 to 5 1/2 months old have fathered puppies? I understand about false pregnancies, and she is exibiting signs of possible false or maybe not so false pregnancy.
Thanks
Anita
May 28th 2008
9:10 PM
Hi Anita,
There is a possibility that Rudy might have impregnated Elsie. Small dogs do mature faster than larger dogs. At 5½ months, small male dogs are capable to sire a litter.
Having said that, we cannot confirm Elsie is pregnant if we aren’t sure if the mating had taken place. What you could do is to monitor her closely starting around 4th week from that mating day.
As for her next month spay appointment, you might want to put that on hold first. Talk to your vet about the “incident” and furnish him with all her daily behavioral patterns. Your vet will be in better position to advice you.
Hope this helps.
May 29th 2008
2:21 AM
Thankyou Renee,
I did talk with the vet today, and we have posponed spaying her at this point. We will be going in for a visit in person next week. Knowing small dogs mature faster than large dogs, I still thought he was probly still too young to do any damage. Even so, we were carefull not to let them get too friendly. I did come home that saturday prior to Rudy’s neuter, and found my husband sleeping on the couch and the “kids” playing tug of war with a rag bone, so anything could have happened in that time. We will see though, and cross our fingers this is a false pregnancy with the sole purpose of graying some more of my hair. LOL
Thanks again
Anita
Jun 11th 2008
3:26 AM
Hello there. I’m new here but I have a few questions and I’m not sure here is the right place… If I’m wrong just ignore me. I’ve got a 1 year and 8 months Siberian Husky and she is very skinny and won’t eat much. I’m quite worried as I’ve found some fleas on her a while back, I’ve put a collar on her which keeps the bugs away but my small sister said she found a flea 2 weeks after I put the collar on. Then, I’m not sure when it is the right time for her to get pregnant but I want her to stay pregnant as soon as possible seeing how I have to get into the army (obligatory). Can anyone please help me? Thank you VERY much and I am hopeful that I’ll be getting a reply.
Jun 11th 2008
9:21 PM
Hi Marios,
Given your description, I don’t think it’s advisable to get your dog pregnant. Here are my thoughts…
1. She’s not physically fit–skinny and flea.
2. Breeding dogs require dedication, supervision, and planning. And it’s not meant for anyone to take on this task without much consideration on the welfare of the mother and future litters.
3. Caring for young pups requires even more dedication, supervision, planning, and training. And since you won’t be around a lot who’s going to bring up mentally and physically sound pups?
Finally, there’s already an over population of stray animals in the world. And if you so wish to have another dog, consider adopting one from your local shelters or SPCA. Having said that, I’d suggest you take care of your immediate needs now (get a good vet to examine your dog to help you bring her weight to a stable level and parasites issues under control) before bring home another pet.
Good luck.
Jun 12th 2008
3:32 AM
First, I would pretty much like to thank you deeply for taking the time to reply. Thank you very much.
Second, that is exactly what I was thinking, I won’t be around to take care of her. I want to take her to a vet for a looong time but I can’t, not until I can get my father to take me and pay for it. However, I did take her to the vet for vaccination a while back and he didn’t comment on her weight. Maybe it’s not something to worry about? I’m going to get the bugs checked hoping there aren’t any more. So, do you think I could get her pregnant if I fix the weight & bug problem when I finish the army? I might take her with me to the UK for my uni studies.
Thanks in advance.
Marios-
Jun 26th 2008
5:43 PM
I have a female golden retriever, and I’m trying to figure out if she has a false pregnancy or a real one! She’s 5 years old and very prissy…in fact, she never would accept a male, so we did artificial in semination two times….it was two days in a row. If we count from the first day, today is day 65. If we count from the 2nd day, it’s day 64. She does look a little pregnant, but we don’t feel any puppies. We can squeeze milk from her teats, and they do hang lower than normal. Two days ago, she ate only one bowl of food. Yesterday, she only had 3 treats, because I’d give her one treat every time I took her temp, but she ignored her bowl. Today, she’s had only half of a bowl. I just don’t know. Am I getting impatient? Can there still be puppies even though we can’t feel them? Her temp has remained pretty constant the last 10 days. No nesting behavior yet.
Jun 26th 2008
10:07 PM
Not very possible, Jennifer. At 9th weeks, you should be able to feel the pups moving inside her and probably soft steady heartbeats of the pups. Have you had your vet (the one who performed the AI) check on her yet?
And BTW, you’re not being impatient. It’s very natural for pet parents to feel a little nervous around this time—be it pseudo or real.
Jul 31st 2008
12:30 PM
I have a 9 year old female pitbull and i recently bought a female puppy that is now 8 weeks old and my adult female is nursing her like its her own. I never mated her but she’s producing milk. Is this something I should worry about?
Oct 13th 2008
2:49 PM
I have a lab/dalmation mix, we had gotten rid of her the second week of august and they ended up giving her back the third week of august. She has enlarged nipples a big stomach and if you look at her from above from her ribcage it goes in and then out a little and back in to her tail. We took her to the vet and they couldn’t tell us if she was pregnant or not. She is almost 5 years old and she had stopped bleeding a couple days before she left to her knew owners for that week when she was in heat. Me and my mom and neighbor swore we felt only two puppy heads they were between her legs next to the last pair of teets and we could push down around them and they would pop out, could that be something other then a puppy?? We are so confused, her tempature dropped yesterday to 99.5 and our thermometor broke that day, her mucus plug fell out on friday and ever since then it’s just been a wait. We still don’t know if it is a false pregnancy or a real one, it’s very hard to just sit here and wait we don’t know if something is wrong either.
She is always licking herself though and milk leaks out of her teets and it gets crusted.. If she is pregnant when should she have the pups at an estimate, how long will she have the discharge?
Jasmine
Oct 19th 2008
4:27 PM
Hi,
I just read your article on false pregnancy and found it really helpful.
I have a Jack Russell Terrier that is undergoing false pregnancy right now. I brought her to the vet, due to her swollen teats, who affirmed that she’s going through it.
Nonetheless, because we found her a few months back, we do not know much about her. The only thing we know is that she is about 5-6 years old, according to the vet.
The funny thing is, the vet said that she might’ve been sterilised before because she has some sort of surgery scar on her tummy.
My question is, if she has been sterilised/spayed, can she still undergo false pregnancy? This is because according to your article, a spayed dog will not go through it.
Will really appreciate it if you can enlighten me on this.
Oct 19th 2008
5:30 PM
Hi Dianna,
Yes, a spayed dog will not (99%) go through a false pregnancy. Since we can’t established if she has been sterilized, there is this possibility she isn’t.
What I would suggest is to allow her go through this false pregnancy as per normal. When her next “heat cycle” comes, check if she is ovulating. If she is (make sure to keep her away from mating), then have her spayed after the cycle.
Hope this helps!
Nov 3rd 2008
11:34 PM
I have a one and a half year old Mini Dachshund. She has recently began carrying four small squeaky toys around the house, crying, and searching for places to hide them. If our cat gets near the dog becomes mildly violent. My wife and I can pick up the toys and the dog doesn’t mind. She seems to be showing all of the signs of a false pregnancy with one exception. It has been a while since she came in heat and there is no change in physical appearance. Do doggie false pregnancies always involve a change in physical appearance or is there something else going on?
P.S. She has not been spayed, but it cannot be a real pregnancy because she has never been in contact or even seen a male dog.
Nov 4th 2008
12:45 AM
Hi Aaron,
It’s not necessary for a dog to show all symptoms of false pregnancy to confirm that she is having it. I’d a Dalmatian who only showed one sign (nesting my mini bolster) of false pregnancy which only lasted for two to three days. It didn’t take me much consideration to have her spray two months later. There after, she didn’t experience any false pregnancy—one happy dog who lived until the age of 10.
Jan 21st 2009
3:03 PM
Sometimes a bitch will display general signs of dog pregnancy without actually being pregnant. This will happen as she comes off a heat cycle, and it doesn’t seem to matter whether or not there was any breeding activity. Rather, it seems to be brought on psychologically, and the symptoms usually subside within about a month.
Your bitch may also decide to “adopt” some babies
to fill the void during this time. This may be puppies from another litter on the premises, or she may substitute objects such as toys or stuffed animals. Borrowing puppies from another bitch can lead a potentially dangerous situation and calls for your intervention; however, if she is only playing mom with toys, give her time to come to terms with the situation on her own before removing the items, then try to get her focused on other activities.
Feb 3rd 2009
9:44 AM
Hello! I really didn’t know about false pregnancy until I researched a couple of days ago. Thanks for this informative article. I think false pregnancy in dogs could really be so tricky!
I am suspecting that my rottweiler is having a false pregnancy. All the while I was positive that she was pregnant it is her 65th day today since breeding. Her teats are big and pinkish, the tummy got bigger too but not so big. Also the vulva is slightly bigger than normal. I have prepared the whelping box and all but no puppies yet. I thought she was gonna give birth 2 days ago because she seemed to be in labor. She didn’t want to eat and was restless. Now she eats but she doesn’t want anything else but bread. Also, her stool is loose and she gets irritated by little noises. She seems fine and has been sleeping more than usual. Do you think my dog will be fine?
Mar 19th 2009
10:17 PM
I have recently purchased a pregnant dog from a very reputable breeder. She is almost 5 years old, and has had 3 previous litters. The breeding was successfull. The male has had previous litters. I took her to the vet today because it was her first due date, and all of a sudden, her stomach wasn’t big anymore, and I was confulsed. That’s when I was informed about false pregnancy, and was told that was what she was having. My question is this: Will this effect any future breedings? Can I try again? Does this mean she won’t produce anymore? Why would she have litters before, and this time have a false pregnancy?
Mar 26th 2009
5:52 AM
Gina,
Here are my answers:
Q. Will this effect any future breedings? It’s a 50/50 chance. However, I won’t advice to breed her since she is already 5 even if she’s a small breed dog.
Q. Can I try again? Yes, but may not be 100% successful. Again, I would advice to have her sprayed.
Q. Does this mean she won’t produce anymore? No, but the chances are low.
Q. Why would she have litters before, and this time have a false pregnancy? I’m afraid I can’t answer this question with absolute certainty as it’s beyond my scope of expertise. I’m sorry maybe your vet will be able to answer that. I doubt s/he with charge you consultation fee if you call to query.
Hope this helps!
Apr 30th 2009
2:29 AM
our dog is a chihu and she had her heat cycle and then matted in march around the 16 her due date is in may she has milk but she has no big stomic and has not gained any weight could this be a false pregnancy or is it just cause she is a small dog and she really wont show please help with question if u can
May 24th 2009
4:06 PM
Thank you for the info. because my dog i may think has been having a false pregnancy and the vet tested her for everything and there was nothing and we considered false pregnancy but he never treated her for it. So its been like a couple years and we don’t no how many false pregnancies shes had but the signs are really bad now. She is not breathing very well and cant walk up and down stairs or even get up now, so if anyone could help me out knowing if my dog will get over it or if we still can stop her from believing shes pregnant i appreciate it. My mom is really upset because shes is 13 and we think it might be killing her. please help us if you can!
May 24th 2009
4:11 PM
i hope this helps; she’s very large now, breathing patterns increased, obvious swelling in stomach, my dog is a miniature pinture and is 13 years of age.
May 24th 2009
11:25 PM
Hi Zach,
I’m sorry to hear about your situation, as I mentioned here there are only two ways to treating false pregnancy for good. Given her age and health conditions, I don’t think sterilizing her is an option anymore. So my advice is to go to a holistic vet (practices Homeopathic medicine) and get her tested. If result tested positive, your vet will prescribed the necessary medications for her.
HTH
Jun 2nd 2009
5:11 AM
If a dog is having a false pregnancy does she pass a mucus plug?
Jun 28th 2009
11:01 PM
Hey,
My dog Nevaeh (part pit bull) is sitting in the corner of my house on a jacket with 2 of her toy’s. She doesn’t look pregnant like her stomach isn’t getting any bigger and she is lactating and licking herself alot. Her personality has changed dramaticaly. && she is sleeping alot. She lays in the corner at night and licks herself and cries. Yesterday she seeemded like she had a high temperature. I don’t know what to do. Do you think she is pregnant or if it’s false.?We do have a male dog and they got stuck together like twice when she was on her period but it wasn’t for very long at all.But that was like 5 months ago.
Jul 3rd 2009
4:56 AM
i have aneapolitan mastiff 3 yr old n she is experancing false pregnancy how to cure it
she is haveing milk in her breast
any one can find answer may call me at my no +919928860880
Jul 19th 2009
5:03 PM
my boxer came into heat the middle of may… we didnt think alot about it because we never did see them lock up… our make tried ALOT but just didnt look to beable to connect as far as we seen… like i said we didnt think alot about it she didnt put on any weight… about 5 days ago we noticed she has milk… she started nesting, loss of appetite, wont let us out of her sight… so i called our vet.. he said to start taking her temp and when it goes below 100 and stays there that she would go into labor within 12 to 24 hrs… he also said it is ver likely that she could be carrying up high around her ribcage…it has been running 98.4 to 99.1 for over 24 hrs… today shes been alittle whinny but i am not convinced she is pregnant… ive been doing alot of research in the internet and and reading about false pregnancies… which our vet told me that false pregnancies the temp does not change… it can be rather confusing considering one site says it can and others say it wont go under 100 if it is a false pregnancy… this is driving us crazy because we dont want to NOT be prepared… we do have an appointment tomorrow morning with the vet to check her but from what im reading if she is carrying high chances are they wont beable to see anything anyways… can u please give me some advise
Jul 27th 2009
11:10 PM
my dog is mated and is on her 2nd week.today is her 23rd day of heat..when she pee every morning there is still blood coming out.and 2days now,i see in her blood some lump.she having miscarriage?pls give me some advice and some idea on when should the bleeding stop,normal to bleed and lump of blood even on her 23rd day heat?
Aug 7th 2009
11:09 PM
Hello i have a 5 yr old female part bichon and min pin mix whom i took to be spayed and she was having a false pregnancy at the time with milk in her teets.She is so swollen she cant even walk and with the pressure of the engorgement her incision is constantly leaking a clear kinda pinkish sticky fluid….She is having fever around them and they are hard.she has never been bred before.Vet put her on an antibiotic twice a day and an aspirin for pain.she is so miserable i dont know what to do.I have even tried to releive some of the pressure and packed her in very warm towels…What else should i do??She is eating ok and drinking.
Aug 9th 2009
9:40 PM
try to give her light food
that is easy to digest n heavy in protine
stop giving calcium suppliment
dont take anti-biotick more than a week it would be dangerous for the bitch
Aug 26th 2009
4:15 PM
Hello Renee,
Thank you for your article, it has helped a lot for me but I do have a few questions and hope you could answer them for me.
I have a female Siberian Husky, 3 yrs old, that just finished her heat (her bleeding) Aug 18th, 2009. I beleive she is experiencing false pregnancy. (She has had no contact with any males and never got “stuck” once with any male dogs either. We kept her on leash at the dog park.) Her one definite symptom is a slight enlargement of the teets.
However, my main concern is her eating and drinking habits. During the phase when she was still bleeding, she became very picky about her normal diet and didn’t drink much. I’ve researched on the net and found one dog owner saying the same thing about her dog being in heat. AFTER the bleeding phase was over, my Siberian Husky began drinking the same amount of water if not more but she is still picky about her food. She has since lost weight since her heat began. Is this normal in false pregnancies?
Anything feedback would help and I look forward to your reply. Thanks in advance.
Sincerely,
Skye
Aug 26th 2009
6:02 PM
Hi Skye,
It is perfectly normal from what you had described. Some dogs go into a “depression” phrase while others act as if nothing had happened.
She’s being picky about food could be the result of her imbalance hormones. If she was at her normal weight prior, losing a few lbs shouldn’t cause too much of a concern. However, do make sure she isn’t losing more than 10 – 13% of that weight.
Try to coax her into eating; add bits and pieces of her favorite treats into her regular meal. She may not finish all that she’s possible to but be patience and praise her constantly…for trying. If she’s still finicky, try to give her oatmeal, make it a little watery since she drinks more now. You also might want to reduce the amount she drinks an hour before her meal.
Take her for longer walks to alleviate her mood this in turn will improve her appetite.
HTH
Sep 4th 2009
10:57 PM
Hi Renee,
Thank you for your reply. I’ve taken your advice and have tried snacks as well as oatmeal. In the beginning, the snacks didn’t bode too well because she would sift through her bowl wanting to eat only snacks leaving her dog food as leftovers. So then I tried the oatmeal which she ate well. After awhile, she began to get picky again, eating only oatmeal and leaving her dog food as leftovers.
We’ve taken her out for walks and runs. She still enjoys her exercise immensely. She was overweight when we had taken her in, now combined with the lack of appetite, she’s actually slimmed down to the normal AKC Siberian Husky weight range, 50 lbs.
I’m at a loss on what to do for her now, do you have anymore suggestions?
Sincerely,
Skye
Sep 4th 2009
11:54 PM
Hi Skye,
Give me a couple days to write out a full length article on my secret weapons on coaxing finicky dogs to eat their food, more specifically kibbles.
Meanwhile, don’t worry too much for now. You might want to read my other article on How To Deal With Dogs Who Are Finicky Eaters? I think she still has some reserves, if not more than needed, for her to be picky on her regular meal.
Peace
Oct 12th 2009
6:34 AM
Here’s an idea… get your dog spayed! Then she’ll never have to go through a false pregnancy at all!!!!!