Dog Health False Pregnancy in Dogs is Common

It is a very common occurrence for dogs that have not been spayed to go through a false pregnancy, even when the dog has not been bred. The dog experiencing a false pregnancy will exhibit all the physical and emotional signs of a true pregnancy. While a false pregnancy is usually not detrimental to the dog's overall health, it does cause temporary discomfort and frustration in the dog. However, a dog that experiences a false pregnancy once will most likely experience it again and not be good for breeding champion pups; false pregnancies also put the dog at a greater risk for pyometra, a severe uterus infection. About five weeks after the heat cycle, a dog experiencing a false pregnancy will exhibit the all the physical and emotional signs of a true pregnancy. The mammary glands will swell with milk and begin to secrete milk towards the end of the false pregnancy, some dogs even gain weight around their abdomen and actually go into labor. The false pregnant dog will nest and begin mothering small objects, trying to encourage the small objects like their doggie toys to nurse. Some dogs experiencing false pregnancy will become frustrated and anxious trying to find their 'pups'.
If the symptoms of false pregnancy are mild, they will usually resolve themselves in a few weeks without veterinarian intervention. Dog owners will be tempted to put warm compresses on the dog's underside to alleviate the dog's mammary discomfort, or maybe even to wrap the dog to keep the milk from leaking out. Don't do it, the stimulation from doing either will result in more milk production, just let nature run it's course in the mild case dog false pregnancy. If the dog displays the more severe signs of false pregnancy, like overly engorged mammary glands or serious anxiety, or if the false pregnancy symptoms last for more than a few weeks, then a trip to the veterinarian is in order. The cause of false pregnancies in dogs is unknown, and the only way to prevent it from occurring or reoccurring is to have your dog spayed. If you bred your dog and had hopes for a litter of pups, but it turned out to be a false pregnancy, it will not harm your dog's health to breed her again and try for a litter of pups before having her spayed. If you do choose to breed your dog after a false pregnancy, just remember the odds are your dog will produce a poor litter and your dog is at a greater health risk for developing pyometra. After the episode of the dog's false pregnancy, it will be safe to have the dog spayed to prevent future false pregnancies, true pregnancies and improve your dog's health. By Big Momma