False pregnancy in dogs: symptoms and treatment

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Many of us love animals, especially dogs. But before you get a puppy, you should remember the high responsibility for the life of a new family member. Both people and animals tend to get sick, and it is likely that sooner or later it will be necessary to seriously tinker with your pet and spend not so much materially as morally.

But now the focus of our attention is not exactly the disease, however, it is it that requires a lot of nerves and patience from the breeder. False pregnancy in dogs - what is it and how to cope?

False pregnancy concept

It cannot be said that a false pregnancy is a disease. False pregnancy is understood as a syndrome denoting the state of the animal, during which he has signs of pregnancy, but as such, the bitch does not bear puppies due tofor lack of fertilization. There is another form of this syndrome, when mating was nevertheless carried out, but the embryos died for some reason. But there can be many reasons for the resorption of embryos. These are some diseases, and poor feeding, and an unsuccessful choice of a male for mating.

Simply put, the symptom of false pregnancy can manifest itself both in physiological changes and in the psychological behavior of the bitch.

The occurrence of this syndrome can be considered normal, since almost every breeder of a bitch is faced with it, regardless of the breed of the animal.

Causes of the syndrome

To understand why false pregnancy occurs in dogs, it is necessary to know about the stages of the estrous cycle. Just during some of them, hormonal changes occur that can lead to the appearance of this syndrome:

• Proestrus is the stage before estrus, during which eggs are formed for fertilization. During this period, the animal appears spotting. On a walk, the animal can leave peculiar marks by which the male finds the female. However, the dog will not allow the cage yet.
• Estrus - the period of estrus itself, when it is best to mate, the so-called ovulation.
• Metaeustrus - the stage after the "hunt", during which the corpus luteum should come out (in the event that there was no fertilization).
• Anestrus is the last stage when the bitch is at rest and her sexual behavior is weak.

The reason for the appearance of a false pregnancy is the same corpus luteum. It is responsible for the production of progesterone, which is the pregnancy hormone. In dogs, unlike other animals, the corpus luteum does not leave the body, but continues to function in it for about 2 months.

Because of this, the bitch's brain receives signals indicating that the body needs to prepare for pregnancy.

Signs

How long does false pregnancy last in dogs? Most often, this period is identical to the duration of a real pregnancy - approximately 60-70 days.

A lot of dog breeders who have recently become such do not immediately understand what false pregnancy in dogs is. The symptoms of this syndrome are quite diverse, and in order to understand what is happening with your animal, it is enough to pay attention to the behavior and condition of the bitch. Let's conditionally divide the symptoms into physiological and behavioral.

Physiological signs

Physiological symptoms include:

• Enlargement of the abdomen, often sagging.
• Swelling of the mammary glands, their hardening. In the prenatal period, milk itself may be secreted.
• During the expected birth, there may be "contractions" and attempts. This is especially evident when the bitch has already bred before.
• Temperature increase.
• Loss of appetite or moodiness when choosing food.
• Toxicosis.
• Occurrence of lactation after pseudobirth.

Behavioral symptoms

• The dog starts building a nest for itself: dragging toys and things to one secluded place.
• Bitch gets restless, irritated.
• Appetite increases dramatically.
• A dog can babysit the same toy, acting like it's her puppy. This should be taken into account as a true pregnancy bitch will never play with a toy because she has no need to.
• The dog becomes aggressive when trying to take toys from his "nest", as he may mistake them for his puppies.

Now you know what false pregnancy is in dogs.

What to do?

The only true question in this situation is what to do? First of all, don't be afraid of it. There are a number of actions that must be taken in the event of a syndrome.

Of course, you need to see a specialist. He will establish the actual existence of a false pregnancy and explain the principles of treatment.

If you notice that a dog is developing a false pregnancy, it is not necessary to start treatment right away. For starters, you can prevent the occurrence of false pregnancy syndrome.

Experts recommend neutering bitches to prevent the syndrome. If the dog breeder for any reason does not want to sterilize the bitch, then the following prophylaxis must be carried out.

Syndrome prevention

On the 10-12th day of illnessit is necessary to mark 9 weeks in advance in the calendar. In the period of 1-2 days before the marked date, it is necessary to reduce the dog's food by 3 times and reduce fluid intake to the maximum. On the marked day, you must not feed the animal at all.

Don't worry, this "diet" will not harm the animal - it is necessary to suppress lactation in the bitch.

The next 3-5 days the animal must be fed a reduced diet. You should also increase the duration of walks and physical activity.

Please note that in case of milk in the dog, you do not need to express it. If the animal begins to suck milk itself, then in this situation it is necessary to put on a blanket on it. However, expressing milk in small amounts is acceptable if the mammary glands swell excessively and there is a risk of inflammation. But with such problems, it is advisable to immediately contact the veterinarian.

After prophylaxis, the symptoms of a false pregnancy should subside.

Should I treat?

To treat or not to treat? The thing is that the symptoms can go away on their own and without consequences. But only if they were initially weak enough.

In a different situation, there may be several ways to solve the problem, ranging from drugs that help prevent lactation, ending with drugs that suppress estrus. You must remember that the use of any hormonal drugs can have an adverse effect on the body of the bitch, therefore it is necessary that the treatment be prescribedexactly the doctor.

Methods of therapy

False pregnancy in dogs - how to treat?

1. The best treatment is parenteral administration of prolactin inhibitors. The cure for false pregnancy in dogs can be different. The best drugs are Nauloxon. Dosage: 0.01 mg/kg of dog weight 1-2 times a day until the animal is fully recovered. Bromkriptin is also used - in the same dosage 1 time per day until complete recovery. Since the main side effect of these drugs is vomiting and nausea, it is necessary to give the dog antiemetic pills half an hour before the administration of the drugs.
2. Qualitative results are noted when using homotoxicological and homeopathic preparations. These funds are an excellent replacement for hormone therapy. They are also very easy to find, so there should be no problems with treatment. One of these drugs is considered "Ovarovit". The tool begins to be used 1-1.5 months after the estrus ends. Injections are administered 1 time in 3-4 days for 14 days. Tablets may also be used.
3. Another way of treatment is considered to be homeopathic therapy.

Also, in conjunction with treatment, sedatives are often prescribed, such as Novopassit, Stop Stress and others. These preparations are relatively easy for the dog. If the disease is more severe, the veterinarian may prescribe more serious drugs.

Do not forget that false pregnancy in dogs, treatment, drugs and symptoms must be monitored, prescribed anddetermined by a veterinarian.

What is the danger of the syndrome?

The danger of the disease, first of all, is experienced by the dog itself. False pregnancy can provoke a disease such as mastitis, since milk may accumulate during the "spoon" period.

It is also possible to develop a disease such as pyometra (inflammation of the uterus with pus), which occurs due to the accumulation of uterine mucus. This disease is extremely serious, since mortality is high if it occurs. Treatment is carried out only by removing the reproductive organs.

Also, this disease often occurs when the bitch is treated with hormonal drugs.

Mistakes of breeders

There are several mistakes and misconceptions that breeders can make when false pregnancy occurs in dogs. Here are some of them:

• There is an opinion that one-time mating will help prevent false pregnancy forever. This is not true. Sometimes there are situations when mating only exacerbates the symptoms of the disease.
• Because a dog during false pregnancy often behaves inappropriately for a long time, some owners may decide to punish the dog. This is absolutely forbidden, since the syndrome itself occurs due to hormonal disruptions, and the dog simply cannot control it.
• Females with false pregnancy are prone to pyometra. In fact, this disease can occur during a false pregnancy, but only because both the syndrome itself and pyometraare born during the same stage.
• During a pseudo-pregnancy, a breeder takes away a "puppy" toy from a dog. You should not do this, because the animal needs to show its maternal instincts to at least someone.

Now every breeder fully understands what false pregnancy is in dogs. It is worth noting that if the female does not carry any breeding value, and you do not plan to get offspring from her, then it is advisable to sterilize the dog, since this will not only prevent the occurrence of false pregnancy syndrome, but also prevent diseases such as, for example, oncology.

Most importantly - do not be afraid of the difficulties that may arise with your beloved animal. All of them can be solved - the main thing is to contact a specialist in time, be patient and strong, and go through all the problems together with a furry family member.