Phantom Pregnancy ~ Pawprints and Purrs, Inc.

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Any health care links located here are NOT to replace a veterinarian visit; please take your dog to a vet immediately at any sign of odd behavior or any symptoms of illness or injury. Call your vet and describe your dog's symptoms with any of your concerns about the dog's well-being. Your veterinarian may discover changes in your dog's health that you have overlooked. It is always better to err on the side of caution.

Disclaimer: Pawprints and Purrs, Inc. is an animal advocacy organization. We do NOT advocate breeding in any form or fashion. As rescue workers for both dogs and cats, feral cat caregivers, and as shelter/sanctuary workers, we strongly promote pet owner responsibility, which includes spaying and neutering of all pets. The information provided on this page is strictly for educational purposes for domesticated and feral dog rescuing, fostering, adopting and caregiving.

Phantom Pregnancy

What is phantom pregnancy?

False pregnancy, phantom pregnancy, pseudo-pregnancy or pseudocyesis can be defined as a display of maternal behavior together with the physical signs of pregnancy following estrus (heat) in a non-pregnant bitch. The female may or may not have been mated.

Many female dogs show signs of pseudo pregnancy. It usually begins 4-9 weeks after the previous heat period. The signs range from mammary development with or without the production of milk, lassitude, loss of appetite and sometimes vomiting. Signs can occur at any age and do not necessarily follow every estrus The severity of the clinical signs also varies between individuals and from one occurrence to the next within the same individual.

Will my female undergo behavioral or hormonal changes?

Behavioral changes include nesting, mothering activity, restlessness, disinclination to exercise and sometimes aggression due to a perceived threat to an impending family. The dog is often off her food, but surprisingly, seldom appears to lose weight, probably due to the amount of excess fluid she is carrying.

The hormonal changes the female undergoes following estrus are similar whether she is pregnant or not. Changing levels in circulating hormones in the pregnant and pseudo pregnant animal are accentuated and the reason that this occurs in an animal that has not conceived is poorly understood.

Mild cases are frequently not treated by the veterinarian and will subside of their own accord in approximately 14-21 days.

In some cases the dog appears physically ill or the behavioral changes are of such magnitude as to cause concern, treatment has to be instituted. This can range from mild tranquilization and treatment with diuretics in order to reduce the milk production to hormonal treatment.

What can I do to prevent false pregnancies in my dog?

The female should have an ovariohysterectomy, (spay).

If spaying is carried out while the dog is showing signs of pseudo pregnancy or alternatively has been receiving hormonal treatment the signs will often persist for several weeks despite the fact she has been spayed. Should this occur, treatment with a single injection of an hormone will usually suffice to bring about improvement.

Additional pregnancy links:

Breeding Dogs, Raising Puppies
Cesearean Section Post-Operative Instr.

Page URL: http://www.sniksnak.com/doghealth/false.html

Resource References:
Much, much appreciation to Dr. Raymond Van Lienden, DVM of Clifton, VA USA for his extensive research in locating the material found on this page. Thank you, dear Doctor!

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