# hormones?



## Zakia Days (Mar 13, 2009)

Ok. Here's the deal. My dog has been behaving in a very weird fashion for the past 1.5wks. She's walking around w/ a sh*t posture and displaying aggressive behavior to all the other dogs. She does not want to be bothered. She also has been "nesting." Digging a hole practically underground under some boards that were used for our fencing. She's got lil' boobies/teats from which a milky secretion excretes. NO. She is not pregnant. Her heat cycle ended w/o a hitch last month. This happened last year and I took her to the vet. Vet says "she's just hormonal." Is there anything that can be done to diminish this behavior or these "hormones." Any experience w/ this and advise is appreciated. Thanks in advance everyone.


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## Lynn Cheffins (Jul 11, 2006)

Usually dogs that have false pregnancies continue to have them - other than having them spayed I don't think there is much you can do for it. I've had females that continued to have them thier whole lives without any health consequences but they can exhibit some crazy behaviour. I had one dog that would follow the cats around and regurgitate for them as if they were puppies - cats were pretty unimpressed with her motherly talents....


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## Sara Waters (Oct 23, 2010)

We had a dog that continued to have phantom pregnancies, she would pinch our fluffy toys to cuddle and nest with and she used to get into a real state of maternal urges. My parents eventually spayed her.


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## Zakia Days (Mar 13, 2009)

:lol::grin:! That is hilarious! Vomiting for the cats! I hope it doesn't go there! I just don't want the other dogs to decide to eat her for being a total b*tch to them. If there are no health consequences then I'm ok w/ it. Thanks for your input.




Lynn Cheffins said:


> Usually dogs that have false pregnancies continue to have them - other than having them spayed I don't think there is much you can do for it. I've had females that continued to have them thier whole lives without any health consequences but they can exhibit some crazy behaviour. I had one dog that would follow the cats around and regurgitate for them as if they were puppies - cats were pretty unimpressed with her motherly talents....


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## Lynn Cheffins (Jul 11, 2006)

In their minds the aggression to other dogs is warranted - they are protecting their (invisible) litter - some dogs will pick any inatimate object and guard pretty forcefully it like it is a puppy so you have to be careful with other dogs at times.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

I had one that would nest in the closet and "adopt" a shoe. Anyone going in that closet better announce them self first.


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## Lacey Vessell (Nov 18, 2006)

I have a female Malinois that I decided to get fixed because she kept having false pregnancies and she was very protective of the whole back half of the house when she was like this....her invisible litter must have been really big I had her fixed when she was about 3 years old, she did not need the stress, my other dogs did not need it and I sure as heck did not need it - never intended to breed her anyway...life is much better around here since.


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## Thomas Barriano (Mar 27, 2006)

How do you make one moan?




Don't pay her


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

It's a false pregnancy, and short of spaying her there really isn't anything you can do about it. I think they generally last about a month, I actually just dealt with my first one ever a few months ago, but I've had friends who's dogs have them every time they come into heat. They've tried different things for it, and it doesn't seem like there is much that can be done about it other than just dealing with it.

I've read it's a carry over from pack life, a way for the alpha female to breed and whelp a litter, then all the other females in the pack being able to nurse the pups if needed. The interesting part about that is that the female (Nexxus) who had a false pregnancy a few months ago was 4 years old at the time, had never had a false pregnancy before, but had her first litter of pups at 3.5, and she fostered a singleton pup from another litter along with taking care of her own litter. This was the first time since her own litter that she'd had a heat cycle about the same time one of my other females whelped a litter, and she had a false pregnancy afterwards. So maybe the whole "group raising" theory has something behind it. It took about a month from start to finish, never really seemed to effect her other than some cuddling with toys, and the milk production.


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## Lynn Cheffins (Jul 11, 2006)

I was lucky enough to have one in a false pregnancy when a friends dog died after giving birth to her litter - she stepped right into the role w/o a problem. She was a very maternal with other dogs puppies even when not having false pregnancies. I think as a carry over from pack living makes sense.


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## Tyree Johnson (Jun 21, 2010)

some wild stories in this thread ..... i didn't know this happened


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Bob Scott said:


> I had one that would nest in the closet and "adopt" a shoe. Anyone going in that closet better announce them self first.


I have read about the same thing happening with a TV remote!

I've also read that even spaying to end false pregnancies must be done with careful timing -- something about prolactin production and waiting until the false pregnancy is over.

I wish I could remember where I filed that info. Maybe one of the vets on the board will see the thread and clarify.


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## Sara Waters (Oct 23, 2010)

We had ours spayed when she was between phantom pregnancies. I currently have a bitch that was spayed at 6 months old but she has always been maternal. Everytime I introduce a new puppy to the household she bonds immediately and goes into maternal mode, in fact she seems to like any puppy.


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## Timothy Stacy (Jan 29, 2009)

Feeding less and more exercise especially if you see milk production! In the future, a month after her heat cut food in half for a while. I was told this!


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Connie Sutherland said:


> I have read about the same thing happening with a TV remote!
> 
> I've also read that even spaying to end false pregnancies must be done with careful timing -- something about prolactin production and waiting until the false pregnancy is over.
> 
> I wish I could remember where I filed that info. Maybe one of the vets on the board will see the thread and clarify.



Ah. Found the prolactin mention: http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_canine_false_pregnancy.html



Here's more: http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/reproductive/c_dg_false_pregnancy

http://www.vetinfo.com/dpregnancy.html#b (Scroll down to "False Pregnancy")

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=21+1758&aid=1100


eta 
Found that TV remote (and other inanimate object) mention: http://www.ehow.com/list_6789668_signs-false-pregnancy-pug-dogs_.html

Shoes are mentioned on many of the pseudo-pregnancy sites: "Mothering activity: During a false pregnancy, your pet may mother shoes, toys and other articles." http://www.petplace.com/dogs/pseudocyesis-false-pregnancy/page1.aspx


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Timothy Stacy said:


> Feeding less and more exercise especially if you see milk production! In the future, a month after her heat cut food in half for a while. I was told this!



I didn't see anything like this in Merck when I looked up the topic today.


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

Connie Sutherland said:


> I didn't see anything like this in Merck when I looked up the topic today.


I wonder if it shocks the dogs system into thinking there is a food shortage, and therefore not a good time to raise a litter?


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## Edward Egan (Mar 4, 2009)

Lacey Vessell said:


> I have a female Malinois that I decided to get fixed because she kept having false pregnancies and she was very protective of the whole back half of the house when she was like this....her invisible litter must have been really big


Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha,..............\\/


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## Timothy Stacy (Jan 29, 2009)

Kadi Thingvall said:


> I wonder if it shocks the dogs system into thinking there is a food shortage, and therefore not a good time to raise a litter?


Exactly Kadi!


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## Timothy Stacy (Jan 29, 2009)

Connie Sutherland said:


> I didn't see anything like this in Merck when I looked up the topic today.


I know things Merck don't know!:-\"


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## Selena van Leeuwen (Mar 29, 2006)

Timothy Stacy said:


> Feeding less and more exercise especially if you see milk production! In the future, a month after her heat cut food in half for a while. I was told this!


This! 

If there are multiple severe false pregnancies you could spay, but a bit like you describe, the method tim says will be sufficient.


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## Nicole Stark (Jul 22, 2009)

Kadi Thingvall said:


> I wonder if it shocks the dogs system into thinking there is a food shortage, and therefore not a good time to raise a litter?


I gather it must. I've heard something similar from an Alaskan Native. She said in the villages they did this to prevent pregnancy when their bitches came into heat.


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## Lynn Cheffins (Jul 11, 2006)

Timothy Stacy said:


> Feeding less and more exercise especially if you see milk production! In the future, a month after her heat cut food in half for a while. I was told this!


makes sense I think - the dog I had that was the worst for this never did it when we were in full training mode and saved it for the off season. I didn't cut the food but exercise was much more.


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## Timothy Stacy (Jan 29, 2009)

Lynn Cheffins said:


> makes sense I think - the dog I had that was the worst for this never did it when we were in full training mode and saved it for the off season. I didn't cut the food but exercise was much more.


I noticed one female who ate mostly raw, really started to enjoy kibble as well! I thought, WOW she's hungry!A couple wees later I saw milk! It was at a time I wasn't doing much either cause of the weather!


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Kadi Thingvall said:


> I wonder if it shocks the dogs system into thinking there is a food shortage, and therefore not a good time to raise a litter?



Interesting!



eta
But totally believable. Animal bodies adjust for famine in many ways. That one sounds like a very basic one.


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## Zakia Days (Mar 13, 2009)

Thanks everyone. This is only her second false pregnancy. They just began over the past year and the dog is 5yrs old. Not planning on spaying cuz I just don't believe in it unless there's some health issue associated w/ it plus I have a breeding contract to fulfill. I appreciate the experiences and suggestions given. I like the withholding/feeding less food. I'll give it a try again. I tried it during her last heat cycle to reduce her fertility and I'd hoped to shorten the length of the cycle. My work schedule has changed and, so where I'd normally be exercising her more often, that hasn't happened as much as I would like as of late. (Leaky doggy boobs are gross)


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## Zakia Days (Mar 13, 2009)

For the record, I personally am against spaying as it pertains to my own situation. I just prefer a working dog w/ all of mother nature's parts in place. False pregnancy is just not enough of an inconvenience to me to go to such an extreme. However, I'm all for it in certain instances i.e. to prevent over population, and assisting pet owners who can't afford the svc and the like as well as for detrimental health issues.


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