Phantom Dog Pregnancy

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Possible Phantom Dog Pregnancy

Hello,

Rottweiler

We have a four year old Rottweiler that just had puppies in March of this year. She had a heat cycle in August, and a male dog tried to bred her. We tried to separate the dogs, but I'm not sure if he got at her or not. She hasn't put any weight on, and she isn't really acting any differently. However, she does have milk in her nipples. Could this be a phantom pregnancy?

~~ Samantha

Expert Reply

Hi Samantha,

It could be a false pregnancy, or a single puppy litter. It's a 50/50 chance either way.

Sometimes a bitch will still be able to produce a small amount of milk for several months after her litter has been weaned. Couple this with the regular hormone cycle disruption experienced during a false pregnancy, and it can make a dog appear pregnant when she really isn't.

However, since there was some sort of breeding activity involved, even though it was interrupted, there is still a chance the male caught her. The dogs don't actually need to tie to ensure fertilization.

If your dog is truly pregnant, she should deliver any day now so keep a close eye on her. If you have any worries over the situation, It would be a good idea to pay a visit to your vet.

Thanks for your question.~~ Kelly



 


Comments

I have a 3year old american bull dog ... and a 9 month old boxer dog,is the boxer old enough to mate because i have just noticed the her nipples are full of milk and leaking a clear liquid, or is it a phantom pregnancy?

  • Hi Samantha, if your bitch has had her first season, there's a chance she could have been bred. There's a bit of concern here because she is a bit young to support a litter. My advice is to ask your vet to give her the blood test for pregnancy so you know exactly what you're dealing with. If she is pregnant, you can discuss with your vet how to provide the support she needs to help her through the pregnancy.

Thanks for your question, and best wishes that all turns out well.

-- Contributed by: samanth harrison

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