Phantom Dog Pregnancy

From LoveToKnow Dogs

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

Retrieved from "http://dogs.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Phantom_Dog_Pregnancy"

 


Comments

Hi Lisa, and welcome to the site.

It's possible that your dog could be having a false pregnancy, but the best thing you can do is take her to your vet for an exam. At her advanced age, a pregnancy would be difficult, but not impossible. Better to find out exactly what you're dealing with.

Thanks for sharing your situation, and I hope everything works out for the best. Please let us know what you find out.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

Oh Boy do I hope my 10yr. old shepard/rotweiller is going through a phantom pregnancy! When shes outside shes behind a fenced in area,and she rarely out there longer than 2hrs at a time.Plus shes usually in plain view. She was in heat about two months ago,and cleaning up behind her wasn't as messy as usual. For the past two weeks I've noticed milk oozing out of her swollen nipples,a tightly closed swollen vulva,and she's whining alot( like she needs something that I'm not giving her).What else....? Oh yeah,when she goes into the basement storage room with me she makes a mad dash underneath the shelf closest to the floor,where she has to squeeze herself into,then I have to coax her out. My other concern is that she's to old to be pregnant(70 in dog years?)Please tell me its still possible that it's a phantom pregnancy. Sincerly SHAME ON ME FOR NOT HAVING HER NUETERED

-- Contributed by: Lisa

Hi Keeley, and welcome to the site.

The easy answer is that if your dog was recently in heat and she had the opportunity to spend time with an intact male dog, chances of her being pregnant are about 50/50, maybe higher. It can be difficult to tell during the early weeks, but we do have some informative articles on this topic that I think will help. Check out:

Your vet can also help diagnose a pregnancy either by feeling the uterus or performing a blood test to check for the presence of pregnancy hormones.

We have a lot of information about dog pregnancy on the site, so take some time to explore. Don't hesitate to ask more questions. We'll help in any way we can. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly
> See All Comments on this article    


Comment on Phantom Dog Pregnancy



(Displayed with your comment)                        (Will not be displayed)
Verification Code:   
    

Dogs Categories
LoveToKnow Tools
More Articles