FALSE PREGNANCY OR PSEUDOPREGNANCY
IN DOGS by ERNEST WARD, DVM
WHAT IS MEANT BY FALSE PREGNANCY? F play of maternal (mothering) behavior combined with the physical signs of pregnancy following estrus (heat) in a female dog that is not actually preg- nant. A false pregnancy may occur in a dog, regardless of whether or not she was mated. The majority of intact female dogs will show some signs of false pregnancy after an estrus cycle. WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF FALSE PREGNANCY AND WHEN DO THEY OCCUR? alse pregnancy, phantom pregnancy, pseudo-preg- nancy or pseudocyesis are all terms that refer to a dis- Symptoms of false pregnancy usually begin four to nine weeks after the pre- vious heat period and mimic the symp- toms of true pregnancy. The more com- mon signs of pseudo-pregnancy include mammary gland enlargement with or without the production of milk, leth- argy, periodic vomiting and fluid reten- tion. The female often has a decreased appetite but seldom appears to lose
“SYMPTOMS OF FALSE PREGNANCY USUALLY BEGIN FOUR TO NINE WEEKS AFTER THE PREVIOUS HEAT PERIOD...”
will subside in approximately 14 to 21 days. If the dog appears physically ill or the behavioral changes are severe enough to cause concern, treatment is indicat- ed. Treatment is symptomatic and may include tranquilization to relieve anxi- ety, treatment with diuretics in order to reduce the milk production or relieve fluid retention; in rare cases, hormonal treatment may be required. If the female will not be used for breeding, ovariohysterectomy is rec- ommended to prevent future episodes. Ideally, this surgical sterilization should be performed after all symptoms have resolved. If she is surgically sterilized while she is experiencing signs of pseu- do-pregnancy, symptoms may continue for several weeks despite the fact she has been spayed.
weight, probably due to the amount of excess fluid she retains. These symptoms can occur at any age and do not necessarily follow every estrus. The severity of the clinical signs varies between individuals and may vary from one cycle to the next in the same dog. Behavioral changes of pseudo- pregnancy include nesting, mothering activity, restlessness, decreased inter- est in physical activity and occasionally even aggression. Some affected dogs will show signs of a false labor and then protectively guard toys or other small objects.
WHY DO THESE SYMPTOMS OCCUR?
Mild cases of false pregnancy do not require treatment since the symptoms
50 • T op N otch T oys , F ebruary 2017
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