To more knowledgeable dog people…?
What exactly is a false pregnancy? How does it happen? Does the b*tch have to "mate" with a male, but her mind just "tricks" her body into thinking she is pregnant? I don’t understand this at all, a little clarification please! =]
As always, no need to be rude, or disrespectful to other members.a false pregnancy is just that, false.. A females body naturally tells her while she is in heat that she is supposed to then whelp a litter when done. This often times kicks the maternal instinct in and causes the b**** to go through a false pregnancy. No, the female does not have to mate with the male in order to suffer from a false pregnancy, but is less likely to happen than if she was mated and didn’t get pregnant.
Here are some links about it…
www.marvistavet.com/html/body_can…
www.thepetcenter.com/gen/fap.html
www.smalldogsparadise.com/breedin…False pregnancy in the dog occurs when the *itch produces both physical and psychological changes that are a nuisance to the *itch and the owner. The psychological changes in the owner arise most often when informed that their prize *itch is NOT pregnant after all! The *itch will often produce milk, engage in nesting activity and look like she’s pregnant. It’s amusingly sad to see the affected dog try to persuade a tennis shoe to nurse! These visible changes take place beginning about 4 weeks after the heat cycle begins (estrus) and can continue for a number of weeks. False pregnancies are always unpredictable and can show up whether or not a mating has occurred. Often so much milk is produced the *itch becomes uncomfortable. Once a dog has had a false pregnancy she’s likely to be afflicted again.
The link at the bottom will tell you all about false pregnancyDefinition:
False pregnancy (pseudocyesis) is a term used to describe the behavior and physical signs of pregnancy when they occur in a non-pregnant animal. The signs of false pregnancy usually occur 6 to 12 weeks after the pet’s last heat cycle. This condition is common in dogs but rare in cats.
Causes:
False pregnancy is caused by hormonal mechanisms that are poorly understood. In intact dogs, the reproductive system goes through several stages on a regular basis. Hormonal changes, primarily decreases in progesterone and increases in prolactin, are probably responsible for false pregnancies.
Some pets with hypothyroidism may have blood changes, which can cause stimulation of prolactin. This can also cause symptoms associated with false pregnancy.There’s generally not any mating.
I think it’s a hormonal thing. I actually would compare it to a "menopause baby" in human culture… (when a woman about to hit menopause decides impusively to have a baby, or when she realizes she won’t have any more babies so she becomes extra attached to something in her life, like my mom and her cat, making it a surrogate for that motherly affection).
Now, I’m not saying they’re entirely the same, and I think it’s hormonal, not psychological (though I’d argue that a menopause baby is at least in part hormonal). Of course, the dog isn’t necessarily going to menopause… but I think it’s her body telling her she wants puppies, but she HASN’T access to mating, so… In most false pregnancy they’ll mother an object– like a toy or a sock– and treat them like a puppy. Which is why it reminds me of my mom and her cat. I mean, my mom has always loved animals, but if you would say the cat’s ears were big or something she’d get all huffy and offended, and I don’t know. I can’t explain it.
Anyway, I’m not looking up anything on this, but I do know that mating isn’t involved.ok well i’ve always spayed my dogs so no such personal experiences but i can tell u my friends experience. their ****** had her first litter and then they got her spayed…two years later she started producing milk…actual milk (and was spayed) they took her to the vet and nothing, she wasnt pregnant wasnt even near a male dog, she had a stuffed toy that she carried around like it was a puppy and would cuddle up with it when sleeping…..however they had a friend who had a male dog and eveytime (while she was producing milk) when they would say "bobby is coming"(bobby is the male dog), she would take the stuffed toy and run away like crazy, take the toy and hide it so that bobby wouldnt see it…she treated it exactly like a puppy….then 7-8months nothing she would be normal…then again she would start the same thing all over again…im not sure why this happens i guess ud have to consult a vet regarding this but i know it happens…..i guess its in their head but i duno how they start producing milk if not pregnant……so vet would be a best option for u but dnt worry it happens alot apparentlya false pregnancy is that.. the body is producing pregnancy hormones and may cause all the pregnancy symptoms, but there are no pups.
The female does not have to mate to go thru a false pregnancy.. false pregnancy is common after a heat cycle, whether she mates or doesnt mate.Basically, even spayed females can have "phantom" pregnancies, in which they exhibit their instinctive mothering skills such as nesting stuffed animals, allowing kittens to nurse, digging around in blankets to make a nest, and other behaviors.
My spayed Golden does this at least two times a year and she was spayed at four months of age.found the perfect answer on the internet
www.marvistavet.com/html/body_canine_f…
long address sorryIts is Called ‘Phantom Pregancy’ Where by no she dosnt have to mate but her body thinks she is preganant so they can produce milk, nest and dig, go off food, all the normal signs. It eventually wears off.
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