Phantom pregnancy is a condition in which a female dog shows signs of being pregnant without actually being pregnant.
The most common signs are:
– Unusual nesting behavior, such as pawing and digging at the ground or blankets and other material in the house.
– Pacing and whining around the house, particularly near doorways or windows.
– Abdominal distension (swelling) and weight gain despite not having puppies.
-Loss of appetite
-Vomiting
-Diarrhea
Is your phantom pregnancy dog not eating properly? Do you know how to do the treatment of pseudopregnancy in dogs? Keep reading to understand everything about why your phantom pregnancy dog is not eating.
Your Phantom Pregnancy Dog Not Eating Properly? Read To Know What To Do
Nausea is the most prevalent cause of a pregnant dog not eating or losing appetite. Pregnant dogs frequently experience nausea during the first three weeks. However, nausea and appetite loss are frequent indications of pregnancy.
Obviously, if your dog has this, she won’t want to eat. If she’s been vomiting for more than a day, you must immediately take her to the vet.
Moreover, during the first 12-24 hours of giving birth, many dogs avoid food. This is very normal, so don’t worry.
Just make sure she’s properly hydrated with plenty of water. If neither of these causes your pregnant dog’s loss of appetite, it may be due to nutrition or exercise. Make sure you’re feeding your dog a balanced and proper diet.
Lack of activity may cause your pregnant dog to eat less. As your phantom pregnant dogs may need to take sufficient rest, so maybe that’s the reason why they are eating so less.
They need lots of rest, which may be the reason why they are eating so little.
Finally, gastric disorders might cause your phantom pregnant dogs to lose appetite. So, in such cases, take your dog to the vet immediately for a thorough examination.
How Long Can Your Phantom Pregnant Dog Stay Without Eating?
Hormones cause pregnant dogs to stop eating. They tend to fast for a period to adjust to the hormonal shift. Your dog’s hunger will return once she feels better, and she will surely make up for the lost time.
Therefore, it’s alright to allow her to consume food until she is satisfied since she needs those calories for a healthy dog pregnancy.
Her hunger will return towards the very end of the pregnancy or after giving birth. If she doesn’t eat for two days or more, you must consult with your vet as soon as possible.
Ways to Encourage Your Dog to Eat
Reduce her food portions:
Smaller quantities and more frequent meals will help her to eat regularly. This routine will also help her to have a good appetite.
Give her the right diet:
Phantom pregnant dogs require a larger intake and nutritionally balanced food. This means meat protein, good fats, and low carbohydrates are important for your dogs.
Make a proper routine:
Routines let dogs relax and go about their day. For instance, you need to feed her after a quiet walk. This way, she gets hungry and eats more.
Serve fresh foods only:
If your phantom pregnant dog has left food for more than 10 minutes, remove it. Never feed her any fresh food on top of old. Bacteria can cause diarrhea and vomiting. Keep her food fresh and ensure to clean her plate regularly.
Why False Pregnancy Takes Place Among Dogs?
False pregnancy is pretty common among bitches during their ovulation period. The prolactin and progesterone level plays a significant role in this.
A decrease in progesterone concentration induces a rise in prolactin concentration; progesterone is the female hormone that sustains and maintains pregnancy in a pregnant pet-it generally remains high in bitches who have not been pregnant for a few weeks.
That’s not all; even specific treatments regarding progestin can cause a female dog hormone imbalance resulting in a fake pregnancy. Moreover, even removing ovaries through surgery when the progesterone levels are high can also result in a fake pregnancy.
There are more reasons. However, these are the vital reasons for dog false pregnancy.
Symptoms of False Pregnancy in Dogs
Many symptoms can show false pregnancy among your dogs. However, there are some solid reasons you can be sure that your dog is suffering from false pregnancy.
- They become more aggressive
- Sudden lethargy attitude
- Restlessness and behavioral changes
- Lack of appetite
- Vomiting
- Sudden weight gain
These are some of the most common symptoms that you can see in your dogs during phantom pregnancy. However, you also need to know these symptoms vary among dogs, and not all have the same symptoms.
Risk Factors and Complications of False Pregnancy in Dogs
Your dog can face several complications and risk factors due to phantom pregnancy. Here, we have discussed some of the risks associated with false pregnancy.
- The progesterone levels may be high, resulting in increased body temperature or estrus.
- Reproductive diseases may arise
- Progestins issues
These are some of the issues and complications that your dog may face, and in such cases, you must take your dog to a vet for better and more effective treatment.
Treatment of False Pregnancy in Dogs
As a dog owner taking cautious steps for your dog is needed to ensure she gets healthy and better soon. There are a few ways by which you can provide the necessary treatment to your dog. However, your vet will know the better ways to handle their issues and ensure your dog’s health in such cases.
- The removal of uterus and ovaries
- Cold packs may be applied to their breasts or even the mammary glands to reduce lactation stimulation.
- Prevention of prolactin secretion by progestins and androgens; prolactin is a hormone that encourages breast growth and any milk production.
- However, massaging the collar on your dog’s mammary glands can indeed help to extend milk production.
How to Stop Pseudo pregnancy in Dogs?
Now, it’s pretty natural for your dogs to suffer from phantom or pseudopregnancy. In the case of phantom pregnancies, prevention is the best option. In extreme situations of seasonal pseudo pregnancy in dogs, it may be necessary to consult a veterinarian about spaying the female if she is not to be bred.
If this isn’t an option, you can also try out Raspberry Leaf Tablets especially made for Dogs, which have helped numerous dogs in similar situations.
The dose can be continued for around twelve weeks, or until she would have whelped if mated. Using Raspberry Leaf Tablets for Dogs has been incredibly effective in preventing false pregnancy in your dogs for many years.
How You Can Help Your Dog Through a Phantom Pregnancy?
Phantom pregnancies are a common occurrence in dogs. This is a false pregnancy where the dog will produce milk and have pregnancy symptoms but not be pregnant.
The first step to help your dog through this is to take her to the vet for an examination. They will need to rule out any other reasons for the symptoms, such as infections, tumors, or cysts. The vet may also prescribe some medications to treat these other causes of symptoms.
Some dogs may need another surgery if they have had one before or have a condition that has made them more susceptible to phantom pregnancies in the past.
If your dog does not need surgery, it may be enough for you just to provide extra love and attention during this time. Consider taking her on walks and giving her extra attention.
FAQ
How long does a phantom pregnancy last In dogs?
In several mild cases of any false pregnancy, there’s no need to take your dog for any treatment or anything because the symptoms will go away in about 14-21 days.
Related: My Dog is 60 Days Pregnant And Not Showing: What’s The Issue?
However, if your dog still looks sick or its behavior changes are bad enough to be worried about, you should get it checked out by a vet.
Is false pregnancy in dogs dangerous?
Although false pregnancy doesn’t hurt your dog anyway, it is neither dangerous for your dog. However, you need to prevent this false pregnancy as it can intensify the overall condition with rapid heat cycles. So, in such cases, spraying can be the best treatment choice you can have, and the overall spraying and condition can have better health benefits for your dog in many ways.
Can a spayed dog have a false pregnancy?
No, false pregnancy doesn’t take place among female dogs. However, whether intact or mated, dogs can have false pregnancy, generally occurring after 4 to 9 weeks after a heat cycle or estrus.
Bottom Line
Naturally, your dog may not have the right appetite to consume any food during phantom pregnancy. So, in that case, you don’t need to worry or force your dog to eat. The reason is after your dog gets her appetite, she’ll cover up the lost calories. However, you can always consult with your vet for effective suggestions and treatment procedures if things go south.
