Your good girl is displaying all the signs of becoming a mother, including nesting, swollen nipples, and perhaps a large belly. Its certainly possible that shes actually pregnant. However, it could be a common syndrome called false pregnancy.
False pregnancy in dogs mimics normal pregnancy in appearance, but there are no real puppies growing inside her uterus. The physical and behavioral changes you’re observing in your dog are most likely caused by this if you know for sure that they haven’t mated.
Diagnosis of False Pregnancy in Dogs
The first step you should take when symptoms appear is to have your dog examined by a veterinarian.
Dogs’ mammary glands may swell and even produce milk during a false pregnancy. You might be able to express the milk by massaging them or notice when it leaks. But if milk is expressed manually, they will only produce more, so it is not advised. The glands will enlarge, and the abdomen will also start to look “fuller” and swollen. Some of the clinical indicators your veterinarian will be watching for and discussing with you are those listed below.
Inform your veterinary team of your pet’s nesting behavior and bed arrangement. Be sure to let the veterinarian know if she has been acting uneasy or waking frequently at night to pace around the house in an almost panic-like state.
Your veterinarian may ask questions similar to these.
By taking radiographs or a belly scan at the right point in the cycle, your veterinarian will rule out the possibility of a real pregnancy.
What Is False Pregnancy in Dogs?
False pregnancy in dogs is essentially what it sounds like: a female dog who has not been spayed exhibits pregnancy-related symptoms even though she is not actually pregnant. Pseudocyesis, pseudogenetra, phantom pregnancy, and nervous lactation are additional names for this syndrome.
Hormones during a false pregnancy cause the body to mimic pregnancy even though there hasn’t been a conception. Whether or not a female dog has mated with a male, this is a common occurrence in unspayed female dogs.
To understand false pregnancy, you have to understand the female dogs reproductive system, which is controlled by hormones produced in the pituitary gland and the ovaries. Hormones are chemical messengers that tell the body what to do, and the primary ones involved in false pregnancy are estrogen, progesterone, and prolactin.
Female dogs that are intact (unspayed) reach puberty and start having heat cycles as early as 6 months of age. Each cycle has four stages: proestrus, estrus, diestrus, and anestrus.
Most people refer to proestrus as “heat,” which is a period of vaginal bleeding or discharge. It lasts for approximately nine days and precedes estrus, the fertile stage.
Progesterone levels increase and estrogen levels decrease one to two days into estrus. This stimulates ovulation and prepares the dogs body for pregnancy. The eggs will quickly expire if they are not fertilized. If she is indeed expecting, she will give birth to her puppies 62 to 65 days after conception.
Whether the dog is pregnant or not, diestrus starts after estrus and lasts for about 60 days. Hormonally speaking, diestrus and pregnancy are quite similar. Diestrus is regarded as “covert” pseudopregnancy because it causes internal changes that are similar to those of pregnancy but do not manifest externally in the dog as pregnancy.
The uterine enlargement-stimulating progesterone hormone reaches its peak around days 15 to 30 of diestrus, after which it starts to decline until it reaches a low point around days 60. Prolactin, a hormone that stimulates the mammary glands, increases when progesterone levels drop. Even when there is no pregnancy, dogs at this stage typically have swollen nipples. However, if the dog is pregnant, she should give birth to her puppies in a matter of days.
The next stage is anestrus, a rest and repair time for the uterus that lasts for about 5-7 months. Even if puppies were born, this happens in the period between diestrus and proestrus.
Sometimes, in non-pregnant dogs, prolactin levels rise above normal levels at the end of diestrus, deceiving the body into believing that puppies are definitely on the way. Dogs can go through all the stages of a real pregnancy during this “overt” pseudopregnancy. except for actual puppies.
The signs of late pregnancy and the early postpartum period are similar to those of false pregnancy in dogs. If you monitor your dog’s cycle, you can anticipate signs to become more obvious as diestrus approaches. You might experience mild to severe physical and behavioral changes, such as:
Vomiting, diarrhea, increased urination and thirst, and an insatiable appetite are less typical symptoms. False pregnancies in dogs are typically not harmful, but protracted lactation may result in mammary infections.
If you are positive that your girl did not mate with a male, then it is likely a false pregnancy. How can you tell if your dog is experiencing a false pregnancy and isn’t actually pregnant? But when a female is in heat, both males and females will go to great lengths to mate, so it’s possible that a covert rendezvous took place behind your back. It’s not something you can see with the naked eye, so you’ll need to visit your veterinarian to be certain. Additionally, it’s crucial that your veterinarian rule out serious conditions like pyometra.
Your veterinarian can determine if your dog is pregnant using a few different techniques, including:
Similar to human pregnancies, dog pregnancies can be challenging and perplexing. It’s important to understand dog pregnancy, especially if your dog is expecting or you want to breed your dogs. There are numerous aspects of dog pregnancy that you should be aware of, from the pregnancy symptoms to postpartum care. Here are some details about dog pregnancies that should be helpful.
If your dog has been regularly exercising, you can continue the activity. However, make sure she only engages in light exercise, like walking. Additionally, you could play simple games like fetch and catch. Keep the sessions brief whether you’re engaging in light game activities or exercise. Don’t overexert your pregnant dog.
X-rays are likely the best method for determining whether a dog is pregnant. The skeletal system of the puppies is not visible until week six of pregnancy, so you must wait until then to use this method. The most accurate way to determine how many puppies a dog is carrying is through x-rays. Some claim that X-rays’ powerful radiation can cause harm to puppies while they are inside the uterus.
You can feed your dog her regular diet for the first few weeks. Supplements like vitamins are not necessary. But as the pregnancy goes on, she needs more calories to support the growth of her puppies. veterinarians advise feeding puppies high-protein, fats, and mineral-rich food. Hence, puppy food is also easier to digest. Because the growing puppies take up a lot of space in her stomach, your pregnant dog can’t take in a large meal, so make sure the meals are in smaller portions but feed her frequently.
The following thing you need to think about is building a whelping box for your dog. Dogs seek out warm, cozy, and secure areas to give birth. If you have multiple dogs, make sure the whelping box is placed in a familiar but private location that none of the other dogs can access. Put the blankets, sheets or towels inside the whelping box. So that your dog has time to become accustomed to the whelping box, set up the whelping box earlier. Putting your dog’s bedding inside the whelping box could help her get used to it more quickly.
FAQ
Can dogs have nipples if not pregnant?
Yes, both male and female dogs have nipples. The number of nipples can vary, and they extend from their groin area up to their stomachs. The average dog has 8 to 10 nipples, but some dogs have more while others have fewer.
Why does my dog have big nipples but not pregnant?
Nipples that are swollen are a common symptom of mastitis in dogs. When the mammary glands are infected, mastitis results. In-nursing female dogs are susceptible to developing mastitis. In mastitis, the dog’s mammary glands become swollen and painful.
Do all girl dogs have nipples?
No matter their gender, dogs generally have about 10 nipples that are arranged in symmetrical pairs and extend from their chest to their groin. However, there can be variations in the number of nipples, and some nipples are not perfectly symmetrical. It’s not unusual to see dogs with fewer than eight nipples or even more than ten.
What does it mean when a female dog has nipples?
Nipples are the external duct for the mammary glands, which is why dogs have them. For the purpose of feeding their pups, female dogs’ mammary glands produce colostrum and milk. A mother dog wouldn’t be able to feed her puppies or sustain life without nipples.