No longer interested in Breakfast 8-1/2 Mo. F Pup

She looks good in all her pics. She has really grown up/filled out in the recent shot. Does not look like she is going hungry. Since it sounds like everything else is normal, I'm inclined to think Rubie is right and you should stop worrying about it. If getting another panel done would put your mind at ease, then you can also do that.
 
She had her heat about a month ago - light bleeding, seemed like a normal heat that lasted about 20 days +/-
In the picture you posted, it looks like her teats are a bit swollen, indicating the false pregnancy hormones... could have something to do with not wanting food again, but I'd think it would be the opposite. :scratch: Could you post a side view photo of her? Hard to tell what her weight looks like with a sitting photo. Like others, I'm thinking she is just doesn't have a lot of food motivation, but if her weight and blood work is normal there's nothing to worry about. I know some people feed once a day - it's certainly not unheard of - so just for grins you could completely skip offering her breakfast for a week and see what that looks like.

Hopefully she'll skip the hard-core false pregnancy and just has a little swelling, but that's a whole new topic...
 
Sorry! Have been crazy busy and replying to this thread went right over my head.

She's been doing good - been feeding about 2 cups in the evening with some kind of protein (bare baked or boiled chicken, beef liver, etc.)

Still not a fan of breakfast but whatever, I can live with it as long as she's keeping weight on, I'm happy!

Energy levels are fantastic, everything is normal.

@Ravenbird yes! Her teats are very swollen - see attached picture. Do you think it's false pregnancy? It's been 3 months (she's one year old as of two days ago) technically since she went into heat. I asked the breeder and he said it's most likely that and a couple of his females have had a false pregnancy. It's only the last two that are swollen, it looks like she has a beer belly :tearsofjoy:. I don't have much side shots, recently at least, I posted some of the few I have. Planning to go one more heat, then spay a few months after that.
 

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Sure looks like it to me! This too shall pass - it will go away, and all will return to normal. Thanks for the update!
It's gotten pretty hardcore the last couple of days.

No guarding or nesting or any of that kind of behavior but she is having clear discharge from her private area (no swelling or anything like that) and there is definitely milk production. Some of her frontal teets are swollen as well.

Should I just keep an eye on her and just wait this out or does something need to be done?
 
She had her heat about a month ago - light bleeding, seemed like a normal heat that lasted about 20 days +/-
You wrote this about the 1st of May, so if you wrote down her last day of bleeding - lets just say it was April 20. False pregnancy usually follows the whelping chart, so 63 days would be June 22. I would make sure she has no toys, and not allow her to lick her teets (that will increase milk production). If you have a training, walking or playing routine, stick with that and do a bit more to keep her distracted on real life, not the one her body is wanting to do. It IS real, the hormones are going through the exact process as if she were pregnant, so it's easy to empathize, but the more she acts it out, the more she will go into that mode. They are all going to be different, but mine came back to earth about a week after her "whelping date". Like puppies happened, but didn't survive: nothing to lick, nurse or watch over. Again, real hormones - no pups to nurse, the teets returned to normal. Mine quit nesting her bed (that was actually funny - she would circle dozens of time, pulling blankets every which way and she'd become a bit obsessed with it, so I'd tell her to stop & lay down. She also snapped once at the other resident dog which she'd never done before.

There IS a drug - I can't recall the name - that your vet can give you to make everything stop in a hurry, but it WILL go away with time and other than being a pain in the butt, it doesn't hurt anything.

I also read an interesting study I should find and post on the forum about spaying. Basically it said to be sure to spay when they are in complete anestrus. Not coming in, not going out, not during false pregnancy. The study said you could "lock in" that hormone level. It doesn't make sense really when I say it that way, I'll have to try to find it. But I do remember making a note to myself that if I were ever to spay my dog I would make sure it was during her anestrus months.
 
You wrote this about the 1st of May, so if you wrote down her last day of bleeding - lets just say it was April 20. False pregnancy usually follows the whelping chart, so 63 days would be June 22. I would make sure she has no toys, and not allow her to lick her teets (that will increase milk production). If you have a training, walking or playing routine, stick with that and do a bit more to keep her distracted on real life, not the one her body is wanting to do. It IS real, the hormones are going through the exact process as if she were pregnant, so it's easy to empathize, but the more she acts it out, the more she will go into that mode. They are all going to be different, but mine came back to earth about a week after her "whelping date". Like puppies happened, but didn't survive: nothing to lick, nurse or watch over. Again, real hormones - no pups to nurse, the teets returned to normal. Mine quit nesting her bed (that was actually funny - she would circle dozens of time, pulling blankets every which way and she'd become a bit obsessed with it, so I'd tell her to stop & lay down. She also snapped once at the other resident dog which she'd never done before.

There IS a drug - I can't recall the name - that your vet can give you to make everything stop in a hurry, but it WILL go away with time and other than being a pain in the butt, it doesn't hurt anything.

I also read an interesting study I should find and post on the forum about spaying. Basically it said to be sure to spay when they are in complete anestrus. Not coming in, not going out, not during false pregnancy. The study said you could "lock in" that hormone level. It doesn't make sense really when I say it that way, I'll have to try to find it. But I do remember making a note to myself that if I were ever to spay my dog I would make sure it was during her anestrus months.
Thank you for all of the information Raven!

She has not been licking her teets or trying to nest and has not become protective of her toys. I took away most of them just to be safe aside from a couple balls and a tugging rope, etc.

I'm keeping her busy with the flirt stick I built to tire her out when she wants to play.

Not interested in the drug, I'll just wait it out.

Yeah I wouldn't want to spay in the middle of this, I'll just have to wait it out after her next heat and spay right after, it's probably going to be a couple months after the new year if she has the same timeline as she did with her first heat. Is the next false pregnancy after her heat going to be similar to this or is there a chance that it's not this hardcore?

The swelling due to milk production goes away on it's own right? I don't have to take her to the vet to have them drain them or anything, right?
 
Yes, it all just goes away. The first heat was the only one that I had with symptoms like you describe, all the other heats have come and gone without all the drama. (fingers crossed it stays this way) I was totally fascinated to learn all this - dove down the rabbit holes of research when it happened to me. I thought it was rather uncommon, but turns out it's not. But the most interesting thing is how you can follow along the dates of a real pregnancy and it plays out just like the book... but, I'm kinda a science geek, so there's that.
 
Yes, it all just goes away. The first heat was the only one that I had with symptoms like you describe, all the other heats have come and gone without all the drama. (fingers crossed it stays this way) I was totally fascinated to learn all this - dove down the rabbit holes of research when it happened to me. I thought it was rather uncommon, but turns out it's not. But the most interesting thing is how you can follow along the dates of a real pregnancy and it plays out just like the book... but, I'm kinda a science geek, so there's that.
Sounds good, that is a relief, haha. Hopefully next heat is a breeze and no false preg after.

She will most likely go into heat again sometime in September. I'm going to probably wait January-February of '23 and then spay her. That would put her at about 18 months in age.

I've read all the growth plates are pretty much closed at 15-18 month mark with males being on the latter end of that timeline. (I could be wrong or read false info).

I understand the interest behind it all, it's a pretty fascinating process all together :thumbsup2:
 
Wanted to make quick post without starting a new thread but seeking some more guidance from you @Ravenbird

Hope you're doing well - and had a Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!!! :)

She went into heat for the second time on Oct. 17, 2021 and the last day of bleeding was Nov. 4th, 2021.

She has gone into another false pregnancy again, it looks like. Her teets are all swollen (see pic 3), the last four are saggy like in my previous pictures and there is milk production (I confirmed). No other behavior such as nesting, guarding or toy possession though. Temperament has remained the same with people, kids and other dogs, no hormonal weird aggression or anything going on. Eating has completely slowed down - we are at about 1-2 cups per day (if she eats).

I was hoping to get her fixed this month as now she is 19 months of age and avoided fixing her after the first heat due to a false pregnancy. It looks like she's just going to keep having them after heat cycles.

What are your thoughts? Should I wait until everything goes back to normal and then get it done? I don't want to do it too close to a heat cycle. I spoke with the breeder and he said take her to the vet and have them analyze whether you can get her fixed now or later but I'm afraid they're probably going to say to go through with the operation just because $$$.

Oh - also wanted to mention, she's remained the same weight. She hovers between 65-70 lbs (body pic attached).

Any advice is appreciated

Thank you!!!

Some recent pics of her:
 

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I think
Wanted to make quick post without starting a new thread but seeking some more guidance from you @Ravenbird

Hope you're doing well - and had a Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!!! :)

She went into heat for the second time on Oct. 17, 2021 and the last day of bleeding was Nov. 4th, 2021.

She has gone into another false pregnancy again, it looks like. Her teets are all swollen (see pic 3), the last four are saggy like in my previous pictures and there is milk production (I confirmed). No other behavior such as nesting, guarding or toy possession though. Temperament has remained the same with people, kids and other dogs, no hormonal weird aggression or anything going on. Eating has completely slowed down - we are at about 1-2 cups per day (if she eats).

I was hoping to get her fixed this month as now she is 19 months of age and avoided fixing her after the first heat due to a false pregnancy. It looks like she's just going to keep having them after heat cycles.

What are your thoughts? Should I wait until everything goes back to normal and then get it done? I don't want to do it too close to a heat cycle. I spoke with the breeder and he said take her to the vet and have them analyze whether you can get her fixed now or later but I'm afraid they're probably going to say to go through with the operation just because $$$.

Oh - also wanted to mention, she's remained the same weight. She hovers between 65-70 lbs (body pic attached).

Any advice is appreciated

Thank you!!!

Some recent pics of her:
I think you should wait until everything goes back to normal..I do not think there is any rush in getting her spayed.. but i would definitely get her spayed .... having false pregnancies is a good indication that hormones are off.. I think i would still have my girl dobie who suffered from false pregnancies if she had been fixed... eventually she passed from Pyometra which is defined as an infection in the uterus. The uterus is also known as the womb and is where the developing fetus is located. It is a serious and life threatening condition that must be treated promptly and aggressively. Pyometra is often the result of hormonal changes in the reproduction in dogs. I am not a vet i just learned from a hard way to learn experience.. we had no intentions of breeding .. we just did not want her to have a spaying operation.. if she had this operation she would still be alive..maybe you can just call the vets office and ask.. when is the best time.. because it might make a difference in the surgery.. best to you
 
I agree, I would wait. I would try to make it to 24 months with your girl. It is amazing how much the girls continue to mature well into 3 years for some lines.

My girl has had a false pregnancy early on like yours, milk production in what is usually the best teats for puppies to nurse on. The next heat cycle I gave her red raspberry leaf extract to help with false pregnancies. It worked for mine and she never had another one again until this cycle. The company doesn't seem to carry it anymore or they are just out. :( I will have to try and find it somewhere else for her next cycle if they don't restock. We show and plan to breed her in the next year or so, so that is why she remains intact.

 
I agree, I would wait. I would try to make it to 24 months with your girl. It is amazing how much the girls continue to mature well into 3 years for some lines.

My girl has had a false pregnancy early on like yours, milk production in what is usually the best teats for puppies to nurse on. The next heat cycle I gave her red raspberry leaf extract to help with false pregnancies. It worked for mine and she never had another one again until this cycle. The company doesn't seem to carry it anymore or they are just out. :( I will have to try and find it somewhere else for her next cycle if they don't restock. We show and plan to breed her in the next year or so, so that is why she remains intact.

thank you for the link... i have two girls growing up now.. and it looks like one will be having false pregnancies, so this is so needed until she is spayed... right now her nipples in the back are larger than they should be.. so it is pointing to hormonal problems.
 
Should I wait until everything goes back to normal and then get it done? I don't want to do it too close to a heat cycle. I spoke with the breeder and he said take her to the vet and have them analyze whether you can get her fixed now or later but I'm afraid they're probably going to say to go through with the operation just because $$$.
If you are going to spay try to time it halfway between cycles or a little more. Has she been pretty regular in being 6 months apart? Yes on making sure things are back to normal. As you said, some vets will just say, let's do it, no reason to wait. To me the optimal time would be about 4 months after her last heat to give her time for her false pregnancy to wain & all the hormones to get into a neutral zone, so maybe around March? When is her birthday? If she's 19 months now she should be close enough to 2 years and she looks strong and mature in your photos (and she's really nice looking!!!). Or you could do one more cycle and spay after that. I'm not opposed to spaying at all, just spaying before maturity is what I think causes problems.
 
we just did not want her to have a spaying operation..
I'm totally with you. I don't want to spay because I know hormone swings are natural and vital to health, but in the natural world of canines a bitch would not go years and years without being bred, so there's something to be said about that. Their bodies were made to go into a cycle, be bred, have puppies, wean and do it all again. Nature doesn't lean toward being barren for life. So maybe after all the growth and maturity is in place, spaying is the best. And pyometra is indeed a nightmare and a very good reason to not keep an female intact forever.

false pregnancies is a good indication that hormones are off
So on this statement, I'm thinking that the hormones are actually doing exactly what they should be doing. The symptoms are usually exactly in tune with the number of days after ending cycle, having puppies & weaning. The biggest problem is that they are not pregnant and maybe after too many years of this the body is throwing everything into the cycle and getting no release? I'm hypothesizing now, don't pay any attention to my wild guesses.

I do want to be on the record that I have nothing against spaying, especially after maturity.
 
I'm totally with you. I don't want to spay because I know hormone swings are natural and vital to health, but in the natural world of canines a bitch would not go years and years without being bred, so there's something to be said about that. Their bodies were made to go into a cycle, be bred, have puppies, wean and do it all again. Nature doesn't lean toward being barren for life. So maybe after all the growth and maturity is in place, spaying is the best. And pyometra is indeed a nightmare and a very good reason to not keep an female intact forever.


So on this statement, I'm thinking that the hormones are actually doing exactly what they should be doing. The symptoms are usually exactly in tune with the number of days after ending cycle, having puppies & weaning. The biggest problem is that they are not pregnant and maybe after too many years of this the body is throwing everything into the cycle and getting no release? I'm hypothesizing now, don't pay any attention to my wild guesses.

I do want to be on the record that I have nothing against spaying, especially after maturity.
yes everything you mentioned is so true.. had we bred her maybe things would not have escalated to this nightmare disease.. i should have seen and realized the other side of the coin.. thank you so much
 
Thanks everyone for all of your responses!!! Much appreciate the insight.

@Rits Originally, she was supposed to be fixed after her first heat but she went into a false pregnancy and after speaking with some peeps on here and the breeder, the decision was made to let her go through another heat and here we are. I definitely don't want to go through another heat to be honest. If the timing is right, she should be going into another one around April.

@lady Dobie thank you for that information. That sounds scary. I'm sorry you went through that. I'll definitely hold off until everything goes back to normal. Should be a couple weeks from now and then I will go get it done.

@Ravenbird Thanks! She did grow up super quick :shock:. In my eyes, she's matured. She's pretty much done growing aside from a little filling out left. I'll just wait until everything tightens back up and get her in before her next season. She's been pretty regular the last time, so in 6 months would make it sometime in April.
 

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