How to manage false pregnancy in a dog

[KatjaB]

Hi!

My husband and I have the sweetest Boston Terrier girl named Evey.
She’s 1 year and 2 months old, weighs 19.84 LBS and is intact.
She eats fresh organic food (beef, fruit, vegetables, sweet potato, potato, flax seeds, celery juice, some supplements) and gets daily exercise, play, mental stimulation, socializing, lots of cuddles.
She’s been vaccinated once against rabies and twice against other diseases with Vanguard Plus 7.
Evey used to be extremely fearful, didn’t sniff on walks, didn’t really like food and was very picky.
We put tremendous effort into getting her better (good food, socializing, tons of learning through play, sniffing practice, favorite exercises). She has come such a long way and she’s doing so much better now.
I love using BEAM, although it’s a bit tricky for me because Evey’s so different from “normal” dogs or from our previous one who was very happy go lucky, sociable, food loving.
I’d say she’s
B: more cautious outside but very normal and loving at home,
E: she’s very active and has loads of energy,
A: she’s excited for her meals and eats all of it,
M: her mood is playful, excited, but in some cases fearful when outside.


Evey had her first heat that lasted a bit more than 3 weeks when she was 7 months old. It was so obvious to us how positively it has affected her. She became calmer, more mature, even gentler and less fearful. Since she is our first dog that’s intact, I started thinking how important it must be for her to have these hormones and that I don’t want to get her neutered.
I went online to research about it and found Dr. Sara Chapman’s Gonad appreciation course that confirmed my speculations and left me with a strong feeling of support.
3 months after her first heat has ended, she was in heat again. It was similar to the first one, although it made her even more mature and confident.

Just about 2 weeks after her second heat ended, her bottom two mammary glands got enlarged (no other symptoms, BEAM was good). We thought it was because of heat. But it persisted so we took her to a vet.
The vet wasn’t sure if it was a false pregnancy or an infection. She squeezed her mammary glands hard to see if she had milk or pus, but even then, she wasn’t sure, so she has decided for antibiotics.
The next day Evey’s mammary glands were at least twice the size if not more (pictures attached). We assumed the squeezing caused more milk production and that the vet misdiagnosed.
I got quite unhappy and wanted someone with more experience to check her out. She then got the correct diagnosis and was given cabergoline for false pregnancy. I’m not a fan of medication especially if it turns out unnecessary but we were inexperienced and didn’t know if we can just leave her like that, so we gave it to her. And, the vets were literally scaring us with possible mastitis, pyometra and so on.
They are not keen on us having her intact and say we should neuter her if the false pregnancy occurs again (this is the standard and only practice known here where we live).

But we want her to stay intact not only for her overall wellbeing but also because of her fearfulness. We’re from a tiny country in Europe where better option OSS is not an option.

After the correct diagnosis I joined the FB group and asked how to naturally manage false pregnancy (I believe it’s more correctly termed false whelping?).
Dr. Christina Chambreau was so kind to reply and repost some of the information from Dr. Sara Chapman from this forum and invited me to join.


And here I am. I would like to ask for your help and hear what you think about the following:

- If I understand correctly if her BEAM is good and she doesn’t have troublesome symptoms while she has false pregnancy, we can just leave her like that even if she has enlarged mammary glands and milk?

- How common it is for mastitis to develop in false pregnancy? Is there anything else we should be watchful for besides mastitis and pyometra?

- Can we give her a homeopathic medicine, like Pulsatilla, if her mammary glands get enlarged again? We would like to somehow prepare in advance. If we would have to order something from US, it usually takes weeks before it finally arrives.

- Is it normal that everything is so close together, heats only 3 months apart and false pregnancy so soon after the second heat?


With kindest regards,


Katja


@Dr. Jeff , @Dr. Sara , @Dr. Christina can you help us please

 

[GinnyW]

The doctors will have more to say on this. But my take is that there is a wide range of symptoms possible, even common, in these conditions - none particularly harmful or dangerous. Timing of symptoms, as well as intensity, is quite variable. I have found properly applied homeopathic treatment to be quite successful in treating the symptoms and bringing comfort, and so would advise you to find a homeopath with whom to work long-distance with her case. Yes, I had a female whom we treated with total resolution in this condition. There is nothing particularly "abnormal" about it, but when symptom intensity is bothersome it can certainly be addressed. Thank you for recognizing the value of her natural hormonal patterns

I have had quick service from Helios in Britain; can you order from them?

 

[KatjaB]

The doctors will have more to say on this. But my take is that there is a wide range of symptoms possible, even common, in these conditions - none particularly harmful or dangerous. Timing of symptoms, as well as intensity, is quite variable. I have found properly applied homeopathic treatment to be quite successful in treating the symptoms and bringing comfort, and so would advise you to find a homeopath with whom to work long-distance with her case. Yes, I had a female whom we treated with total resolution in this condition. There is nothing particularly "abnormal" about it, but when symptom intensity is bothersome it can certainly be addressed. Thank you for recognizing the value of her natural hormonal patterns

I have had quick service from Helios in Britain; can you order from them?

Hi Ginny!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read through my post and share your valuable experience.
If truly feels comforting.

I googled Helios and they say the shipping time to EU is currently at least 2 - 6 weeks plus time a package is delayed at customs.
Unfortunately it’s similar to US.
Having said that I will keep the company in mind, we may need it in the future.

Have a lovely weekend!

 

[Dr. Sara]

Dear Katja,
Do see if any of the practitioners in the IAVH (International Ass'n for Veterinary Homeopathy) are near you. I know there is an active Baltic group, as well as several Slovenian members. We also have members in Turkey, Greece, Italy, Spain, Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium, and of course the countries where homeopathy is so prevalent like Austria, Germany, France, and Switzerland.

Heat cycles are usually more than 3 months apart, though the first few heats can be close together as the girl settles into their normal cycle. Bostons tend to cycle about every 5 to 6 months. Females are similar to their mothers and sisters, so your breeder may be able to tell you what is normal in your girl's family.

Every female has some degree of false whelping after her estrus, as it is a normal occurrence when the progesterone levels drop. This drop in progesterone occurs about two months after the end of the heat, about when the female would be whelping pups. Two weeks after is rather soon, though as the first two cycles were so close together, I suspect her body is settling into a normal rhythm. In false whelping, he mammary glands may enlarge as you have seen. Some females lick their breasts and make them enlarge more. Females who are short haired with delicate skin like Bostons tend to have more noticeable development.

There is no need to do anything to the breasts, and mastitis is rare during false whelping. If your girl is licking herself excessively and irritating the breasts, a t-shirt may help keep her mind off licking. A snug garment like a Suitical will hold the breasts up, prevent licking, and keep them from getting damaged if she likes to romp outside in high grass. Gentle pressure from a garment can help prevent milk development, though you don't want it to be too tight or chafe.

Homeopathic medicines, as appropriate, can help if your girl is excessively troubled by milk production. Pulsatilla is one medicine that is often used for this; Sepia or Urtica urens could also be a good choice, depending on her signs.
I hope this is helpful!
Dr. Sara

 

[KatjaB]

Dear Katja,
Do see if any of the practitioners in the IAVH (International Ass'n for Veterinary Homeopathy) are near you. I know there is an active Baltic group, as well as several Slovenian members. We also have members in Turkey, Greece, Italy, Spain, Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium, and of course the countries where homeopathy is so prevalent like Austria, Germany, France, and Switzerland.

Heat cycles are usually more than 3 months apart, though the first few heats can be close together as the girl settles into their normal cycle. Bostons tend to cycle about every 5 to 6 months. Females are similar to their mothers and sisters, so your breeder may be able to tell you what is normal in your girl's family.

Every female has some degree of false whelping after her estrus, as it is a normal occurrence when the progesterone levels drop. This drop in progesterone occurs about two months after the end of the heat, about when the female would be whelping pups. Two weeks after is rather soon, though as the first two cycles were so close together, I suspect her body is settling into a normal rhythm. In false whelping, he mammary glands may enlarge as you have seen. Some females lick their breasts and make them enlarge more. Females who are short haired with delicate skin like Bostons tend to have more noticeable development.

There is no need to do anything to the breasts, and mastitis is rare during false whelping. If your girl is licking herself excessively and irritating the breasts, a t-shirt may help keep her mind off licking. A snug garment like a Suitical will hold the breasts up, prevent licking, and keep them from getting damaged if she likes to romp outside in high grass. Gentle pressure from a garment can help prevent milk development, though you don't want it to be too tight or chafe.

Homeopathic medicines, as appropriate, can help if your girl is excessively troubled by milk production. Pulsatilla is one medicine that is often used for this; Sepia or Urtica urens could also be a good choice, depending on her signs.
I hope this is helpful!
Dr. Sara

Hi Dr. Sara,

Thank you so much for your answer and all of the information you’ve given us!

I did find a homeopathic vet from the IAVH that is in my country!

Evey’s sisters have heat 6 months apart and so does her mother.
She’s from very reputable breeders who’s Bostons are healthy and well known (their medical tests are great).
So, I guess Evey’s quite different or how shall I put it.

We have decided to wait until she’s about 2 years old to see if her heat cycles change and grow more apart.
If not, should we be watchful and investigate it further?


@Dr. Sara

 

[Dr. Sara]

Dear Katja,
Excellent! I'm glad you found an IAVH vet near you. Evey may just need a little more time to mature. If the next cycle is overly close, or if you have any further concerns about false whelping or estrus, I would contact the vet to investigate the situation. Reproductive abnormalities generally respond well to appropriate homeopathic prescribing.
Stay well,
Sara

 

[KatjaB]

Dear Katja,
Excellent! I'm glad you found an IAVH vet near you. Evey may just need a little more time to mature. If the next cycle is overly close, or if you have any further concerns about false whelping or estrus, I would contact the vet to investigate the situation. Reproductive abnormalities generally respond well to appropriate homeopathic prescribing.
Stay well,
Sara

Thank you so much, Dr. Sara! Will do so.

With warmest regards,


Katja