Nesting

Hi guys,
Katy has done her 1st season which finished back in july, all went smoothly. I gave her a new ball this afternoon, which she was very excited about. But since I gave it to her she has done nothing but cry & whimper & not let it out of her sight. I asked her if she wanted to go walkies, which she did but the ball had to come with us   She had no interest in chasing a stick which usually drives her mad, she just did her toilets & turned back to the gate to go home. She has been digging up the cushions on the sofa trying to settle with the ball, & also our bed. As I type she is curled up ontop of a couple of my cuddly toys on the floor with her ball next to her. So can you tell me is this just hormones or are we looking at a phantom pregnancy? Help I hate to hear her cry

Never experienced it myself, could well be but she will come through it, just takes a bit of time, it must be sad to see but I can't really offer much advice.

I'd say it's likely to be a phantom pregnancy. Normal pregnancies (in dogs, that is) last about 8 weeks, so if her season was in july & she'd been mated, she'd be giving birth round about now.

Keep an eye on her. If it looks like she's producing milk, then a trip to the vets might be necessary to dry it up. Otherwise, just wait it out & she'll get through it soon enough.

The only other thing to keep an eye out for is the possibility of Pyometra (infection of the womb). If you notice any discharge, or if she seems at all off colour, then straight to the vets.

Thanks Caryll. I will be keeping a close eye on her, she is laying on our bed now curled round the ball as if feeding it  She hasn't touched her breakfast yet, will try & get her out for a walk without it.

Poor love - it's hard being a girl! 

Oh, dear little Katy! I agree with Caryll, it does sound like a phantom pregnancy, especially if you see her nipples getting bigger and start producing milk.

My Dobermanns did this after every season and it was so distressing for them (and me, 'cos I felt so sorry for them). They always had to visit the vet to get it sorted (which it did, pretty quickly) but I got them spayed after 3 or 4 phantoms.

If you do take Katy to the vet then be aware that the vet may well press you to get her spayed after she's settled down again, but I would advise you to wait until Katy is fully grown, by which time you will know if she makes a habit of phantoms after every season.

Good luck to you both  

Lynda wrote:Oh, dear little Katy!  I agree with Caryll, it does sound like a phantom pregnancy, especially if you see her nipples getting bigger and start producing milk.

My Dobermanns did this after every season and it was so distressing for them (and me, 'cos I felt so sorry for them).  They always had to visit the vet to get it sorted (which it did, pretty quickly) but I got them spayed after 3 or 4 phantoms.

If you do take Katy to the vet then be aware that the vet may well press you to get her spayed after she's settled down again, but I would advise you to wait until Katy is fully grown, by which time you will know if she makes a habit of phantoms after every season.

Good luck to you both  

Thanks she's not showing any signs of milk yet. As for spaying I thought it was ok to do it after her 1st season, or that is what I was told. I was planning on having her done in October but now she's having this phantom pregnancy I've read that we will have to wait until her hormones settle back down.

I'd always recommend waiting to spay until full mental & physical maturity. In a Stafford that's about 2 years old.