Female staffy experiencing phantom pregnancy

Has anyone got any experience of having a female with a phantom pregnancy ? How did you overcome the problem? She's currently on drops to try and balance out her hormones so she can be spayed soon.

poor dog hope someone comes along with advice soon

there's not much you can do other than have patience. she'll come through it & if you're having her spayed she'll never have to go through it again!

you could try plugging in an Adaptil diffuser - might help with evening out her mood?

Hiya. I've moved your post to a relevant section in the hopes that you will gain more replies. Is your lady on galastop? If so, I used this when Bug was having her phantoms at the shelter and it worked well to manage things until spay. She hasn't had a phantom since spay, so it worked well, though she is very maternal is general (being an ex breeder!)

bless wee bug : x

Just back from the vets and the verdict has fallen, Nifty is having a phantom pregnancy.

We have to wait 3 weeks before her being spayed (have just had to change all of my vet appointments as she was booking in for 10 days time ) and until then, she has antigalactogogue drops to take.

Vet says that phantom pregnancies are seen in females who are well integrated into home family environment (as opposed to ones chained in the bottom of the garden). 65 days after season, there is a drop in hormone levels and in pack environment, ancestors of dog would have females in the pack produce milk to feed dominant female’s offspring.

That’s where it comes from. However too many phantom pregnancies will greatly increase risk of mast cell tumours.

Poor girly!

I was told (quite a few years ago, it's true) that it would occur around 56-60 days after season (ie when birth would happen had she been mated), and that it was nothing to do with wolves or living wild.

Still, spaying will stop her having any more.

Double post.

Spaying has been postponed But is still booked in.
Poor Nifty, she’s not eating and is moping around unless we’re with her.

Ugh, she’s just thrown up the whole contents of her stomach
I don’t know what I can do for her.
She’s dozing next to me on the couch, poor little one

Not much you can do other than be patient.

Hopefully it'll soon be over.

Phantoms are annoying as all heck! My labrador bitch had one (never bred) and we were so anxious cause we thought some random dog had broke in and defiled her and shed have some mixed breeds which scared us as she was only 1 and was intended to be a breeding bitch - what if the breeding scared her for life?! Anyway, despite getting fat, having massive boobies, lactating, nothing ever came. She was then back to normal and bred, and had a nice litter...however never bred again for some reason. Natures way i guess.

My other pantom is maybe even more annoying but its horse related. I had a stallion shipped up on lease, bred a maiden mare who was keen as boot, and then showed every sign of being pregnant. 11 months later, she had a big belly, big boobies and milk, kept rolling and doing mare about to birth things. Kept on waiting. Eventually had the vet back who said she was empty and did not look like there ever had been a foal, so 11 months of total phantom! Nightmare.

How is Nifty now?

Called emergency vet Sunday morning who advised to keep a close watch on her.
Monday morning, had another of the head vets check her and he confirmed she was reacting to meds given. (He warns owners of potential trouble, other vet did not).

She had a couple of miracle injections and is back to full appetite and zoomies in the house.

Thanks for asking