False Pregnancy

[BigNBloated]

Anyone have any experience with this? Macy went through her heat and now a month later she has swollen mammaries and such. Took her to the vet and she said thats most likely what is going on. There wasnt any time she was in contact with any intact males but still has me worried, guess there is always that split second a phantom dog could come in and lockup while i wasnt looking . I guess I just beleive that spaying at 6 months was early to just shut off the hormones responsible for growth. Anyway, sort of venting and interested in what people have to say. The vet mentioned the only thing she could really say was that her mammaries are developing to early if she were actually pregnant as it takes somethign more like 50 days instead of 30. Let me know your thoughts.

[Butterbean]

I don't know anything about this but I emailed this thread to Flower.

Hope everything turns out OK with Macy!

[~weed~]

First off, Good For You!! Realizing that dogs need their hormones much longer than what is usually pushed for for altering was very wise!! 

  It is common for females to have false pregnancies, some will even start "nesting" like they are getting ready to have puppies.  My Addie before she was spayed would get swollen mammary glands and I once was asked on a walk if she had had puppies (and a comment about her "tits".      Unless they don't go back to normal or some other sign that they are off, I wouldn't worry about it.  You have had a vet look at her so she obviously didn't see any problems.   

[BigNBloated]

Thanks for the reply. I think I'm just paranoid even though I have only stepped inside the house for a moments, if ever, when Macy was in the yard. Typically I take her out on the leash. The possibility of a pregnancy because I didnt have her spayed was making me feel irresponsible. Last thing I wanted to do by leaving her intact was to create a litter of pitbull/unkowns.  I am pretty sure she is just swollen after the heat like you said. 

[~weed~]

Thanks for the reply. I think I'm just paranoid even though I have only stepped inside the house for a moments, if ever, when Macy was in the yard. Typically I take her out on the leash. The possibility of a pregnancy because I didnt have her spayed was making me feel irresponsible. Last thing I wanted to do by leaving her intact was to create a litter of pitbull/unkowns.  I am pretty sure she is just swollen after the heat like you said. 

 It takes longer than a second for them to tie and reproduce  .  You would have caught her in the act if she is only left outside alone for very short periods like you said. 

  Addie was intact for 4+ years or so I had her until she was spayed earlier this year.  Even managed her to go through a heat with an intact male in the house.  It is possible to have intact animals and not have unplanned litters.  Harder to do when you have intact male and females living together, but even then it is still possible.   I will never spay again if I ever have another female unless there is a medical reason that necessitates it.  They do partial spays now too http://www.belfield.com/pdfs/Partial_Spay.pdf  and people are even going for vasectomies for male dogs.   I would consider either for my future dogs if I had to.

     Hormones are very important and I have learned over the years how wrong it is that altering is done like it is nothing and how people have been duped into believing that it is no big deal.  Especially when talking about females, that is a major surgery and portrayed like it is a paper cut practically.  

[BigNBloated]

Ugh, makes me want to have her spayed even less. When I first got macy a friend of mine talked about getting her ears done and I thought about it. He said, They do it all the time! No...its serious pointless surgery. So thanks for the info flower. I appreciate it. I just hate the idea of putting her under and her not making it. I will probably end up getting her spayed though in a couple monts. I dont know if my vet offers a partial spay, I will have to ask.  I am still really on the fence about it.

[~weed~]

It can be a tough decision.   There are pros and cons for leaving intact and for altering.  But you do not have to make this decision when the dog is still very young like you used to be told you had to or horrible things would happen!     So you have time to think about it.

  This is a good unbiased article, IMO, that shows both sides of altering:

 http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/longtermhealtheffectsofspayneuterindogs.pdf


  Maybe that will help you decide if/when to alter and you can also look into the less drastic spays that are becoming more common. 

 And obviously if you decide not to alter to or to wait then you have to be responsible for her and no whoopsies when she is in heat, but you already seem to be responsible about that.   

[BigNBloated]

Macy is doing ok although I wish her mam's woudl go back to normal. They are still very saggy and nipples are enormous. Flower, did they go back to normal on your Dane?

[Butterbean]

Macy is doing ok

That's good to hear BNB

[spotter]

Anyone have any experience with this? Macy went through her heat and now a month later she has swollen mammaries and such. Took her to the vet and she said thats most likely what is going on. There wasnt any time she was in contact with any intact males but still has me worried, guess there is always that split second a phantom dog could come in and lockup while i wasnt looking . I guess I just beleive that spaying at 6 months was early to just shut off the hormones responsible for growth. Anyway, sort of venting and interested in what people have to say. The vet mentioned the only thing she could really say was that her mammaries are developing to early if she were actually pregnant as it takes somethign more like 50 days instead of 30. Let me know your thoughts.

My dog did all the "nesting" with shoes under the bed, before she was spayed...She had a swollen belly, and would not let us touch the shoes....She was guarding them like puppies....    

[calmus]

My dog did all the "nesting" with shoes under the bed, before she was spayed...She had a swollen belly, and would not let us touch the shoes....She was guarding them like puppies....    

Clearly, living with you is enough to turn even a brute creature neurotic. 

[spotter]

Clearly, living with you is enough to turn even a brute creature neurotic. 

"Thank you" ..... "So Many Neurotics, So Little Time"!!!