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Learn to Recognize False Pregnancy in Dogs Symptoms

Female dogs have to go through menstrual periods twice a year or you can say estrus cycle where their bodies have to go trough menstrual periods that can result in pregnancy if the dog has mated with a male dog. In some cases, if your female dog doesn’t mate with other male dog, its female hormones can mimic pregnancy which we usually call as pseudocyesis or in simple terms “false pregnancy”.

So, is your dog experiencing this? In this article, we’ll tell you about several false pregnancy in dogs symptoms so that you know when your dog is having it.

1. First symptom if your dog is experiencing false pregnancy would be your dog doesn’t eat and drink as much as she should be.

2. Is your dog lactating? One of most common symptoms of false pregnancy is when your dog producing milk even when no pregnancy is present. You’ll notice enlarged mammary glands and swollen teats due to her hormones.

3. You need to check her abdomen for swelling, gently, because her body will mimic everything related to pregnancy. Yes these hormones make her body to function all signs that indicate pregnancy, although your dog belly won’t be as big as a female dog that is actually pregnant.

4. One of natural instincts of pregnant dog is nesting. Do you see this sign? When your dog starts to collect her blankets, toys or rug in the corner of the room, or building her own cozy spot, that mean she’s read to take care her babies.

5. The other common instinct would be carrying stuffed toys or other small items as if they are puppies. Carrying stuffed toys around it’s the result of her emotional stress due to false pregnancy. She’s trying to use small items to replace her missing pups.

At this moment, your dog is experiencing what we call psychological distress which can affect her appetite and activity. She’s no longer interested in eating her favorite food or treats, or becomes less interested in playing fetch (dog’s most favorite game). If you don’t plan to breed your dog, the best thing you can do to help her is to have her spayed. You need to learn to recognize false pregnancy in dogs symptoms, so that you can take immediate action to ease your dog’s psychological distress.