What is normal nipple discharge in a dog? An adult dog that is not pregnant is leaking milk A dog is leaking milk that is not pregnant

Pregnancy is an integral part of the life cycle of any living creature. This process is accompanied by changes in the pet’s behavior, mood, lifestyle, and awakens its instincts.

But what to do when changes occurring in the body, masquerading as pregnancy, actually have serious consequences for health and life? You need to keep your eyes open to help your four-legged friend avoid lifelong injuries.

False pregnancy is a special physiological state of an animal that not an abnormality or disease. It occurs not only in dogs, but also in other mammals (rabbits, cats, ferrets), although it is most noticeable in dogs.

False pregnancy occurs in unmated bitches after estrus or after mating that did not result in fertilization. The dog’s body begins to produce the same hormones as during true pregnancy. Therefore, on a physiological level, the bitch feels pregnant. Almost all the signs are the same:

• mammary glands swell;
• the stomach increases;
• prolactin fluid appears from the nipples;
• sometimes there is discharge from the loop.

When does it occur and for what reasons?

One of the reasons for the manifestation of this condition is considered to be periodization of the appearance of puppies in the pack. In nature, everything is arranged in such a way that the females of one pack are in heat (estrus) and give birth to puppies during the allotted period.

In order for the maximum number of individuals to survive, even in unfertilized females in the flock, the mechanism of false pregnancy is activated. Lactation of such bitches allows them participate in the process of feeding someone else's offspring. False pregnancy usually appears 4-9 weeks after estrus.

Signs

Let's look at everything in detail manifestations of false pregnancy with a description of the reasons.

• Enlargement and swelling of the mammary glands. It is caused by the secretion of prolactin, a breastfeeding hormone that is released during true pregnancy so that the mother can feed her offspring.
• Changes in breast pigmentation also due to the release of prolactin and changes in the structure of the epithelium in the glandular zone. The skin becomes softer and more porous so that the puppy can drink milk without difficulty.
• Formation and secretion of milk from the mammary glands, as a consequence of the previous two factors.
• Swelling of the loop and the appearance of discharge from it. Why does this happen: when the concentration of prolactin, according to the daily cycle, falls, and progesterone increases, since these two hormones have a feedback mechanism.
• Loss of appetite. The mother's body is under stress and all resources are directed towards raising the offspring. This lowers the priority of all other life systems.

Changes in behavior

How does falsehood begin?

1. When the moment comes when the female is ready to mate, her body has increased estrogen and pheromone levels, attracting males. If the rest of the dogs in the social group are ready for mating physiologically and morally, then individuals who do not want to mate are still subject to hormonal changes.
2. During the mating process there should be fertilization of the uterus, after which the processes of “motherhood” are launched. This is provided by nature by default. That is, the options in which the mating is interrupted, the puppies were born unhealthy and died, a miscarriage occurred or intrauterine death of the fetus are unnatural and do not interrupt the hormonal cycle.
3. Dogs lack the part of their brain responsible for logical cause-and-effect relationships. First of all, it is controlled age and seasonal instincts. She looks at the dogs around her and adapts to the circumstances.

REFERENCE! In case of hormonal abnormalities, injuries or death of the mother, her puppies begin to be fed by other, usually childless, females.

How to prevent it?

The only way to prevent pregnancy is limit dog contact with other members of the pack during puberty and adulthood. If a dog was adopted by people into a family as a puppy, and grew up without communication with other females, its instincts will be in an inactive state.

You can also carry out HRT (hormone replacement therapy), I regulate hormone levels manually. But this method can have side effects and affect the dog’s health and future ability to have healthy offspring. In addition, the procedure is expensive and requires constant monitoring of tests.

Can the symptoms be eliminated?

To speed up the course of a false pregnancy you need to:

• Eliminate everything from the female's diet dairy and lactose-containing products(milk, whey, cottage cheese). This will reduce the volume of milk or stop lactation altogether.
• Limit water consumption(if you fed your dog dry food, switch it to regular food, because access to water will be temporarily limited). To avoid harm to your health, increase the amount of liquid food.
• Reduce your usual portion of food, but increase the number of meals.
• Exercise your pet physically. Create conditions in which she will move more in order to divert her attention and normalize her physical and psychological state, as well as distract her from caring for imaginary offspring.
• Don't express milk- this will only increase its production, since the dog thinks that puppies drink its milk and needs more of it.
• Hide all the toys(especially those that look like dogs), limit your dog's exposure to other puppies and females.

IMPORTANT! With some types of poisoning, dogs exhibit similar symptoms, including discharge of fluid from the nipples. But this substance is mucus that passes through the skin under the influence of pressure in the abdominal cavity.

In this case, fluid accumulates in the stomach and intestines, which is difficult to remove and interferes with digestion. Just in case, if you experience bloating and fluid discharge visit your veterinarian for an accurate diagnosis.

How to avoid relapse?

As described above, a dog living in a social group (pack) undergoes massive seasonal changes, which does not depend on its desire to mate. The changes are hormonal in nature, and their mechanism of action resembles unconditioned reflexes.

Neither sterilization nor childbirth stops this process, since its frequency and chance of occurrence is determined by genetic predisposition.

In other words: if a dog was born to become a mother, this will happen in any successful case. With or without cause, symptoms of false pregnancy will arise, and each time the female will be sure that her mother’s hour has come.

Useful video

In this video, the veterinarian will talk about the causes, as well as symptoms and treatment of false pregnancy in dogs:

Conclusion

Sometimes the brain and body deceive us, passing off wishful thinking as reality. And if a person can objectively assess his condition or be diagnosed by a doctor, then our smaller brothers rely only on the call of nature and primitive instincts. Watch carefully for the health, mood, behavior of your pet, because we are responsible for those we have tamed.

In contact with

False pregnancy in dogs is not an abnormal pathology or a serious disease. A similar condition occurs in unfertilized and unmated females. And it manifests itself in the fact that the behavior is similar to pregnancy, physical signs develop. That is why the female has milk, but she is not pregnant. This pathology is typical for many viviparous mammals, but it is in dogs that it manifests itself most clearly.

Attentive dog owners are often concerned that the female is producing milk. This problem can often occur after estrus as there is a hormonal imbalance in the body leading to the symptom.

Hormonal imbalance does not depend on fertilization or its absence - the body begins to produce pregnancy hormones. Progesterone levels sharply decrease, while prolactin levels increase significantly. The hormone prolactin causes the mammary glands to enlarge, resulting in milk production. Swelling of the glands is dangerous because the milk begins to accumulate and, as a result, coagulates, forming lumps and thereby causing pain.

An interesting fact is that in the wild, females often experience the pathology of false pregnancy. This happens in a flock when not all females go into estrus, but still show all the signs of pregnancy. Subsequently, these females help feed the born puppies, so no serious changes occur in the dogs’ bodies - they realize their full potential.

False pregnancy in dogs and causes

The physiological changes occurring in the dog’s body have not yet been explained. There are many assumptions regarding the origin of this pathology. The main one is based on the fact that false pregnancy syndrome in dogs occurs as a reaction to hormonal imbalance after the end of estrus. During estrus, the level of lactogenic hormone increases.

The causes of pathology may be the following:

• not constant breeding activity, in other words - mating;
• purulent inflammatory processes that occur in the mammary glands - metritis, pyometra, etc.;
• increased levels of hormones produced only during pregnancy.

During the third phase of the estrous cycle, the production of corpus luteum begins, which creates the pregnancy hormone. If fertilization is successful, the production of other hormones begins, but if it fails, the corpus luteum remains in the female’s body for 70 days. It is during this period that the pregnancy hormone continues to be produced.

Another reason could be an unsuccessful pregnancy - resorption or death of the embryos. In other words, the puppies died at the developmental stage, but milk continues to be produced, since the dog is conditionally pregnant. Often, the risk of this pathology continues for 4 weeks of pregnancy. The risk is a consequence of violations in the conditions of keeping the female, incompatibility and due to malnutrition.

Symptoms of false pathology

The reason that the dog began to produce milk is precisely false pregnancy syndrome. The pathology can be mild or severe and cause various symptoms.

Physiological manifestations:

• the stomach is rounded;
• nipples swell;
• apathy;
• milk is released from the nipples;
• discharge occurs from the swollen loop;
• lack of appetite and refusal to eat;
• nausea.
• possible worms.

Behavior:

• change in gait - the female begins to fall on her hind legs;
• shows concern and even fear, often ignoring the environment;
• begins to fawn over the owner, asking for more attention;
• often hides in secluded corners of the room;
• As the deadline approaches, aggressiveness increases.

The manifestation of a change in the behavior of the animal is considered the most striking sign of a false pregnancy. Even a previously friendly dog ​​becomes wild towards its owners. It is impossible to say exactly what exactly influences this: the awakened maternal instinct or aggression arises due to the painfulness of the changes occurring in the body.

False contractions are considered a particularly severe symptom - the process is real, complicating the provision of assistance to the dog. The animal really feels the desire to give birth, contractions begin and continue for several hours, aggravating the situation.

Treatment of imaginary pregnancy

Dogs are no different from people, so at the first sign, for example, milk production, it is necessary to promptly contact a veterinarian and take care of the dog’s health. False pregnancy syndrome is quite dangerous not only for dogs, but also for owners. It is often accompanied by complete apathy and lethargy, refusal to eat, as well as serious changes in behavior.

Hormonal drugs are used as therapeutic therapy, which often have side effects. Before prescribing a medicine, the veterinarian must instruct the owners and warn them about the possible consequences. A dog’s false pregnancy can be accelerated by significantly simplifying its course:

• exclude all dairy products from the dog’s food, this will reduce the process of milk formation in the body and stop lactation;
• it is worth limiting fluid intake, even simple food;
• You should also reduce the size of your daily servings;
• the dog should be walked more often, forced to play active games (running, catching a stick, etc.) - this will help speed up the course of the pathology, maintain the animal’s physical shape and distract from worries about puppies on a subconscious level;
• you need to remove most of the toys and limit the dog’s interaction with other four-legged animals, especially puppies.

Frightened by the first signs, owners often begin to think about how to express milk from a dog. This should not be done as it may harm the dog's health. Expressing milk will trigger additional lactation. It is recommended to use a veterinary blanket to prevent the dog from licking the milk itself - it will cover the animal's belly, preventing access to the nipples.

Since one of the characteristic signs of such a pathology is mastitis or, in other words, hardening of the dog’s nipples, it is recommended to lubricate them. A good item would be camphor oil - it will soften the nipples and reduce pain. In addition, you can use compresses with the same oil to avoid recurrence of the situation after absorption.

Your pet's daily diet should be changed. A unique diet should consist of protein foods, as well as foods rich in carbohydrates. In this case, you should completely exclude any products that contain milk. As mentioned above, you should limit your pet’s consumption of any liquid. To do this, you should exclude dry food from the diet, which makes you want to drink, and switch the dog to natural food.

If you have a Dachshund or Pekingese, then this has already happened.

It is also recommended to give your pet mild sedatives - an herbal infusion, for example. This will allow you to overcome aggression in the dog’s behavior, since sedatives will affect its nervous system and significantly calm it down.

Remember that your pet is scared - physiologically she feels like she is pregnant, but she is not. She may also be frightened by all actions aimed at easing the course of the disease. This is why you should give your dog as much attention as possible. Thus, she will overcome the disease faster.

False pregnancy syndrome is a hormonal disorder that causes stress for the dog. This is why it is not recommended to scold or punish an animal. It is entirely possible to prevent the occurrence of such a syndrome only by completely sterilizing the animal.

Often, owners deceived by a false pregnancy begin to worry that the dog has little milk and what to do about it. This is what leads to the wrong decision - expressing milk. Milk stagnation is no less dangerous, so when the first signs appear, you should immediately contact a veterinarian to find out what is happening to the dog.

What do you prefer to feed your pets?

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Porridge with various additives 46%, 8409 votes

Pregnancy in a dog is the period during which a fertilized egg develops into a puppy, from the moment of conception to the moment of birth.

Signs of pregnancy in dogs

Many owners ask what are the signs of pregnancy in a dog.

There are no signs of pregnancy in a dog in the early stages. At this time, it is impossible to determine whether the bitch will have puppies, either by palpation or by appearance.

The first signs of pregnancy in a dog after mating concern not physical condition, but behavior. The dog may become calmer, more affectionate, and sometimes show signs of illness.

Signs of pregnancy in a dog most often appear 21–22 days after mating. At this time, if you know where to look, you can feel small lumps on both sides of the abdomen. These lumps can be felt until the 35th day, and later become soft, so that they can be felt with difficulty. But by this time, signs of pregnancy include an enlarged belly.

By the 4th - 5th week, signs of pregnancy in a dog include thickening on the sides, the body becomes rounded. But sometimes these signs of pregnancy in a dog are visible only at the 7th week.

During the 5th week, enlarged nipples are added to the signs of pregnancy in the dog, and in the 6th week, if the bitch lies on her side, puppies can be felt in the horns of the uterus. A sign of pregnancy in a dog at the 7th week is a significant enlargement of the mammary glands. In the last week, a drooping belly is added to the signs of pregnancy.

One of the surest signs of pregnancy in a dog is the movement of the puppies.

How to detect pregnancy in dogs at home

You can determine if a dog is pregnant at home by the following symptoms:

1. Changes in appetite (during mid-pregnancy, the dog usually loses his appetite).
2. Vulvar discharge (4th week of dog's pregnancy).
3. Decreased dog activity level.
4. Enlargement of the dog's belly.
5. Enlargement of dog's nipples.

How else can you tell if your dog is pregnant? There are additional ways:

1. Pregnancy test. However, please note that a human pregnancy test will not help determine if a dog is pregnant.
2. Veterinarian examination. Typically, if a dog is more than 25 days pregnant, the puppies' heartbeat can already be heard through a stethoscope.
3. Ultrasound and X-ray.
4. Analysis for relaxin is a hormone whose level in a dog’s blood during pregnancy is very high.

Dog pregnancy by days and weeks

The detailed course of a dog’s pregnancy by day and week can be traced using the following table.

Gestation period in dogs

Many owners are concerned about the gestational age of dogs.

Normally, the gestation period for puppies in dogs is 63 days (the gestation period for small breed dogs is on average 60 days). However, if the dog's gestation period is 53 - 71 days, the puppies are born viable.

If puppies are not born after 71 days, your dog may have become pregnant later than you think.

Dog pregnancy calendar

We suggest you familiarize yourself with the detailed dog pregnancy calendar to determine the approximate due date, focusing on the day of mating.

Ultrasound of a dog during pregnancy

An ultrasound of a dog during pregnancy is often performed. Ultrasound is the optimal method for diagnosing pregnancy in a dog.

An ultrasound of a dog during pregnancy can be performed from the 15th day after mating, but the optimal time for an ultrasound of a dog during pregnancy is 24–28 days. It is at this time that the heartbeat of future puppies can be detected.

An ultrasound of a dog during pregnancy makes it possible to assess the condition of the fetuses by observing their movements, heartbeat, etc. You can determine the size of the puppies and their approximate age. And on day 28, an ultrasound is 99.3% accurate in determining whether a dog is pregnant.

But it is difficult to accurately determine the number of future puppies using ultrasound.

Discharge in a dog during pregnancy

After mating, the dog's estrus should stop, but there are cases when a dog discharges during pregnancy.

If your dog's discharge during pregnancy is not too heavy, light pink or clear, this is normal.

Also, on the 21st day of pregnancy, after urinating, dogs have clear, watery discharge - this is also normal. A clump of mucus may hang in a loop or stick together in the dog's fur under the tail. If the bitch is not washed, the discharge may form a brown or caramel crust. Sometimes black or greenish clots come out with mucus - these are embryos that died at the beginning of development.

If a dog’s discharge during pregnancy (3rd – 4th week) is bloody and bright red, this is a reason to immediately contact a veterinarian. There may be several reasons for such discharge, but it is necessary to do an ultrasound to rule out uterine rupture.

If a dog's discharge during pregnancy (at any stage) is dark green, with a strong putrid odor, this may indicate the death of the fetus or placental abruption. Don't wait - take your bitch to the vet as quickly as possible. Otherwise, you risk losing not only all the puppies, but also the dog!

1 - 2 days before giving birth, the dog begins to have discharge of a light brown, greenish or whitish hue - this is also normal and signals that labor is approaching.

Termination of pregnancy in dogs

Sometimes an unplanned mating occurs, and the owner turns to the veterinarian with the question of whether it is possible to terminate the dog’s pregnancy.

So, is it possible to terminate a dog’s pregnancy and how to terminate a dog’s pregnancy?

Termination of pregnancy in a dog in the early stages is possible through the use of hormonal drugs that prevent the implantation of fertilized eggs into the walls of the uterus. Such termination of pregnancy in a dog occurs within 7 days after using the drug.

After your dog has had an abortion, you must return to your veterinarian to confirm the abortion using an ultrasound.

Another option for terminating a dog’s pregnancy is surgery, which involves removing the uterus and fetuses.

False pregnancy in a dog

Many owners confuse a false pregnancy with a failed one. What is a false pregnancy in a dog? False pregnancy is a physiological condition of a dog that, without being mated, exhibits all the symptoms of pregnancy.

Symptoms of a false pregnancy in dogs resemble those of a real pregnancy. The dog prepares the nest, experiences something reminiscent of labor pains, and may handle toys as if they were puppies.

Many owners are wondering: if a dog has a false pregnancy, what to do? First of all, you should contact a veterinarian - you may have to give the dog sedatives that will help the animal return to normal.

Sometimes a false pregnancy in a dog indicates the presence of an inflammatory process in the uterus, and this requires serious treatment.

Sometimes it happens that about a month after mating the bitch, the puppies “dissolve”, although the signs of pregnancy in the dog do not disappear. This phenomenon is called a “failed” pregnancy, and should not be confused with a false pregnancy. False pregnancy in a dog is a condition when signs of pregnancy and childbirth appear in a dog that has not been bred.

Toxicosis in a dog during pregnancy

Toxicosis in a dog during pregnancy can manifest itself in a mild form during the 3rd – 4th week, if the bitch is pregnant for the first time. Toxicosis in a dog during pregnancy lasts 2–3 weeks and does not pose a danger to either the dog or the puppies. Signs of toxicosis in a dog during pregnancy: poor appetite, selectivity in food, vomiting white foam in the morning.

Milk from a dog without pregnancy

A dog without pregnancy may begin to produce milk 2 months after estrus. The appearance of milk in a dog without pregnancy is a sign of a false pregnancy.

False pregnancy in dogs or “false pregnancy” is a failure of the reproductive system in bitches, expressed in the fact that psychophysiologically the dog behaves and feels as if it were pregnant, while in fact it is not pregnant. This is a very common phenomenon, most common in nulliparous dogs, bitches that were bred only once, and also in dogs that did not become pregnant as a result of mating. During the period of false pregnancy, a dog needs the attention and care of its owners, and in some cases, qualified assistance from specialists.

Causes of false pregnancy in dogs

Most experts believe that the source of this condition in dogs is hormonal changes during the sexual cycle. As is known, there are several phases of the estrous cycle, namely: 1) proestrus: the period preceding estrus, during which the formation of eggs ready for fertilization occurs; 2) estrus: coincides in time with estrus, the optimal time for mating 3) metaestrus: the period after the end of the “hunt”, during which regression of the so-called “corpus luteum” occurs if fertilization has not occurred 4) anestrus: a state of “rest” when the bitch’s sexual behavior does not manifest itself or manifests itself weakly.

False pregnancy occurs due to the fact that regression of the corpus luteum promotes the production of progesterone, the pregnancy hormone. Unlike other animals, in dogs the corpus luteum does not dissolve, but functions for about 60 days, regardless of whether the bitch is pregnant or not. Thus, the dog’s brain and internal organs seem to receive a “hormonal signal” that it needs to prepare for the arrival of puppies. When the time comes for the dog to give birth, the release of prolactin, a hormone that promotes the appearance of milk in the dog, begins.

Symptoms of false pregnancy

Signs of false pregnancy in dogs can be divided into physiological and behavioral. During the “spoon”, the dog’s belly visually enlarges and sags, the mammary glands swell and seem to “coarse”. The bitch becomes restless and her appetite increases. She begins to prepare for the arrival of the “puppies” - she builds a “nest”, hides in secluded places in the apartment, sometimes on the contrary, she becomes overly sociable and even intrusive with the owners. After the “birth” period has passed, the dog begins to nurse toys, mistaking them for puppies. She can lie with them in the “nest” for a long time, reacting extremely aggressively to attempts to drive her out of there or take away her toys. Shortly before or immediately after “birth” (about 2 months from the middle of the last heat), the dog begins to lactate (i.e., milk appears).

False pregnancy in a dog: prevention and treatment

Many doctors recommend spaying dogs to solve this problem, and in many cases this actually helps (as long as the dog's reproductive organs are removed and not simply "tied").

If for some reason you do not want to sterilize your dog, you can try to eliminate or minimize the manifestations of false pregnancy after estrus by adjusting the dog’s walking routine and diet. Starting from the 9th day after the end of estrus, it is necessary to reduce portions of both food and water, excluding meat and dairy products, and at the same time increase physical activity for the dog. As practice shows, this significantly “softens” or even helps to avoid the occurrence of false pregnancy syndrome.

If a false pregnancy in a dog is severe, the above symptoms are combined with apathy, you must seek professional veterinary help. Hormonal therapy is often used to treat false pregnancy, but hormonal medications usually have a number of side effects and can be dangerous. An alternative may be treatment based on homeopathic medicines, but it is necessary to select individual remedies for each dog and be sure to consult with specialists before using them.

How dangerous is false pregnancy for a dog?

Due to the fact that milk accumulates in the mammary glands of the bitch during the “spoon”, mastitis can develop. Also, due to the accumulation of excess mucus in the uterus, false pregnancy often leads to pyometra (purulent inflammation of the uterus). This disease has a high mortality rate and is treated only by removal of the reproductive organs, i.e. surgical sterilization (castration) of a dog.

What an owner should not do if a dog is falsely pregnant

1. Do not punish the dog under any circumstances: its behavior during a false pregnancy is determined by hormones and it cannot control it.
2. If the dog produces milk, it should not be expressed. Do not let your dog suck the milk (you can wear a veterinary blanket).
3. Contrary to popular belief, a one-time mating and birth will not save the dog from developing a false pregnancy in the future, and in some cases will only worsen its course.