Some owners will be curious that apparently their dog lives under their noses and does not mate with the male dog, but they seem to be pregnant. Not only do they practice holding the cubs, but they even secrete milk from their breasts. In fact, this is because of fake pregnancy. The dog mistakenly thought he was going to be a mother. But why do dogs behave like this? What should the master do?
Fake pregnancy (hereinafter referred to as fake pregnancy) refers to mature female dogs, regardless of mating or not, having similar physical changes and behavioral changes, such as transformation, such as breastfeeding tendencies, or building nests for young people, but not giving birth on the expiration date. Fake pregnancy is the most common among bitches at 8 weeks after estrus 6 times. At this time, this symptoms occur due to hormone imbalance in the body. Depending on the severity of the problem, the symptoms may last for more than a month. Adult bitches, older bitches and mating or unmatched dogs may have symptoms of fake pregnancy. The incidence of pseudo-pregnancy may be affected by age, breed, delivery and environmental factors.
The fake pregnancy of a dog changes over time and shows different characteristics. In the early stages of a fake pregnancy, the dog has a gentle personality and looks no different from usual, but it will have an increase/decreased appetite, vomiting or diarrhea. In the middle stage, the dog's breasts begin to develop, swell, have an enlarged abdominal circumference, gain weight, drowsiness, and may have aggressive behavior. Near birth, dogs feel uneasy, anorexia, aggression and begin building nests for their pups. They usually bring toys somewhere and their breasts start to produce milk or brown liquid. At this time, dogs will protect their toys because they will think of them as pups, so it is best not to rob the toys with them at will, the mother's instinct will be enhanced and she is willing to feed other female pups.
If the dog is a fake pregnancy caused by endocrine disorders, the above symptoms will disappear on its own after 2 to 4 weeks.
1. Endocrine disorders
Endocrine disorders are an important reason for fake pregnancy in dogs. After the bitch’s estrus cycle ends, the ovaries begin to produce hormones regardless of whether it is pregnant or not. These hormones prepare the uterus for the fetus and begin to develop pregnancy symptoms. If the dog becomes pregnant, hormones will continue to develop shortly before the puppy is born. If it is not pregnant, hormone levels will begin to drop after 4-6 weeks. Fake pregnancy occurs when the amount of progesterone secreted by the corpus luteum is equal to that during pregnancy and exists for too long.
2. Affecting reproductive diseases
When corpus luteal lesions in dogs occur, they will lead to abnormal secretion of progesterone hormone. Other diseases such as endometriitis, uterine fluid, uterine pus and other diseases can also lead to abnormal secretion, which is a false pregnancy.
3. Dietary Effects
To make the dog grow faster, some owners will feed it growth agents or foods containing a lot of estrogen, which will disrupt the hormone balance in its body.
1. If the symptoms of a fake pregnancy do not disappear, the breasts swell and juices are continuously secreted, the juice accumulated in the breasts is at risk of mastitis, and in severe cases, it will lead to breast ulcers or even necrosis.
2. Fake pregnancy. If it occurs because of the uterus, the dog will continue to secrete purulent secretions, which will aggravate the condition. If not treated in time, it may be life-threatening.
3. The symptoms of fake pregnancy in dogs are similar to many diseases, such as ascites, tumors, etc. The owner may confuse the disease, not pay attention to it, and delay treatment.
If it is a mild vacation pregnancy, you can not treat it because the symptoms will disappear within 2 to 4 weeks. The owner can press the breast at home to help it discharge secreted milk, relieve swelling, and bring Elizabeth circles to it to prevent it from licking and irritating the secretion of milk.
After that time, the dog still felt uncomfortable, had a strong reaction, or had a serious change in behavior, so the owner needed to take it to the hospital for treatment. The doctor may use sedatives to relieve his anxiety and diuretics to reduce his milk production. In rare cases, hormone therapy may be required. If you don't want your dog to mate and breed, you'd better sterilize it in advance to avoid fake pregnancy. If the dog has symptoms of a fake pregnancy, it needs to wait for all symptoms to relieve.
Owners should usually pay more attention to the dog's behavioral response. If he finds signs of fake pregnancy, he should pay attention to the time period when the symptoms develop. If the symptoms do not relieve themselves after a period of time, he should take the dog to the doctor for treatment to avoid delaying the condition.
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