My poor baby...

I have a 3 year old Boston Terrier. I got her after she was a year old from a guy who couldn't keep her when his job sent him to France (I'm in the US).

After her first heat cycle with me, she had a false pregnancy. She was miserable, milk with nowhere to go, etc. Now, she's doing it again, only this time she wasn't even in heat.

Looks like when this false pregnancy is over, she's going to have to go under the knife and be spayed. She's so miserable right now, and it's hurting my heart.

Maybe she/ you could foster some abandoned kittens or puppies from the animal shelter. It's a win win! I once had a dog that adopted two kittens, I have no idea where she got them, but she lovingly nursed them as if they were her own.

a reply to: Wetpaint72

She is somewhat aggressive, it's mostly towards people at work who reach over the gate. She's definitely a dominant little girl, and while I don't think she would hurt a puppy or kitten, I'd say let's not risk it.

The thought did strike me to put it to use, though, to milk her. My mom has a geriatric 15 year old dog who we are about to start feeding fresh goat's milk as a supplement. Maybe we could use this and provide my girl some relief?

a reply to: Excallibacca
Is she always aggressive, or aggressive because of pain. Just asking. I have two dogs that I would trust to do it and one that just doesn't like to be bothered....her, not so much. Good luck. But, imho I find getting animals spayed or neutered makes for a happier life, if that helps.

a reply to: Wetpaint72

My mom has a kennel so I'm well used to all aspects of dog life. I just don't like having to do surgeries for any reason. It's different with a human who understands why it needs surgery. Poor dog has no idea what's going on.

The only time she gets aggressive is at work when somebody invades what she thinks is her territory. She's good with all the small dogs at my mom's. But reach over my gate to pet her and I'll have your DNA to prove it. If I were to let someone behind the gate, it's never an issue, she accepts it.

a reply to: Excallibacca

Poor dog. It might sound weird but do they make milk pumps for dogs? That would take the pressure off. You might be able to donate the milk to an animal shelter or animal hospital or something?

a reply to: Excallibacca

Sorry to hear your baby is suffering. The absolute best thing you can possibly do for her or any animal is to get her spayed, and it sounds like you're doing just that. Most people don't think of the benefits of spay/neuter beyond the obvious protection against unwanted pregnancy, but there are many conditions such as hers that can be avoided if all those hormones are never present in the bloodstream to begin with. It happens a lot with unspayed female cats too.

Have you not been advised to bind her breasts with gauze to inhibit the production of more milk? Stimulation will only make the problem worse, so trying to pump her milk or use her as a surrogate is probably not a very good idea if she is already miserable and in pain...pumping will only cause the milk ducts to continue refilling and stimulate further milk production. Ice packs can be helpful in reducing the pain and inflammation, and keeping the nipples from being inadvertently stimulated will dry her up a lot faster too.

I hope she makes a quick recovery.

a reply to: Excallibacca I am sorry for you and your poor dog.

originally posted by: Excallibacca
a reply to: Wetpaint72

My mom has a kennel so I'm well used to all aspects of dog life. I just don't like having to do surgeries for any reason. It's different with a human who understands why it needs surgery. Poor dog has no idea what's going on.

The only time she gets aggressive is at work when somebody invades what she thinks is her territory. She's good with all the small dogs at my mom's. But reach over my gate to pet her and I'll have your DNA to prove it. If I were to let someone behind the gate, it's never an issue, she accepts it.

At one time, I had 4 Siamese cats. The mother and 3 of her litter. It came time to have them fixed. The mom was only about 5 lbs, very petite and older. I paid extra for heart monitoring and a few other things in her surgery. You could ask the vet what is available to make it as safe as possible. Be there when your dog wakes up. She'll be fine.

a reply to: Skid Mark

Yeah, I was thinking about our old dog who needs supplemental vitamins until this post down below you, lol

a reply to: tigertatzen

I had considered putting on an old Elizabethan collar I have laying around, but she's already so miserable and pouty. I'm gonna get with the vet tomorrow I hope and see if we can't get some hormone testing and bloodwork/urinalysis to see if there isn't an underlying problem. For now, I'm considering the e-collar and buying her some clothes or something. She has a jacket for the nasty winters (being a short-haired dog), but it doesn't cover her belly.

I'll try ice packs but boy she hates the cold.

a reply to: reldra

The biggest problem is she's a Boston Terrier, a brachycephalic (having a smushed face), and the inherent respiratory problems that come with that makes anesthesia a scary option.

a reply to: Excallibacca

Heat packs may be better for her then...they're just as effective; just figured in the summer months she might balk at something warm on her skin. If you have a Thunder Shirt, or something equally tight-fitting, it'll provide enough compression...even wrapping her around the middle with gauze or athletic bandages would work.

Definitely get her checked out! I don't want to scare you, but sometimes hormonal issues are an early indicator of cancer, particularly breast cancer in animals. Ditto mastitis, nipple discharge of any kind...and just like humans, animals can suffer ectopic pregnancy, which is life threatening. A vet visit should be the very first priority, absolutely.

"False pregnancy" is something that has to be tested for and diagnosed...it could be any number of things, but it is never normal for this to happen.

a reply to: Excallibacca

The biggest problem is she's a Boston Terrier, a brachycephalic (having a smushed face), and the inherent respiratory problems that come with that makes anesthesia a scary option.

The terrible things humans do to animals to manipulate physical appearance is appalling, isn't it? We think it looks cute, but for them it causes health problems and defects. My housemate's chihuahua (also heavily overbred) has a debilitating upper sinus defect that causes him a lot of suffering...but his wife wanted the cute "snub" nose that is responsible for it. Persian and Himalayan cats are that way too...most of them are born with severe tear duct abnormality, from being bred to have that flat face characteristic. It's so sad.

a reply to: tigertatzen

It can definitely get bad, luckily her nose isn't THAT short. She's not on pug level. She's had no health problems before the false pregnancy. The first was just after a heat cycle, so it didn't bother me at all, that's fairly normal.

a reply to: Excallibacca

Yeah, I've seen some Boston's here that I actually thought were pugs...lots and lots of backyard breeding going on around these parts. It's a popular way to make extra money around here.

I had a cat several years ago who had mastitis and it turned out to be malignant, but I honestly thought at first that she was simply pregnant...she was a stray and unaltered. It was actually when I trapped her and took her to the vet that I found out what was really going on with her, and it was too late to save her life. Before that I had no idea that animals could even have breast cancer...I thought that was exclusively a human ailment. Now I do exams on my cats and my pitbull regularly, just like I do myself, so hopefully if something like that were to happen to one of them I'd at least catch it and get them to the vet before it's too late. Scary stuff, for sure.

a reply to: tigertatzen

I scratch her belly often enough to know there are no lumps. I finally got her up and walking around a minute ago and she licked me for the first time today, I rubbed her a bit and she started being her normal hyper self. This all started after the barrage of fireworks on the 4th, she was horrified, she definitely won't ever go hunting with me. I wonder if stress can trigger a false pregnancy...

I have a Jack Russell, she has phantom pregnancies every time she's been on heat. She has an extreme case as she also goes into labour and has contractions which start an hour between down to 5 mins and then it stops.

Unfortunately the VET has said even if I have her spayed she will still have phantom pregnancies and the whole cha bang ;( I have to get medication to stop her producing milk when this happens. It's distressing seeing her like this, I know how you feel ;(

a reply to: Excallibacca

I would think yes, stress is an extremely powerful emotional response and can definitely affect hormone levels in people, so it makes sense animals could have the same reaction. Good that she's perking up a bit...hopefully she will continue to improve quickly!

a reply to: flammadraco

So is this something that is common in smaller dogs like Bostons and Jack Russells? I manage a pet-themed boutique and we have lots of postings up all over the store with informational things for people...it's a farming community so lots and lots of animals around here. I wonder if it's common enough to write up a little info on it just in case people have something like that happen and need advice?

a reply to: tigertatzen

My vet told me it was very common for Jack Russell's, not sure about other small dogs, but was told that once they have phantom pregnancies, they will again with or without spading.