Many a vet has had the experience of a bitch being brought in to see them, where the owner is concerned that she might be pregnant. They are certain that no male dog got anywhere near her, but nonetheless, her mammary glands have swollen up, she has been making nests and carrying toys around like they are puppies.

First things first, let’s look at the Red Level: One of the first things the vet will do is to check the date of when the bitch was last in season. From this, they can focus to make sure there was no chance of the bitch having been mated during the most fertile stage. They can also consider how far along she is from her season. If she was pregnant, the mammary development usually only occurs in the last stage of the nine week pregnancy. The mammary development linked to a false pregnancy usually occurs much earlier.

Next, they will check to see if she is pregnant. Usually this can be done with gentle palpation of the abdomen by the vet to see if there is any sign of pregnancy. If there is any doubt, this could be followed by an ultrasound. 

Always assuming that there is no sign of pregnancy, the likely diagnosis will be a False Pregnancy, sometimes called Phantom Pregnancy or Pseudo-pregnancy. This is a common, natural and self limiting phenomenon of bitches, usually taking a week or two for the symptoms to settle.

There are a couple of Red Flags to think about. For some bitches the sheer volume of milk produced becomes an issue. Vets can give medication to help dry this up.  On very rare occasions, the mammary glands can become infected and mastitis develops. These bitches may need antibiotics.

There are a few Green Level supports that can be useful. The aim is to shift the bitch away from mother mode and back into hunter mode. Avoiding too much mammary handling will minimise stimulating milk production. Taking her for extra walks can help distract her. Surreptitiously removing the toys and dismantling her nests will also help reduce her hormonal urges.

In the Amber Level will have some lovely supports we can give. The art is always to match the remedy to the picture the bitch presents.

Pulsatilla – This is a very useful remedy for all sorts of hormonal and female problems. It can help bitches with false pregnancy rebalance their hormones and settle themselves back in to everyday routines. Twice daily for five days, then daily for five days will often help, if the symptoms fit. 

Urtica Urens – Not in most first aid kits, and can be a useful addition to help the milk dry up. Usually given in low potency, such as 6c (there is a lovely quote, “Urtica 30 makes nice and squirty, Urtica 6 makes dry as sticks”). Perhaps three times daily for a week or so.

A couple of herbs that often also get recommended:

Raspberry Leaf – This is very useful for many problems of the bitch. It can be used alongside homeopathic remedies.

Parsley – Freshly chopped and lots given over the week.

With a little help from your first aid kit, your bitch can be back to her normal self very soon. Of course the next cycle will be along 7-8 months later in most bitches and there is the likelihood that she will have another false pregnancy. So think ahead, you may be considering getting her spayed. If not, then starting early with the Raspberry Leaf and Pulsatilla as she comes through her season will help keep the hormones balanced. And if she keeps having issues despite this, then seek out a holistic vet to discuss in more detail.

If you want to know more about homeopathy for your pets, then look out for the new services coming in 2023.

Helios Homeopathic Pharmacy do a great little first aid kit.

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