What are the symptoms of canine pseudopregnancy?

Canine pseudopregnancy symptoms include breast enlargement, reddened nipples, increased abdominal circumference, milk secretion, and increased appetite. These symptoms are almost identical to those of a real pregnancy, making it difficult for owners to distinguish between the two. Pseudopregnancy is usually caused by endocrine disorders, improper mating, or other factors. It generally resolves itself after a period of time. During this period, antibiotics can be used to prevent inflammatory infections in the dog's body. However, pseudopregnancy can lead to breast inflammation, uterine pyometra, and other diseases. If any abnormalities occur, consult a veterinarian immediately for medication.

How to treat canine pseudopregnancy

Canine pseudopregnancy is not a disease. If it's a mild case, no treatment is needed. Simply fasting the dog from water and food will stop its nutrition, causing the breasts to deflate. For medium to large-sized dogs, fasting is recommended for 24 hours, while for small dogs, it's 24 hours without food and 8-12 hours without water. Generally, after fasting, the dog will naturally stop producing milk. If other abnormalities occur, consult a veterinarian.

Note: Do not immediately return to the normal feeding amount after feeding the dog. Gradually increase the amount of food step by step. For example, after feeding, give the dog 10 dog food the next day, and 15 dog food the third day.

How long do canine pseudopregnancy symptoms last?

Canine pseudopregnancy symptoms usually disappear after 60 days. As the pseudopregnancy timeline closely aligns with the actual dog pregnancy and birth timeline, owners may mistakenly believe their dog is experiencing difficulties during childbirth. It is generally recommended to have a veterinarian perform an ultrasound or DR examination to confirm whether the dog is pregnant or not after suspecting pregnancy.

Note: If you do not intend to breed your dog, it is best to have it spayed in advance to avoid pseudopregnancy. If your dog already has pseudopregnancy symptoms, wait for all symptoms to subside before having it spayed.