# False pregnancy help please...



## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

This really is not typical pseudopregnancy behavior. Is she having any discharge, or a fever? Was a CBC done at the vet? I'd be concerned about the possibility of a pymetra.


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## Dreammom (Jan 14, 2009)

Pointgold said:


> This really is not typical pseudopregnancy behavior. Is she having any discharge, or a fever? Was a CBC done at the vet? I'd be concerned about the possibility of a pymetra.


No, no discharge, no fever...The Vet did not feel it necessary to do a CBC at this point, but if she does not start improving, we will. She still wants to play, has energy, just does not want to eat or drink much, and of course is searching all over for the stuffies I took away this morning. Is it possible to get pyometra after a spay?


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Dreammom said:


> No, no discharge, no fever...The Vet did not feel it necessary to do a CBC at this point, but if she does not start improving, we will. She still wants to play, has energy, just does not want to eat or drink much, and of course is searching all over for the stuffies I took away this morning. Is it possible to get pyometra after a spay?


No, I did not see that she had been spayed. So pyo is eliminated, thankfully.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

There are 2 drugs that have been used successfully in females exhibiting the beahviors your Layla has been, to give her (and you) some relief. They are mibolerone (Cheque Drops) and bromocriptine. If her agitation persists, you might talk to your vet about them.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Do you have to take the stuffies away? We let my foster girl keep hers after she aborted her litter and it helped her to calm down, she would take them into her crate and cuddle them. After a few weeks she gradually stopped doing that.


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## Dreammom (Jan 14, 2009)

Thank you PG, I may have to ask about that tomorrow. Another strange thing she started doing today is shaking like shaking off water - I do know that is a sign of her being extremely stressed, which makes sense.

We had to take the stuffies away per the Vet because of her not eating and drinking - we don't want to encourage the behavior. 

It's a fine line here, she is difficult to ignore, we don't want to baby her too much, and reward her for this... and of course we don't want to be angry with her. She is having a really difficult time.

I was thinking maybe tomorrow I should just leave her in the crate most of the day - that means her pretty jumper I made LOL, and the collar.. but she does seem calmer in there. I did try putting food and water in the crate today, but she got angry and did not want to go back in. ARgh.. this is frustrating, I just don't know how to help her.


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

I would give her the stuffies back. They comfort her.


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## goldencontriever3 (Nov 7, 2008)

I have no experience with this but wanted you to know that you and 
Layla are in our thoughts and prayers.


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## Noey (Feb 26, 2009)

I think I'd give her stuffies back as not having them might be causing more undue stress.


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## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

She sounds so sad. It sounds she's being well care for, she's just having a difficult time grieving. Can you give her one of her stuffies back?


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

I have absolutely no experience with this, but my first thought was to give her back her stuffies. She is obviously taking this really hard and if they help her get through this, so what. I'm assuming this is hormonal and the behavior will go away rather she has her stuffies or not. Having them may just make it bearable.

Your vet saying to take the stuffies away is like grandma telling you to take your child's favorite blanket away because "s/he is too big". Fine in theory but they don't have to deal with the stressed behavior 24/7.


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## Dreammom (Jan 14, 2009)

Thanks all

I did give her one stuffy back yesterday... this morning I gave her all of them - I just could not take the crying and shaking anymore, it has not helped.

This is all definitely in her head. I am calling the Vet this morning to see if he can put her on something to relax her and stimulate her appetite.

thanks again

Julie


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Dreammom said:


> Thanks all
> 
> I did give her one stuffy back yesterday... this morning I gave her all of them - I just could not take the crying and shaking anymore, it has not helped.
> 
> ...


 
I'd ask about the mibolerone - among the other benefits when used in a pseudopregnancy, it will stimulate appetite.


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## WLR (May 11, 2008)

Yes, give her back her stuffies. They are her pseudo litter.


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## Dreammom (Jan 14, 2009)

Well no help for Layla... I talked to our Vet this morning. He says the only thing that has really been proven helpful in false pregnancies is an anabolic steroid... and well they don't like to give those out and look at you funny, because of all of the abuse(his words LOL). He told me again to take away all stuffed toys, blankets etc.... but... when I gave her back her stuffed toys this morning she started shredding them. Gosh I don't think Layla would have made a good mommy LOL.

He did say her not eating and drinking will actually help her to snap out of it quicker. we are to keep doing what we are doing, diverting her with walks, bones, toys, etc.
I do need to keep her away from the other dogs, because she has become aggressive towards them. So... she is going to be spending some time in her crate, I can't watch her as closely there to keep her away from her incision. I am hoping that it is healed enough that if she does chew out a stitch it won't matter at this point. I am worried that the inflatable e- collar, and pretty jumper I made are stressing her out more.

If she does not start improving I will take her to our holistic Vet.. I have read that homeopathic meds are helpful for false pregnancies.


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## goldencontriever3 (Nov 7, 2008)

Oh poor Layla. Hope she starts to feel better soon.


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

Ugh, for some reason, I don't like your vet at all. Not eating and drinking will help her snap out of it quicker? Maybe, but in the meantime her health is going to suffer because of it.

Best of luck with Layla, and I really hope that this resolves itself sooner rather than later. Poor Layla, and poor you! You sound like a wonderful mother for her.


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## Dreammom (Jan 14, 2009)

This is funny, well ok maybe not so funny. Layla is doing better, something inside her seemed to have snapped after she had a run in with the wall today LOL.
She was doing her nesting thing in the chair - all of our furniture belongs to the dogs, not us. She's busily digging away, I asked her to stop a few times, but she was really going at it... the top cushion popped up, knocked a picture off the wall...and scared her to death. She started barking and growling at the wall....then ran in her crate shaking and stayed there for about 30 minutes or so. 

Since she came out, she is acting much more normal... drank a bunch of water, is playing with her toys, and not whining at all. Could this be kind of like getting knocked on the head?. She is a crazy dog.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Dreammom said:


> Well no help for Layla... I talked to our Vet this morning. He says the only thing that has really been proven helpful in false pregnancies is an anabolic steroid... and well they don't like to give those out and look at you funny, because of all of the abuse(his words LOL). He told me again to take away all stuffed toys, blankets etc.... but... when I gave her back her stuffed toys this morning she started shredding them. Gosh I don't think Layla would have made a good mommy LOL.
> 
> He did say her not eating and drinking will actually help her to snap out of it quicker. we are to keep doing what we are doing, diverting her with walks, bones, toys, etc.
> I do need to keep her away from the other dogs, because she has become aggressive towards them. So... she is going to be spending some time in her crate, I can't watch her as closely there to keep her away from her incision. I am hoping that it is healed enough that if she does chew out a stitch it won't matter at this point. I am worried that the inflatable e- collar, and pretty jumper I made are stressing her out more.
> ...


Is this vet well versed in reproduction medicine? Because it USED to be that anabolic steroids were used, but now there are other pharms available. He's overlooked them, to poor Layla's disadvantage.


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## Dreammom (Jan 14, 2009)

Thank you,

Yes he is well versed in reproductive medicine, people go to him from miles around. The two drugs you recommended. one is an androgenic steroid, the other is mostly for milk production which she does not have, at least not yet. His feeling is that she will come out of it on her own, most dogs do. From what I have read yesterday and today, most Vets agree with that, and prefer not to treat with anything.

She really does seem to have snapped out of it today... is doing so much better, drinking water as much as she used to. Eating is still iffy, but she has always been a very picky eater. I wonder if that picture hit her on the head LOL. She is back to shredding all stuffies, the only time she whined since this morning, is when Hurley had a bone she wanted - that is normal behavior for her, she was fighting him for the bone.

We will see how she acts tonight, but so far is being totally normal...If she starts having problems again I will take her to our holistic Vet tomorrow.

Thanks again,

Julie


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## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

I'm glad she's feeling better, I was really sorry for her (and you!!!).


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