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Topic Dog Boards / Breeding / Phantom Preg worries
- By klangran [gb] Date 18.09.10 22:40 UTC
Hello

I was wondering if anyone could help with my 4 yr old bitch who is having a phantom preg. she has had one before, but this is very odd as she has loads of milk. she is okish in herself but is very very attached to me, guarding me and getting very cross with anyone that comes near me. she is only a small breed and is normally very laid back.

I have started her on some homeopathis meds and will speak to the vets on monday but I am worried about them giving her more hormones and messing her body up even more.

can anyone help suggest ways to make things better for her? she has so much milk she looks like a mini cow. her teats are soft and not hot and the milk is clear so I am not worried about it being an infection but am worried they could become infected if the milk just sits there.

please let me know if u can help

Kate
- By Goldmali Date 18.09.10 22:43 UTC
The best thing for a phantom is to cut down on the food and increase the exercise.
- By klangran [gb] Date 18.09.10 22:47 UTC
hello,
she has hardly eaten anything today. should i just give her minimal food and loads of water and long walks? she did seem to forget when i took her out tonight, but its just the crazy huge boobies...

thank you for the reply
- By JeanSW Date 18.09.10 23:23 UTC
I agree with Marianne.  Hard though it may sound, the 'jolly hockey sticks' approach works best.  Try not to show sympathy (hard I know) and lower her protein levels, as they will encourage her to make even more milk.

Plenty of exercise will help, and remove any toys that she is using as babies.  She feels as if she has puppies, and growling is what all bitches do when protecting those babies.  I do sympathise, I've had one recently with enough milk to feed a huge litter, bless her.
- By agilabs Date 19.09.10 19:28 UTC
I suppose you are certain its a phantom? I know they seem fairly common but it would be as well to be sure before you start the boot camp style exercise!
- By JeanSW Date 19.09.10 21:12 UTC

> before you start the boot camp style exercise!


I think that's a bit harsh.  The OP was given sound advice, but nobody wanted the bitch sent to boot camp.  The advice was given to help the bitch get through it more quickly.  Not as a punishment.
- By agilabs Date 20.09.10 08:55 UTC
I apologise if it sounded like a criticism, it wasn't intended that way. I only meant the boot camp reference light-heartedly! :)  I'm sure the advise is sound, just wondered if the OP was 100% sure of the situation as the things you do to help ease a phantom wouldn't suit a bitch that's due to whelp.

Back to the original topic, there is something they insert directly through the teat of cows to dry them off at the end of milking and prevent Mastitis. Is there a similar product for dogs? (if there is a possibility of the milk causing problems).
- By klangran [gb] Date 20.09.10 19:14 UTC
Hello

Thank you for the messages. Yes, its deff a phantom, she has had them before and even the day she was supposed to be spayed it was cancelled as she started to produce milk. She hasnt been mated although I did worry as she came into season while in kennels but her normal cycles are very predictable and she has a model style flat tummy!

She has been a little better today, took her for a long walk yesterday which I think has helped, but something very odd has happened... when we got home from the walk, she rolled over for a tummy rub and all the fur on her lower tum has gone ginger! do you think this is another sign of phantom i.e. producing soft fur for bedding? its very odd as it seems to have happened so quickly.

thanks again for the help
- By Jeangenie [gb] Date 20.09.10 19:30 UTC

>all the fur on her lower tum has gone ginger! do you think this is another sign of phantom i.e. producing soft fur for bedding?


No. bitches don't use their own hair to make nests. If she's producing milk then she's probably licking to clean and dry her belly, and what you see is staining from her saliva.
- By Sawheaties [gb] Date 20.09.10 20:28 UTC
I agree with JeanGenie, my bitch started on the phantom route and had a bright ginger tum, she also had mastitis. We spayed her and she has gone back to being a loveable girl rather than the monster she turned in to with her hormones. She was due to be spayed anyway so it wasn't just done for this.

My other girl has just had a phantom which seemed to go on for ever, I had just decided that she would be spayed but am now not sure if it would have done anything to her cycle, so am unsure if we have to suffer another season with her son seranading us all or if we can still go ahead so will be asking the vet.

I think the " jolly hockey sticks approach" is the only way. I believe Raspberry Leaf from Dorwest is meant to help, I'm sure they would advise.
- By klangran [gb] Date 20.09.10 20:31 UTC
Hello

I will give them a call tomorrow, the pulsatilla seems to have helped a little but she looks so fed up with it all, I want to help her out of it asap!

thanks again for the help
- By JeanSW Date 20.09.10 20:49 UTC

> I apologise if it sounded like a criticism, it wasn't intended that way


Just goes to show that the written word is easily mis-interpreted!  :-)

You asked about something to dry up milk.  I know several folk that have used Galastop, but I honestly feel that it should only be used if necessary.  I just don't like messing with hormones if you don't have to.

To the OP - I am working with a girl that has booked her Cocker in for a spay 3 times, and not ended up spaying, because she had milk!  Any responsible vet will usually try and persuade you to have it done when all hormones have settled down.

My girl has had milk for so long that I am wondering exactly how long it will be before I can get her done.
- By klangran [gb] Date 20.09.10 21:11 UTC
Jean, thats the same here, she always seems to have a tiny bit of milk, but this is just crazy! when they saw her milk they did they could give her something to stop it, but like you say, I really dont want to mess up her hormones any more. but I am also worried what having such a major phantom will do to her mentally and physically.
- By JeanSW Date 20.09.10 21:17 UTC

> I am also worried what having such a major phantom will do to her mentally and physically.


The really daft thing with my girl, is the fact that she positively seems to be enjoying the fact that she has big titties!  :eek:

She keeps lying on her back, spreadeagled, showing me her tummy for a stroke, and I swear she is laughing at me.  Mouth wide open, showing her teeth, tongue lolled out (think she's having me for a mug!)  She really looks as if she is grinning.

She has actually lost the hair around the nipples, exactly how she would do if she had really been pregnant.
- By AndiK [gb] Date 20.09.10 21:58 UTC
Awwww bless her! I hope she settles down soon - nothing to add really just back up what everyone else has said. One of my mum's JR's used to have terrible phantoms and would gather up all of her toys and then try to periodically kill anyone who dared even look at them funny! When she finally had a litter she was such a good mum! She loved every second of it and was never protective or nasty like she had been with the toys - just more the proud mum and would try and show people her puppies when they came in the house by running backwards and forwards until you had looked in her whelping box! Cracking liitle dog who is now sadly gone from this planet - run free Laura Doo xxx
Topic Dog Boards / Breeding / Phantom Preg worries

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