We have an 11 month old Labrador who has recently started refusing her food. Yet she is very willing to pinch food off a plate. to begin with we thought that she might be pregnant as a few months ago she went into season and since her behaviour has changed. she has become very aggressive and attacks the other dogs. her nipples increased in size quite a bit. however we worked out that if she was having pups it would have been last week. She has become very fussy we used to give her dog food rolls which she loved but due to aggression we had to put her on tablets. which haven't worked. and she didn't mind them. but now she refuses to eat some times. some day we have to feed her froma spoon but even then she doesn't seem interested. she'll eat the left over kitten biscuits but won't  touch food out of her bowl or any of the other dogs bowls. we have tried different food giving her some fresh meat. she will eat some any one have any ideas what to do?

Seasons do affect behaviour so it is probably that. Can I ask why you thought she maybe pregnant ? Stick with one type of food put it down and if she refuses then take it away. Do this a few times and the hunger will take over and she will start to eat.

she was being sick for no reason she became very aggressive and attacking our two other dogs which she never used to do always following one person around and her nipples got extremely large and still are. she is still aggressive and we did take her food away but found that she still wouldn't eat it. we even tried putting it ona plate on the table which worked twice. she isn't even pinching food from the table anymore which she used to do all the time.

can i add that she could be having a phantom pregnancy ?? can play havoc with hormones etc - and behaviour. you know your bitch and what is normal for her, as you say she is eating off plates then at least she is eating, i know that if my girl (lab) EVER refused food i would have her to the vet pronto !! but my flattie and BT are a different story fussy little madams :)

edited to say i have same breed as OP

Yes agree a visit to the vet to rule out any underling cause is a good idea then stick to the bowl down no eat pick up bowl approach.

forgot to add that she started digging in her bed a week ago. Another question is it usual for a dog to go back into season just two months after her last as we have found blood on bedding recently. . sorry just never hada female dog before so this is completely all new to me.
another quick question... why does she keep humping our other dogs :s

My lab bled for 28 days solid and she was very heavy. it could just be the end of her season, the digging etc it all signs of a phantom, you could try giving her raspberry leaf to help with symptoms. i would suggest (as you are not sure what is normal for your girl) a visit to the vets to ensure everything is ok and there is no sign of Pyometra (can be fatal) and obviously a quick check on Friday evening is much better than a hefty emergency saturday night vet bill. Hopefully it is all normal but best to be on the safe side :)

Oh and the humping is quite normal (unfortunately lol)

ah so at least the humping is normal. We unfortunately are unable to get her to the vets due to just spending outa lot of money on the cats and ferrets. so funds are quite tight :( seems she choose quite an inconvenient time to get like this.
Thanks for all the advice though

if possible you could contact the breeder to see what was "normal" for your girls mom ?

If funds are quite tight then you should not own a dog as it is the utmost importance to be able to cover unexpected vets trips. I know times are hard but it is your responsibilty to make sure she is kept in good health.

If she does have a problem and is left then it could results in even more vets bills and undue distress to your dog. Trying to get a diagnosis over the internet is I am afraid a great risk, one which I would not ever take.

Can't you borrow some money ?

Are you SURE you have counted right so that there is no possibility of her being pregnant? What day of her season could she have been got at? A season lasts 3 weeks and what day you count from obviously depends on when she was receptive to mating and possibly mated -if you counted from day one of the season or even later it's not at all impossible she could still have another week or so of pregnancy to go. I would not expect to see another season so soon after a first TOGETHER with a phantom pregnancy. One or the other can happen, especially after a first season, but not both at the same time. This sounds to me like a pregnant bitch or a phantom bitch with a problem that does need the vet.

having re-read the first post i am slightly confused as to why you would suspect she is pregnant? Did you witness a mating take place or did she escape at the time of being in season ? they are the only things that would give me any reason to suspect that a bitch may be pregnant ?

Think there may be 3 reasons for you bitches behaviour, one she may be pregnant although you do not say why you think that, two she may have a severe phantom or worst of all three she may have pyro either alone of combined with one or two. The first thing you should do is take her to the vet as any of these conditions may have a serious end result.

You say finds are tight but what happens if she is pregnant? You'll have a lot more to spend out if she is, also if Pyo and left, well thats not worth thinking about. The sooner you get her to the vet, the sooner you'll know and then can take action if some is needed..

Is she insured at all?

sorry. the other two dogs have tried mating but we separated them quick enough. however we can't be sure about at night time as our attempts to keep the dogs separate were in vain as she jumped and worked through any barrier we put up . as for unable to pay for vet. our cat hada complicated laboura few weeks back and spenta lit on treatment plus ferrets needed injections so its knocked us back otherwise I wouldn't have posted on here for advice as I would have gone to the vets by now

So when did the season start and when did it finish? What dates? Sounds to me it's very possible the bitch is pregnant.

we are unsure as she had a phantom heat cycle and then a proper one about the end of August to the beginning September.

You still need to get her to a vet though then worry about the money afterwards.

I agree with the others that it sounds like she could be pregnant and due. If money is a problem are you eligible for the PDSA? I think it depends on the area  but there website says:

Who can PDSA help?

PDSA Vet Care services are available to pet owners who receive either Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit, and live within a defined catchment area around each PDSA PetAid hospital or practice.

All popular domestic pets are treated, dogs, cats and those described as 'small furries'.

Please don't wait until your pet is sick or injured, find out today if PDSA can help you.

Another option, if you have a good relationship with your vet they may be willing to treat her and let you pay it off in instalments.

3rd option, find a sheep scanner in your area and have her scanned, if she is due that soon they will be able to tell you if she is in pup or not so you'll be a bit further ahead. IME sheep scanners charge very little for a scan, vets a lot more!