Female animals

[Karrie13]

I have a broody black sex link, didn’t think they were supposed to go broody but this one sure is. Driving me crazy.

My Rottweiler is going through a false pregnancy right now and believes a red lady bug squeaker toy is her puppy… she baths it and gets it to “nurse” too. Won’t let any of the other dogs near it. Called the vet and talked to a vet tech that said there is nothing that can be done, except spay her now. I am going to spay her but everything I read said you don’t want to do that when they are going through something like this… messes them up for life. I mentioned the fact that she is treating and protecting the toy from the other dog’s, the vet tech said “Well she is a Rottweiler and will be aggressive”. She isn’t being aggressive at all, that wasn’t what I said! Daisy is a very sweet girl and I trust her around anyone more than our mini schnauzer. I hate breed profiling! I am looking for another vet now, it is a shame I like the vet but the techs there are worthless. They will say one thing and I ask the vet and she tells me something totally different.

I don’t know which is worse a broody hen or a “broody” dog!

 

[HarlansHollowFarms]

Quote:
Maybe you should ask the tech to have the vet call you, and speak to him if you like and trust him.

 

[emvickrey]

I had a chow that did that. She gathered up all her toys and kept them in a bed she made and treated them as if they where her babies. When she went out to potty she would cry to come back in and she would go straight for her nest. She started this right after a heat. The vet said she had an infection in her female organs and perscribed her antibiotics. She recovered and her toys where no longer her babies. We didn't have t spay her. I would think to spay her while her hormones where at that level would really mess with her head. We had to spay another chow bcause she couldn't give birth. She would go into labor for a short time then it would stop. Her first puppy was removed because it had died. Her second my husband delivered and the third died and caused problems and we had her spayed and aborted at the same time. She was aggressive after that.

 

[hoppy]

Quote:
your dog did not become aggressive because you spayed her, she more likely became aggressive because she was getting older, more mature and would have done this regardless of having puppies or not .

 

[aggieterpkatie]

I don't understand why spaying her now would "mess her up." Where did you hear/read that?

 

[Mandalina]

My 10yr old chihuahua female had 4 false pregnancies.Oh my word,i would rather have a broody hen LOL!
She starts off in heat and is allll over my chi male, who is fixed.Then she thinks she is preggers and makes a special area for her pups and gets really snippy.Then the best part, she starts lactating, thinks my male chi who she previously was all over is her pup and then mothers him for 4-6 weeks to the point I can barely pick him up without her being aggressive LOL. Then she snaps out of it...
I am glad she stopped going into heat a year ago bc it was ridiculous LOL!

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

Is she actually lactating? If she isn't she isn't having a 'true' 'false pregnancy' - she's just got a high urge to be a mother. - My Chow/Shepherd mix has been spayed since before she went into heat and she does similar behaviors from time to time - god forbid I have kittens - she adopts them immediately and carries them around like puppies and lays with them etc... Its just a nature things some dogs/cats/chickens animals in general have a bigger spur and natural instinct to be mothers and nurturers - while others are the opposite.

Spaying while in heat, pregnant, or in false pregnancy is not going to hurt them mentally or physically. Its done very often. Spaying them removes the extra producers of estrogen that is creating the false pregnancy and the hormones will die out slowly - no harm done.

Why is she not already spayed? Have ya'll planned on possibly breeding her?

I'm a firm believer if your not going to breed a dog or cat - get them spayed/neutered. especially small dogs - as they are extremely likely to develop cancers. My friend is taking her chihuahua in who isn't but 5 yrs old to get a golfball sized tumor removed from her mammory gland and a cancerous ovary removed and spayed next week because she 'was afraid to do it' and then 'just never got around to it' *sigh* now she's paying that price. that poor dog is miserable first from pain then from being doped on pain killers for the past 3 weeks while my friend gets the money to do the surgery. *sigh* she was originally quoted at one place 650$

and I found out last week - and got her to go to my vet. He's charging her $200 for it but can't fit her in till next Thursday but the poor dog is finally getting treated and cared for.

Many times if a dog goes into a bunch of false pregnancies on top of heat cycles - same if they breed and have puppies too much - they are very likely to develop cancer of the female organs because of the estrogen levels and stress on the body.

Oh also editing to add : hormonal dogs like you all have noted = more tendancies to be aggressive while in that state.

 

[muscovy94]

Our cat went through a false pregnancy. She would go in my room and get socks and put them in a big pile in the living room and try to get them to nurse and protect them.

 

[Karrie13]

Quote:
Yes she is lactating. I have no plans what-so-ever on breeding her, I do not want to deal with any puppies. She is a wonderful pet, but she isn't up to breed standard so it wouldn't do the breed any justice for her to have puppies either.

She isn't spayed yet (but will be soon) because female Rott's have a higher chance of getting bone cancer (3 times more likely) if they are spayed before their first heat cycle. It is kind of a trade off, if they are spayed later then they have a higher risk of mammary cancer.

We had a cocker spaniel when I was growing up that constantly had false pregnancies and she was even spayed. I really hope this is a one time deal with my girl.

 

[Karrie13]

Quote:
Maybe you should ask the tech to have the vet call you, and speak to him if you like and trust him.

That is a good idea. It seems though that you always seem to deal more with the vet techs there than the actual vet. There are two vets but 5 vet techs, only one of them is any good. I have a habit of doing a lot of research on an issue before I call or go to the vet (as long as it isn't an emergency) so I have an idea about what is going on before I get there. I never say anything to them though, it is more for my peace of mind.