My Dog ​​is Not Pregnant, But She Has Milk Secretion

If you are sure that your dog is not pregnant but has milk discharge, it is likely that she has a hormonal disorder  after having her period. The so-called hysterical pregnancies can affect about 60% of unsterilized females. Here are some facts about it.

What is hysterical pregnancy in dogs?

Although this is not a disease, you must be careful and take some precautions to avoid complications  that may arise during your dog’s hysterical pregnancy.

Among the symptoms that your pet may present, in addition to the breasts (especially those of the groin area) that are swollen and filled with milk, we have:

• Inflammation of the abdominal area
• Who treats his toys as if they were puppies (he takes them to the kennel, licks them, etc.)
• Restlessness, nervousness and sadness
• Weeping and lamenting
• Scratch the floor and walls
• He doesn’t want to go out for a walk or hides
• Lack of appetite
• Prepare the nest

In some cases,  even if your dog is not pregnant, she may be able to show signs that she is about to give birth.

This is why, even if your dog is not pregnant, she has milk secretion

But  why can dogs suffer from hysterical pregnancy? Everything seems to indicate that this is a survival mechanism.

In this way,  in the wild, the females of the herd will be able to raise a litter  that has lost its biological mother.

This behavior is present in wolves, the ancestors of our dogs. When the dominant female runs out of milk, the other wolves develop these pseudo gestations to help breastfeed the pups.

What to do during your dog’s hysterical pregnancy?

In most cases,  if your dog has a hysterical pregnancy, she won’t need any kind of treatment. The condition should go away on its own as the days go by. In any case, pay her due attention as you may need a veterinary consultation.

In the event that your 4-legged friend has excessive milk secretion, she could have mastitis. Some microorganisms may enter through the nipple canal, causing an infection in the breasts.

In this case,  the vet will have to medicate the dog with drugs that will decrease the hormone prolactin. He may also prescribe anxiolytics if the animal has a severe disorder.

Other tips you can follow during your pet’s false pregnancy

A false pregnancy usually goes away within 3 weeks. In the meantime, you can take the following measures:

• Entertain her with more games than usual
• Get her to exercise more
• Prevent her from stimulating her breasts by licking them (to curb milk secretion)
• Remove the items she has adopted as her puppies
• Be very patient and increase the dose of daily pampering to make her feel better

Consider spaying your dog

You have to take into account that this hormonal imbalance in female dogs tends to recur. This is caused by progesterone, which “prepares” them for motherhood.

For this reason, it stimulates the production of prolactin, which leads to disturbances in the breasts, milk production and maternal behavior.

Therefore,  we advise you to have your dog sterilized. You will also avoid her becoming pregnant and, subsequently, you will not have the problem of finding a home for the puppies.

You will also avoid health problems, such as breast cancer or infections in the uterus.