Checkup / Pseudopregnancy?

[Shelley]

Hi Berna,

I am really not interested in a debate this topic, especially on a pet board, where there aren't a lot of breeders present. However, I have had this discussion with my reproductive vet, and she says there is no connection between having a false pregnancy and resultant pyometra. Pyo is caused by presence of bacteria and progesterone, false pregnancy is a result of normal, routine hormone cycles, and is very common. If all the breeding bitches contracted pyo after a false pregnancy, it would be an epidemic, and it is not. The risk of pyo in inherent in intact bitches, so the risk is there, don't get me wrong, but it is not related to false pregnancy.


"False/pseudo pregnancy, or pseudocyesis, is a normal physiologic process that occurs in female dogs. It is not associated with reproductive organ disorders. It is seen 45-60 days after a normal estrous (heat) period. It occurs when progesterone levels, which rise after ovulation, begin to fall. Decreasing progesterone leads to an increase of the hormone prolactin."

Taken from:
https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vmth/local_resources/pdfs/repro_pdfs/cepseudopregnancy.pdf


"Some might have the classic drop in temperature and even experience contractions. These symptoms will usually regress within 2 to 3 weeks and the condition won’t affect the timing of the next oestrus cycle. There is no association between false pregnancy and any reproductive abnormalities."

Taken from:
https://griffonclubvic.com/ask-dr-iain-false-pregnancy.asp

Anyways, have a great day!

[barry581]

Sophie had a false pregnancy after her first heat. I let her have a second heat, then spayed her a couple months after she came out of season. No issues what so ever.

[Abulafia]

Related question, do you allow her to swim while she is in season? I think we chatted about this before, so forgive me if you already know this. :-) Edited to add, I know she isn't in season now, but was a few weeks back.

Technically, depending on where she is in her season, the cervix is more open and receptive for breeding, this also allows bacteria in, such as E. coli, or contaminated water from swimming, then when the cervix closes, it traps whatever is in there, inside. I caution my families to not allow swimming while they are in heat, from first sign to at least 4 weeks later. I know others aren't as cautious as I am, but thats the way it is.

Nope; no swimming at all while in season, for the reasons you stated.

[Abulafia]

Do you have something to support this? I just mentioned my colleague's dog because it's a more recent example. I didn't say it will certainly happen, I just said there's a higher risk. Also, you breed your females and Hoku won't be bred, which should also be considered. Of course it should be Abulafia's choice whether she spays her dog before her next heat, in 5 years or never [...]

Hi Berna—

I signed a contract that agreed that we'd not alter her until two full years, so I intend to honor that. Once she's two, I'll confer with the breeder and decide what to do.

I did have a dog—growing up—who got pyometra (she was seven, and had never been spayed), so I am very aware of how serious it is. But I think that it's also serious that she get two full years of growth hormones in before we deprive her of such. Also: signed a contract.

And yes, I will probably try to do an ovary-saving hysterectomy; I believe I have found at least one local vet who will do it.

[Annette47]

Hi Berna—
And yes, I will probably try to do an ovary-saving hysterectomy; I believe I have found at least one local vet who will do it.

Interesting idea - I’d like to know more about the pluses and minuses of that. I’m not sure I’d be interested in doing that without reading a lot more. I do think the hormones and going through a heat cycle or two is important as they are growing and developing, but with girls, the risks associated with being intact increase with age - not just pyometra (which would be prevented by this procedure) but also mammary cancer which would not be affected. I know the risk is small but we had Jolie spayed at age 12 while she was under having a mastectomy due to a mammary tumor (she also had a mast cell tumor removed during the same surgery) so it does happen.

The other thing is, with males, they always have the hormones unless/until you neuter them, but my understanding is that spaying a girl permanently puts her in anestrus (how she is between heat cycles) so it’s not as “foreign” to her body. I could be wrong though, as I know new information on this topic is always coming out. I guess I’m just not sure what the benefits are to keeping the hormones going in a girl once they are done growing. I absolutely think this would preferable to an early spay, but would it have the same benefits to a dog that had been through a few heat cycles?

Oh, and I’d wonder exactly which signs of being in heat would be affected by this procedure - obviously there would be no discharge, but would she still have vulvar swelling and be attractive to males? Being that I compete in performance events with my girls, it’s something to consider!

[Abulafia]

I started researching this around the time we got her—I'd already known we wouldn't alter her before two years of age—and I am still. Not jumping into anything yet, just researching.

[windycanyon]

I've had girls have false pregnancies to a minor degree (puffiness of the mamms mainly, but their trainability/ performance also drops way off for a week or 2!). Never (knock hard) had pyo, and I don't typically spay until after age 7.
The hormonal cycle is identical w/ every heat cycle, whether they are bred or not... I have set a personal limit of 10 cycles for my girls, then spay so this puts most of mine at age 7.

[Abulafia]

When my (childhood) dog—an absolutely gorgeous and wonderful Lab / Dalmatian mix: coat like a seal, and the most wonderful disposition—had pyo, I don't think our family had even had this on the radar. It was open pyo: a heat cycle that didn't stop bleeding, and it was obviously something was REALLY WRONG, and so we took her in and she had an emergency hysterectomy. It was very scary—she ended up fine, but we could have lost her. And we'd had no idea. There was nothing political in our family's decision not to alter: we just knew that she could never get out to be impregnated, we watched her carefully during her cycle, and we didn't know about the dangers. I remember that when she got so sick, it was terrifying. When they took out the uterus, it was on the verge of rupturing, which would have meant immediate death.

Since Hoku won't be bred, we'll alter sooner rather than later. But I feel fairly comfortable with the plan we have (let her reach at least two years). At that point, I need to make sure I have a vet that is comfortable spaying mature bitches. One of the vets at our place said she "hates that," which made me nervous. I think it's because surgery on a mature dog is more complicated due to internal anatomy (muscles, fat, etc.); if I don't think the surgeon is comfortable, I'm going to contact our breeder for her advice on a veterinary surgeon.

[Annette47]

When my (childhood) dog—an absolutely gorgeous and wonderful Lab / Dalmatian mix: coat like a seal, and the most wonderful disposition—had pyo, I don't think our family had even had this on the radar. It was open pyo: a heat cycle that didn't stop bleeding, and it was obviously something was REALLY WRONG, and so we took her in and she had an emergency hysterectomy. It was very scary—she ended up fine, but we could have lost her. And we'd had no idea. There was nothing political in our family's decision not to alter: we just knew that she could never get out to be impregnated, we watched her carefully during her cycle, and we didn't know about the dangers. I remember that when she got so sick, it was terrifying. When they took out the uterus, it was on the verge of rupturing, which would have meant immediate death.

Since Hoku won't be bred, we'll alter sooner rather than later. But I feel fairly comfortable with the plan we have (let her reach at least two years). At that point, I need to make sure I have a vet that is comfortable spaying mature bitches. One of the vets at our place said she "hates that," which made me nervous. I think it's because surgery on a mature dog is more complicated due to internal anatomy (muscles, fat, etc.); if I don't think the surgeon is comfortable, I'm going to contact our breeder for her advice on a veterinary surgeon.

Yes, be sure the vet is comfortable. The vet who did Chloe’s said it was the most difficult one she’s ever done as her uterus was in bad shape (falling apart) and she had tons of adhesions following the c-section. They told us afterwards that they almost lost her at one point. Thankfully she is fully recovered, but you do want a vet who knows what they are doing.