Dogs' False Pregnancy: Causes and Symptoms Explained

Causes:

The condition is induced by the sustained action of progesterone during the estrous cycle. Following ovulation, regardless of whether the dog becomes pregnant or not, the ovarian follicle that released the egg forms a corpus luteum which lasts longer. This corpus luteum continues to secrete progesterone, leading to the manifestation of symptoms in the female dog that are similar to those of pregnancy.

The primary symptoms include those resembling pregnancy and lactation. The female dog may exhibit a slight increase in abdominal circumference, the vulva may become congested and swollen, the breasts may swell, and the nipples may express a milky secretion or leak milk spontaneously. Behavioral changes may also occur, such as nestbuilding, increased maternal behavior, loss of appetite, vomiting, restlessness, and irritability. After 42 days of estrous mating, an Xray examination is conducted. If there is no fetal outline (skeletal structure) within an expanded uterus, it is diagnosed as pseudopregnancy.

Treatment:

Mild cases often do not require treatment and can resolve spontaneously within 1 to 3 weeks. For severe cases, a muscle injection of testosterone propionate can be administered, at a dose of 1 to 2 mg per kilogram of body weight, once daily for three consecutive days. Alternatively, oral administration of medroxyprogesterone acetate can be used, at a dose of 2 mg per kilogram of body weight, once daily for 5 to 7 days. For nonbreeding dogs that experience recurrent pseudopregnancy or for bitches that do not respond to treatment, a total ovariohysterectomy may be performed.

In this particular case, the dog has not been bred yet but is showing lactation, which aligns with the characteristics of pseudopregnancy.