My dog is lactating from false pregnancy. Why is spaying risky?

Hello. Tasha is likely experiencing something called 'pseudopregnancy'. This is a condition in dogs that occurs about 1 month after their last heat, and their body thinks they are pregnant and about to give birth. She can lactate, and may also try to nurse stuffed animals, or make a nest for the puppies that she thinks she is about to have. This will resolve once she is spayed. In the mean-time make sure she doesn't develop mastitis. Check to make sure the nipples and mammary glands are soft, not painful, and not hot/cold. You can always get her checked by your vet if you aren't sure. Good luck with Tasha.

I am sorry for the delay in answering your question. It sounds like you’ve gotten her to the vet by now, and I hope you got some answers. My thought when reading your question is that some dogs will have some remnant ovarian tissue (small amounts ovarian tissue that either is left behind at surgery or is growing elsewhere in the abdomen). Ovarian tissue can cause false pregnancy which could cause these symptoms. A hormone profile test (run on blood) should be able to give your vet information to determine if there is ovarian tissue still present. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Again I apologize for the delay in your answer.

Thank you for contacting PetCoach with your question about Lav. I've heard many owners quote the UC Davis study, and there are a number of things wrong with the study. Check out this article on it: https://humanepro.org/magazine/articles/deconstructing-spayneuter-debate Not spaying her can cause a pseudopregnancy reoccurrence, but it doesn't increase her risk of mammary tumors. That's already going to be 25% because she's had more than two heats. Keep in mind, 50% of mammary tumors in dogs are malignant. She is eight years old, so she is already at a higher risk of developing cancer simply because she is an older dog. She is also at risk of a pyometra, which is an infection of the uterus that is fatal without treatment. The treatment for a pyometra is spaying the dog, which is an emergency during a pyometra and can cost many thousands of dollars. In all honesty, it's best to spay her. It will keep her from developing a pyometra as well as a pseudopregnancy, and it will keep her from getting pregnant if she accidentally mates. Dogs over the age of six should never have puppies. In my opinion, it's best for her to health to get spayed asap. I hope this helps!

It's very unusual for a spayed female to suffer from a phantom pregnancy, i would strongly recommend to take her to the vet in order to get that checked, it may be a case of a remnant ovary or maybe it is an infection of the mammary glands.

Yes if she didn’t get bred she could be having a false pregnancy. If you don’t plan to breed her I do recommend having her spayed. Dogs that have irregular heat cycles and false pregnancies can get uterine infections that can be very serious and need emergency treatment and spaying. Also the constant hormonal ups and downs make dogs moody and may be a factor in developing breast cancer sometimes later in life. A false pregnancy can last the nine weeks of a normal pregnancy then she should get over it a week or two after that. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Lily.

That is unusual. This may be from spaying her when in heat, and the discharge is just coming out. The hormones also can take up to six weeks to go down so she may be having a false pregnancy even though she’s been spayed. I would watch her closely. These symptoms should resolve over the next few weeks. If the bleeding continues that is not normal and could indicate a problem with the internal incision. If she stops eating, or becomes lethargic then please bring her right in for a recheck. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Cleo.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Poor Maya! Sometimes when a dog is spayed close to the start or the end of a heat cycle they can experience pregnancy signs (false pregnancy). This occurs due to a hormonal imbalance or sudden withdrawal of hormones. The body then thinks that it is pregnant when it is not. The dog will carry stuffed animals around like puppies, nest, act clingy or anxious, they can even have mammary gland development and produce milk! It is temporary but can last 2 months but can be shorter. I hope Maya feels better soon! https://www.merckvetmanual.com/reproductive-system/reproductive-diseases-of-the-female-small-animal/false-pregnancy-in-small-animals