My female dog acts pregnant, carries toys. Is it a phantom pregnancy?

Hi, if she was pregnant and lactating it should be quite obvious by now because it would be the second half of her pregnancy. Unless she is just expecting 1-2 puppies then her abdomen would not be much different, however it is unusual to have 1-2 puppies only. Lactation could also occur with phantom pregnancy. In order for you to be sure, best to have her checked over, if she has puppies, your vet might be able to check them with the ultrasound and see if they have any major abnormalities. Hope this helps.

Yes, this sounds like a false pregnancy but if in any doubt i recommend an ultrasound scan to rule out full pregnancy . Most cases will pass over time but if she is very distressed and refuses to ear then hormonal therapy can be used to reverse the condition. It is recommended to neuter before or breed at the next cycle as most likely this will recur

It's fine for Harley to keep her 'Pup'. It likely brings her comfort. She will eventually lose interest. Here is a link about false pregnancy: https://www.petcoach.co/article/false-pregnancy-in-dogs/ Please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor girl! I’d allow her to have the toy. Bring the water and food to her. If she is experiencing a false pregnancy then it should resolve in 2-3 months from the end of her heat cycle. I hope this helps and I wish you both the best!

If she is not spayed, this could be a false pregnancy symptom: https://www.petcoach.co/article/false-pregnancy-in-dogs/ It could also be anxiety or just Pepa just REALLY likes this toy. I do recommend to spay all dogs not intended to breed as this is beneficial for health: https://www.petcoach.co/article/spaying-ovariohysterectomy-the-benefits-in-dogs/ I hope this helps.

If you dog is an unspayed female, she could be pregnant or having a false pregnancy. According to petMD, false or pseudopregnancy "is a term used to denote a common condition in a non-pregnant female dog that is showing symptoms of pregnancy, lactation, or nursing, without producing puppies. The affected female dog shows these symptoms about a month or two after her estrus (heat) is over. A hormonal imbalance is thought to play a central role in affected female dogs. Depending on the severity of problem, the symptoms may last for more than a month." Affected dogs may display behavioral changes, including restlessness, nesting and mothering activity. Regardless of whether she is spayed or unspayed, it is important that you have her examined by a veterinarian to rule out underlying medical causes, with symptoms such as pain or discomfort, for her behavioral changes. http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/reproductive/c_dg_false_pregnancy

Thanks for visiting Petcoach. Based on your description of what she is doing, whining and finding toys. This sounds like she may be having false pregnancy symptoms. This isn't painful nor is it a true medical concern for her. However, I can understand it being hard to watch her act in this manner. If you want something to calm her down you can try either Zylkene supplement available online or ask for anti-anxiety medications that can be prescribed by your veterinarian. I would also highly consider having Briggles spayed soon to help prevent any chances of a spontaneously infected uterus (pyometra) which can make pets very ill and require emergency surgery due to it being a life threatening event. This can happen at any time in pets that are not spayed. Here is more information on pyometra in pets --> https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951481 I do hope that Briggles does well moving forward. Best of luck and take care.