My pregnant dog is twitching and acting weird. Is it milk fever?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From what you are describing, there are 3 main possibilities. First, Charlie may be pregnant and about to have the pups. Second, she could be having pseudopregnancy, a condition where her body produces hormones as if she were pregnant though she has not conceived. Third, she could be having a condition called pyometra which is an infection within the utetus. There are other things that could be happening, but these three are by far the most likely. As pyometra is a very serious condition and can be life-threatening, I would recommend having Charlie examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible, preferably tonight by an emergency veterinarian. If you cannot get to an emergency vet tonight, go see your regular vet first thing in the morning. I hope this helps and that Charlie doesn't have anything too serious going on!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! During nursing, Jewels' body is using up a lot of calcium storage to help create milk for the nursing puppies. Consequently, this usage of calcium in her body can cause her levels to drop rapidly and cause her to go into a hypocalcemic state known as eclampsia. This can rapidly progress if not addressed right away to full on convulsions. I would recommend taking her to the veterinarian and having her calcium levels tested to see if she is in need of supplementation or not. There may be a different cause but with her feeding the puppies, this is high up on my list. She could also be cold or anxious. Regardless of the proposed cause, it would be best to have a veterinarian take a look at her sooner rather than later. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

She could have a calcium deficiency from nursing the pups and being so young and small herself. If the twitching continues or her condition deteriorates then please take her in immediately since this condition can cause seizures and become life threatening very quickly. It is treated with intravenous medication so a veterinary diagnosis and treatment would be needed. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Flo.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Cookienear! Cookie needs to go to a vet immediately and be evaluated for hypocalcemia, which is low calcium. This is a serious condition after giving birth in some dogs. Once the diagnosis is conformed the Vet will give Cookie an injection to raise her calcium and prescribe medications. I hope this helps and i wish Cookiebear the best!

Thanks for the question. Yes, fever can be a sign of eclampsia. If Cali is acting nervous, distressed, or is having trouble standing or walking, she should be seen as soon as possible. Eclampsia can be a serious problem! If she has no other signs, any fever post-whelping should be evaluated. I hope Cali feels better soon.

This could be due to fever or pain and I recommend a recheck by your vet as soon as possible. Low calcium levels can cause agitation and tremors but would be unlikely so soon after birth especially when you have started calcium already

If Pinky is having muscle tremors or seizures, I would be very concerned that the problem is not epilepsy but rather eclampsia, or "milk fever". This is a life-threatening condition caused by very low blood calcium levels, and is common in toy breed dogs who are nursing large litters. This is a medical emergency, so Pinky needs to be seen by a veterinarian immediately. If you call your regular vet's office, they should have contact information on their voicemail message for your nearest emergency clinic or on-call doctor.