This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kent Stokesberry,

Kent, Buy Her A puppy!! (knowing your sense of humor, I had to say this). Actually, after thinking about it, this MAY be your solution in the long term. Plus you get another Hunting Partner to "run" your life.
Monica, the yellow Service Dog, was never spayed and would always have 'false pregnancies' after each heat cycle. She was almost impossible to be with. I got her a 'stuffed dog' -realistic looking- that she tried to nurse, clean, & 'adopted it'
as her own pup. She slept with it until she died. A stuffed dog won't work with a cbr - too smart. But a living puppy, well
she might consider it hers. It may also prevent future 'moments' when her "puppy' is still there. A Chocolate Lab or Chessie pup/young dog may be her ticket to security - after all, she just wants her own pup to take care of. Charlie

My first bitch also had false pregnancies after every heat cycle. I was able to limit this tendency by 1) keeping her extremely lean through her heat and immediately after her heat and 2) limiting her access to water during this period. She wasn't a happy camper, but it worked.

Claire

All my bitches have false pregnancys...
It must be the line of dogs....
I always get teased about it being my water too!
We have to "HIDE" all the toys .



Joyce

Kent,

One of my bitches collected all the red kongs in the house, mothered them, washed them and tried to nurse them! It was rather comical!

This seems to go hand in hand with chessies and is at least a sure sign they have ovulated during their heat cycle.

Kathy

Hey Kent,

Thanks for reading my post so carefully! I didn't limit her swimming, but I did limit her drinking water. My bitch is the sort that will drink much more water than she needs, so I just mean that she didn't get as much as she would have drunk. I think that they don't develop big udders is they don't drink a bunch.

OTOH, there are others on this board with a lot more experience than I have!

Claire

Kent, Be thankful you don't have a Post PMS/Menopausal wife & a chessie at the same time - makes you want to lock them in a closet and see who survives. I'm betting on the Chessie!!
My vet told me (refering to Monica) to keep her cool. Setting her in cold water would help alleviate the symptoms (told that by reducing the body temp, the hormnal/chemical changes in the brain would lessen). Don't know if it will help
Rita; I could never get 105lb water hater Monica into the tub (thought Labs liked water). Why a Chessie Rules!!
How is Cane doing with his stitches? The heat now must be driving them both crazy (and you too). Cane also senses Rita's stress and responds to it; I'm glad I live across country - your neighbors Must Love You. (ha-ha) Charlie

Hell I saw the post and thought you were pregnant. I know your up for it.

Kent, I assume Rita is not in a heat cycle (in season) now? (because of your posting thread 2 months ago). Or was your post
an afterthought from her last cycle. If she's in season, her niples will become sore and bothersome.
Several points of consideration may be at play here. 1st has her normal diet been changed? Type/brand of food? Additives?
2nd, because of the time of year (generally spring/fall), the pollen/spore counts are elevated and allergic reactions can develope where previously did not exist. This could be a possibility. 3rd, do you notice any redness or swelling on or near her nipples? Any redness, rash, or spoting in this area? Any sores or abrasions? Physically examine areas. 4th, Any signs of discomfort - in movements, being rubbed, difficulty in maintaining a certain position?
Possibility of intestinal infection? (eating rocks because of pain, discomfort, or feelings of bloat or stomach extention)
Possible allergic reaction or external infection.
Possible diet deficiency (eating rocks to obtain nutrients missing)
All 3 medical conditions could explain Rita's behavior. (always rule out potential or medical conditions before accessing
behavioral issues). Recent bloodwork for hormonal/chemical changes? Possibility she recently stumbled onto something out-
side that she ate that she should not have? Consider these points and reply with answers and some more description of her
new eratic behavior. Charlie

Kent,
my Puffin is the queen of false pregnancies. She's had some doozies. She does bag up like a milk cow. Doug was convinced one night she was suckling herself, but it's just the sounds the licking makes when she crams her snout between the swollen udders to lick. She actually licked a sore on herself once. I think, when they fill up with milk they get very uncomfortable so they lick. Unfortunately, as much as they mother and care for their little broods of toys and stuffed animals, they do nothing to relieve the pressure of the milk! They can even get mastitis, so you might want to check for hard areas, redness, tenderness, etc. as if she gets mastitis she needs to be on antibiotics.

I think Claire's suggestions earlier in this thread of ways she got her bitch to dry up is probably the way to go. Obviously if your girl gets mastitis she needs to see a vet, it is extremely painful.

My very good repro. vet said all bitches have false pregnancies. All of them go into hormonal overdrive after their heat cycles, and their bodies prepare for pregnancy whether or not they're bred--the uterus readies for little fetuses, the hips get lax for whelping, etc. Some just have more obvious signs than others, some even go into false labor! But, he also said that those with very obvious false pregnancies also tend to make the best mothers.

quote:

Originally posted by Julie R.:
But, he also said that those with very obvious false pregnancies also tend to make the best mothers.

.....interesting Julie, I have never heard that.

Norene S.
Nordom Chesapeakes

Kent, Since your confirmation of Rita is licking, can I assume she is in season (your last post on this topic was Aug 08 -
and too soon to be in heat - if she was in heat then or your post was an afterthought).
The stone size I'd assume are small that she's ingesting. Check surrounding areas for signs of her 'bedding' (nesting).
Apparently she is outdoors (to obtain stones) so she might be building her den/nest using rocks. Is it possible that she is swallowing smaller stones/rocks trying to gather bigger ones to build her nest. Especially if loose gravel or small stones/rocks are mixed in with the larger ones she wants. Or more apt, she is trying to grab tall grasses to line the bedding and there are small rocks/stones underneath. (she would use both - rocks as a barrier to contain or corral pups in and grasses as a soft bed to lie on). If this is the case, a 'nest' would be relatively easy to identify, but spoting it may be tricky. A dog will hide their den/nest out of the way and often out of sight. Chrlie

Kent, "indigestion"!! You have not been allowing Rita to watch the presidential debates, have you??? Enought to sour even a
dogs' stomach. Poor Girl!! Hope she bounds for Duck Seasons opening day. She'll be busy!!
(my vet told me to give Chelsea the pink chewable "pepto" tablets (cannot remember the chemical name now - brain freeze).
He said it was safe for the dog and really cut down on the acid concentration in the stomach and prevented reflux - acid coming back up the throat). Give her a bowl of milk, read her a bed-time story about the "great Chessie" who retrieved 50 ducks/day, tell her she can be that chessie (on Sat) and to have good dreams of duck hunting. HaHaHa!! Best of All, Charlie

Thanks, Kent, I'm glad to be of help once in a blue moon!

Some Chessies like rocks in any season, but if Rita's attraction to them is related to her false pregnancy then Charles is probably right. In general, Chessies impress me as being pretty feral.

Claire