Dog experts? Going North? Star?

tawnya

New Member
I have two rat terriers that have never been spayed. They never go anywhere without me being there. They both were in heat about a month ago, maybe even six weeks ago. I have seen "false pregnancies" before with the older one, where she "nests" and gets big "teats", then it eventually goes away.

Now, with my little one, she has two very enlarged "teats" at the bottom of her belly, and she is being very possesive, nesting, etc. She is even growling at me, which she never does. She won't even sleep on the bed with us, but stays in her cage instead.

My question is...isn't this a little late? Keep in mind that I know she is not pregnant.

Any expert opinions?

Thanks.
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
Well, it ain't too late. Both dogs must be spayed. Repeated false pregnances indicate that hormonal changes are happening that can lead to life threatening illnesses such as Pyometra (Pus in uterus) and others.

AND, you can NEVER guarantee that a pet won't get out and somehow find a mate. Size doesn't matter, nothing really does when the hormones are flaring like that.

Check with your local vet and humane society. It is likely that they offer or can provide info on low cost spay services.

Only the back teats enlarging are quite common in first pregnancies in both dogs and cats. If you watch a litter of puppies or kittens, the strongest infants will take over the hind teats because more milk is available from those.
 

tawnya

New Member
I know I need to get them spayed, it is just that I haven't had the money. I know it is really cheap at the humane society, etc. I just don't have an extra dollar right now. Around here they do it by the pound...so much per pound.

So, do you think it could be a "false" pregnancy? I know what you mean about them finding a mate, but I know for sure that she has not been out without me. I swear!

Of course, this commentary sounds a lot like parents of difficult children, doesn't it? LOL

Thanks, Kat.
 

donna723

Well-Known Member
Years ago when I was a kid we had a dog that went through false pregnancies and she was miserable. And her symptoms were the worst right about the time that her puppies would be arriving if she had been bred.

I agree with GN - you really should have them both spayed ASAP. There's no good reason not to and it's so much healthier for the dog. When I got my Katy she was two years old and had already had two litters of puppies, then was spayed. She developed very suspicious lumps in her back set of mammary glands and the vet was very worried that it was breast cancer. I went through a horrible week thinking she was going to die - when she had her surgery, thankfully, the lumps were only 'pre-cancerous', but she still had to go through a very painful surgery to have the mammary glands removed. Spaying does not make them get fat and it doesn't change their personalities - that's old wives tales. And the old belief that it's good to let them have one litter before being spayed has been disproved too. Vets now believe that the more times a dog comes in to heat, the more they are exposed to all those hormones, the higher the chances are that they will develop breast cancer. Breast cancer in dogs can be deadly, and many times, before you even notice or feel the lumps, it has already spread to their lungs. A lot of vets now recommend spaying at 5 or 6 months, before they ever come in to heat that first time.

*************

I guess we were posting at the same time - didn't mean to preach at you. Around here, twice a year, they have spay clinics and give out vouchers to have it done very reasonably - something like $10 or $15, if I remember right. You might check with your vet to see if anything like that is available in your area.
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
I forgot to mention the breast cancer issue. It's a HUGE issue and the more false pregnancies they have, the more likely it is that they will contract it. The mastectomies are horrible: very painful and extensive because you are talking about removing the entire mammary chain of eight glands.

I can vouch for the spay or neuter not changing the dog's usefullness. I've taken a spayed girl to Schutzhund titles in Germany, had one that was a top tracking dog in Germany (sadly, you can't show a spay or neuter in sanctioned competitions in Europe, but both animals qualified for their titles at the club level)

My current German Shepherd was neutered at 7 months, it did not stop him from reaching multiple high level AKC titles. He does look a bit feminine compared to an entire male, but in all honesty, he couldn't keep his mind on his work until I had him 'fixed'. He never had the temperament for "bite work", but he was the helluva obedience campaigner in his younger years, and also a tracker.

He's retired now due to arthritis and no longer being able to jump or climb like he could in his younger days, but I've no regrets about altering him.
 
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