cara's having a phantom!!!

Chestnuttymare

Chestnuttymare

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 February 2006
Messages
4,672
Location
scotland
www.ipcmedia.com
my poor dobie is having a phantom pregnancy. She has milk and is on galastop. She has been carrying a squeeky toy around for 2 days and everytime it squeeks she cries and wanders around with it.
Tonight she is really restless, still with toy in mouth, crying and won't settle.
I don't know what to do. at the moment she is lying at the side of the bed and only at peace with my hand on her. She has been really morose for the past few days.
I feel so terrible for her.
Vet has checked her over and prescribed the galastop but I can't help but worry.
Had she been pregnant, she would be due to whelp around now. This is pants, she is not a happy bunny.
Has anyone else had much experience with this?
Thanks for listening xx
 
I have had a couple of bitches with phantoms, and they do get quite distressed. It probably seems mean but try not to fuss her, you will reinforce her believe that there is something to worry about, just leave her and if she wants to carry a toy round or make a nest let her. It shouldn't last for too long and then she will back to normal. Obviously keep an eye on the milk and if you are concerned that her teats are getting very full speak to your vet, but hopefully the galastop will prevent that.
As your vet probably has said, bitches who have phantoms often go on to have a pyometra so if I were you I would get her booked in for spaying as soon as possible, ideally in a couple of months or so.
 
I asked the vet if the phantom increased the likelihood of her getting pyometra and she said no. The reason she isn't spayed is that I showed her until she ruptured both her cruciate ligaments and had to have them operated on. I never showed her after that and the reason for not having her done was that I felt that she had been through enough to put her through another op. I am fortunate that when she is in season I don't have to exercise her near any entire males so hadn't planned to do it.
I am a bit in 2 minds now tbh. I have discussed it at length with her breeders and in 40 years of having dobermanns, they have never had a bitch spayed and never had one with cancer or pyometra.
I hear what you are saying about not making to much fuss of her, we were just saying that today, hard to do when she is so upset but will definitely try not to. thanks.
 
I had always understood phantoms increased the risk of pyo, but maybe I am wrong. What I would say is that like you I do not have problems exercising my girls away from males, and for that reason never had my old GSD Saffie spayed. I lost her last September from a pyometra aged 12. :(
 
i would recommend you get her speyed. if you dont intend to breed( i would assume not down to cruciate probs) i would get her speyed. she may be a little quiet for a week or 2 after the op, but should soon return to her normal self. and at least you and she dont have to go through the season.
 
no intention to breed, i am not a breeder, just a pet owner.
I think part of the fear is that a friend some years ago had her wee brown bitch done and she died just after the op. I know what a horrible thing pyometra is but i have only known 1 to have had that. I certainly don't want her to go through this again either though. not sure what the chances are of it happening again.
I think I will speak to the vet again on monday.
how long will the phantom go on for do you think? i forgot to ask the vet.
 
Certainly in my breed,bull terriers, older brood bitches or non breeding middle aged girls are best speyed.Each time a bitch has a season her uterus is geared up for reproduction,over the years the uterus ages and gets more and more prone to pyometra.All bitches have a "pseudo" exhibited or not;wait until she is mentally normal and spey her,she`s going through a lot of stress at the moment.
 
chestnuttymare said:
how long will the phantom go on for do you think? i forgot to ask the vet.
Click to expand...

I am no expert, but our lab has just had a phantom (no milk, just nesting and toy carring/nurseing whineing) and that lasted about a week to 10 days, she started on the 26th may, and by last thursday (1week) was starting to ignore her toy at times, I have been away the last 2 days, but when I came back late last night she seemed almost back to normal, and this morning is doing her " normal" things and I havent seen her toy at all today, I think it has been abandoned up the garden!
 
I would second or third the spay.
We nearly lost my old girl (10 or 11) after a phantom and pyo and the spay was an emergency one. She had her last litter (her second, a disaster for all concerned :() at about five and we just left her open. Never again!
 
EAST KENT said:
Certainly in my breed,bull terriers, older brood bitches or non breeding middle aged girls are best speyed.Each time a bitch has a season her uterus is geared up for reproduction,over the years the uterus ages and gets more and more prone to pyometra.All bitches have a "pseudo" exhibited or not;wait until she is mentally normal and spey her,she`s going through a lot of stress at the moment.[/QUOte


You are right she is feeling really rubbish and clinging to me like glue just now and i hate to see her like this. I want to do what is best for her, i really do.
The thing about her is also, she is a very sensitive girl and i worry about leaving her with the vet for the op. i know it sounds stupid but i do worry that it will affect her. and no, of course i know her health is the priority. Thanks all for your kind advice, I will be taking it all into consideration. xx
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top