Producing milk but not in pup??!!

[claire1976]

My springer has started producing milk and, for want of a better word, developed breasts!! I'm 99.99% sure she's not in pup as she never leaves our side and our other dogs are spayed bitches anyway. We have a new boy dog who is castrated - could that have provoked a phantom pregnancy? She is not showing any others signs of a phantom pregnancy though and I've seen it in other dogs.
Just curious as to what could have caused it - got vets appt tonight so we'll see!

 

[CentrestageSHS]

My Jack russel bitch has a least one phantom pregnancy a year and she has done since she was two (she is now 7 years old). She has had three litters and is fine when she is in pup or has puppies but now she is getting older we have stopped breeding from her and it is like she is depressed!!!! She always has been a very broody dog and loves all baby animals, she would foster anything!!! The first time she did it we were convinced she was in pup, she stayed in bed all day making nests, she'd be whining and restless. her teats were very big and swollen and were producing lots of milk and she got a lot fatter, possibly due her not wanting to leave her bed and exercise. We live on a farm and she decided to make a nest in a barn we had, she would spend all day up their and when we called her into the house at night she would sit and whine at the back door so she could go back to her nest in the barn! Anyway, this always subsides, and her teats go back down and she returns to normal like nothing has happened!! She did get a touch of maestitis (sp?) once because she had nothing to give the milk too.
Things that seem to have triggered her: Contact with spayed male dogs, the biggest thing we think is contact with other young animals, puppies, kittens etc. Just before she had her phantom this time we looked after a neighbours kitten for a few days and she was besotted with it, it was like she had lost one of her own when it went!!!
just a few ideas, it is best to leave them to their own devices when they do this, they soon come round again!