Phantom pregnancies - Advice on how to deal with phantom pregnancies in setters

[Noeleen Corrigan]

Hi everyone, I am really after some advice here, or experiences on dealing with phantom pregnancies. Betti is 19 months, and she is currently experiencing her second phantom pregnancy. It is really heart breaking, she is off her food, is carrying toys around whimpering and licking them, she is totally depressed, and she is full of milk. I did get some homeopathy tablets from the vet for her. She is settling down now, but this started 9 days ago and has gone on much longer than the first time. Does anyone have any tips?

Noeleen.

[Dee Rance]

No I have just spoken to my pharmacist and you are absolutely correct, but, He said that it is usually, even by homoeopathic Doctors, referred to as coming from Squid ink, but no I have said before that you are never too old to learn, and being given the facts from a homoeopathic Doctor that it was Squid I naturally assumed it was Squid, but you were correct, And I was wrong, and so sorry for the former comment.....It was done quickly, now I will not comment again on Squid V Cuttle fish, very sorry again.

[Margaret Sierakowski]

Firstly, it is better to stay away from vets, who may want to treat her with hormones like Galastop, and may suggest spaying. Especially if you are planning to breed from your bitch, you wont want her messed up hormonally with chemicals.
Although your vet sounds more sensible than most of them

Try reducing her food intake, and feed on a very low protein diet for a few days - boiled rice, pasta etc in small amounts , no meat

And dont worry, bitches who have phantoms are often fertile and promiscuous, mate easily, whelp easily and have large litters, and make good mothers. Having hormones in overdrive has advantages :))

[Noeleen Corrigan]

Thank you everyone for your advice, it seems to be a much more common condition than i was aware of, and i can see where i am going wrong!!! Hopefully the next time i will handle it better.

Noeleen.

[sally foster]

1 teaspoon epsom salts in her dinner will stop the milk

[eva ciechonska]

Hey Sally, have not tried that one, I presume every day until she dries up. Hmmmm. Will put it to the test next time - thanks.

[Karen Dove]

Duchess has phantom pregnancies every time she comes into season. We just make sure she has lots of attention and just to keep an eye on her, and make sure shes not going through any pain. We do give her milk and a warm hot water bottle and she just curls up in her favorite spot and sleeps, but would also love a few tips to help get her through it because it is heartbreaking :(

[Sue Paterson]

I don't give access to soft toys at phantom time either. Interested in the sepia...wish I'd known about it sooner. I'd heard of Pulsatilla helping. We've used Raspberry leaf tablets, a herbal product from Dorwest, which has been helpful. In fact since our first bitch we've given Raspberry leaf to all the girls from 1st season!

[Val Martin]

I have given my girls Pulsatilla and Raspberry leaf (not at the same time) and it made no difference to them, they still have full blown phantom pregnancies..

I am definitely going to get some sepia, it sounds promising.

Where is the best place to buy it from online?

[Tracey Newman]

We had terrible trouble with cherry's first season, milk, weight gain and all I can describe as an annoying soppyness.  We took her to the vet as we had no idea what to do.  He gave her pills which caused her to pile on a load of weight. This time we gave her something homeopathic (sorry can't remember) and raspberry leaf tablets from day one of her season,  no phantom but some weight gain which we have now dieted off.  Only problem is did the tablets work or did she just not phantom this time?

 

[Melinda Auld]

I have one here going through this right now.  She ripped up a lounge cushion this morning, and yesterday dug two enormous holes in our backyard.  She has also developed some impressive "child-bearing hips" - which is nice, since I am supposed to be showing her on the weekend...

 

I would personally rather not use anything "medical" to get her through it.  We just ride it out and try to distract her with other things.

[Deb Bouttell]

We've used both pulsatilla and sepia depending on the type of bitch. Pulsatilla tends to be for the quiet or timid ones , Sepia for the more feisty. Sepia given just after the season ends helps to regulate the seasons.

We use Ainsworths (020 7935 53300), if you ring you can talk to a homeopathic vet who will give advice and we always get stuff the next day.