# False pregnancy after spaying?



## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

Molly was spayed two days ago. Yesterday she woke us up early whining and wanting out of her crate (unusual for her) but we attributed that to her sleeping most of the day before. She seemed fine, energetic as usual, affectionate. She's wearing a onesie, doesn't mind a bit.
Toward evening she cried to go upstairs with hubby about an hour early and into her crate, again a little unusual. This am, again she cried at 5am to get out. She is walking around restless today, whining on and off. Then she will crawl in my lap and cuddle and sleep very contented.
Her incision looks good. She isn't eating a lot, but she is eating. At 18 months she started cutting back on how much she eats a couple months ago.

She went into heat March 4 and was over it in 2 weeks. We waited to do the spay until May 18. Her nipples were still slightly swollen but were not large and she wasn't producing milk and she acted totally normal, not like a false pregnancy. 
We didn't want to delay spaying any longer because we will be traveling in the fifth wheel and wanted her to be through recovery before summer and before it got hot. 


Could this strange behavior be because she is going through false pregnancy from the spay? Right now she is fine, sleeping on my lap, happily, calmly.


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## Shamrockmommy (Aug 16, 2013)

I doubt it is a false pregnancy. It's probably some discomfort from the healing. As I recall from my c-sections 2 days afterwards it seems like that is the worst pain from the healing. 

She will be better in a week or so, if not sooner.


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

My poor baby! I'm just spending the day sitting with her. Can't do much else anyway - too darn tired from 3 night of 4-5 hours sleep (maybe) LOL!
If it keeps up, I'll call the vet but I seem to remember they did tell me some dogs whine a lot. (Callie never did, but she was about 6 months old) Molly is a grown-up.
Downtime won't hurt me either!


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## Theo'sMom (Mar 23, 2011)

maybe the pain meds wore off completely so she is feeling it now? Would it help to let the vet know she is whining? Is she still trying to run and jump?


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

She's got plenty of energy. She tries to run up the stairs every time the gate is open, has managed to do it twice. She tries to jump on the furniture, the minute we get up or remove a box keeping her off it. She even jumps on us so it doesn't seem she is in pain.
I'm thinking it is either hormonal or more likely separation anxiety. She's ok if we are both in the room. One of us goes upstairs, she cries. Staying at the vet for 6 hours was the first time she was left with anyone besides one of us. She seems perfectly happy sleeping on the foot of my chair, leaning against my leg.
If she wakes us up at 5 again tomorrow and is still whining, I'm calling the vet. I purposely scheduled the surgery for Wed with the thought that I would have Thurs,Fri & Sat to bring her in if there were any complications. But her incision looks good, no swelling or discharge (its only about 1 1/2" long) and her nipples are smaller. Maybe its hormone withdrawal. I read that 2 months after her heat, all the hormones have not yet receded completely.


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

*Update on Molly*

We now have our answer. The vet said that although Molly had been out of heat for two months, her progesterone levels were probably still high and she is going through a hormone crash and thinks she has puppies. He advised this could go on for one to two weeks, but since she is so upset, he is prescribing trazadone to settle her a little. (and I'm so tired). Poor Molly. She won't let me, or her pink ball, out of her sight and she has to be sitting with or on me every minute. Every time I get up and leave the room she picks up her ball and follows, whining and crying. (she doesn't have stuffed toys like Callie does - she is is chewer - tears them apart and tries to eat them, so she attached to her favorite ball which is her "baby"
Advice to everyone - if you are getting your adult girl spayed, play the fingers crossed game - do it right in the middle of heats (if you can guess when that would be!) We should have waited another month!
BTW. We waited until she had a heat because she had puppy vaginitis and the vet advised it would correct itself when she reached sexual maturity.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

SusanG said:


> We now have our answer. The vet said that although Molly had been out of heat for two months, her progesterone levels were probably still high and she is going through a hormone crash and thinks she has puppies. He advised this could go on for one to two weeks, but since she is so upset, he is prescribing trazadone to settle her a little. (and I'm so tired). Poor Molly. She won't let me, or her pink ball, out of her sight and she has to be sitting with or on me every minute. Every time I get up and leave the room she picks up her ball and follows, whining and crying. (she doesn't have stuffed toys like Callie does - she is is chewer - tears them apart and tries to eat them, so she attached to her favorite ball which is her "baby"
> 
> Advice to everyone - if you are getting your adult girl spayed, play the fingers crossed game - do it right in the middle of heats (if you can guess when that would be!) We should have waited another month!
> 
> BTW. We waited until she had a heat because she had puppy vaginitis and the vet advised it would correct itself when she reached sexual maturity.



I have realized that it really is tough to guess when their second heat will be - they are probably are irregular just like young girls are! Timi's cousin came into a second heat just 3 months after the first one, so they had to delay her spay. Timi was 15 1/2 months when she had her first one, and when she was spayed 4 months after, the Vet said that she was JUST about to come in again! Next time I will try to aim for 2 - 2 1/2 months post heat...


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

The medication has helped Molly. She is still wanting to be right with me, but at least she is not carrying the ball everywhere and crying. Poor little thing. I feel so badly for her. I waited 2 1/2 months after her heat, but in her case, I guess it wasn't enough time. She needed another month, but then, she is a mini, and Tiny, with toys, you probably have a shorter time frame to work with. I hate it when my babies suffer!


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## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

SusanG, you're doing everything right for your sweet little Molly. I'm glad the medication has eased her discomfort. You took everything into account in planning her spay, and don't be hard on yourself. And enjoy your travels in that fifth wheeler ! My late aunt and uncle had one and loved their travels. If I ever won the lottery, I'd get one or an RV for sure. Please post photos from your trip once you get started!

Rapid healing wishes for Molly. She has a great Poodle mama, and will be better in no time. Great idea to see the vet again. :love2::rose:


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## grab (Jun 1, 2010)

Is she on pain medication? Whining post abdominal surgery is usually discomfort related. They can have hormonal issues, though not commonly, but it likely would not manifest so quickly


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

No, she wasn't in pain. I could see swollen nipples and veins, and she walked around with her ball, crying and she kept giving it to me to share, then would jump up and cuddle with me with the ball in between. She would go nowhere without it, looking for places to put it. The vet said its a sign of high progesterone levels which makes them think they have puppies, its rare, but it happens when the dog is not quite out of heat. Since this was Molly's first heat maybe it was irregular and hormones were still there after 2 1/2 months. He advised it could last one to two weeks before they are out of her system. The trazadone, which is a post operative tranquilizer, worked well and she stopped acting frustrated with the ball and crying and it helped keep her calmer so she didn't jump and run around as much.
She is one week post op now, her incision is almost healed and she seems much more her old self, but still keeping the ball around. I'm going to do one more dose of trazadone today and see how she does tomorrow.


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## Shamrockmommy (Aug 16, 2013)

Poor sweetie, Glad she's seeming a little more back to normal now!


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## Kortney (8 mo ago)

SusanG said:


> *Update on Molly*
> 
> We now have our answer. The vet said that although Molly had been out of heat for two months, her progesterone levels were probably still high and she is going through a hormone crash and thinks she has puppies. He advised this could go on for one to two weeks, but since she is so upset, he is prescribing trazadone to settle her a little. (and I'm so tired). Poor Molly. She won't let me, or her pink ball, out of her sight and she has to be sitting with or on me every minute. Every time I get up and leave the room she picks up her ball and follows, whining and crying. (she doesn't have stuffed toys like Callie does - she is is chewer - tears them apart and tries to eat them, so she attached to her favorite ball which is her "baby"
> Advice to everyone - if you are getting your adult girl spayed, play the fingers crossed game - do it right in the middle of heats (if you can guess when that would be!) We should have waited another month!
> BTW. We waited until she had a heat because she had puppy vaginitis and the vet advised it would correct itself when she reached sexual maturity.


I know this was posted years ago, but I am really curious how long it took your dog to get over this. My dog is going through this right now.


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

Kortney said:


> I know this was posted years ago, but I am really curious how long it took your dog to get over this. My dog is going through this right now.


Our vet prescribed Trazodone to calm her down and it worked within about 12 hours. I think I had her on it for about a week. Good luck, its really sad to watch them act so frantic


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