Please Help!! (phantom pregnancy after every season)

Hi Everyone,
I have a 4 year old staffy who has a phantom pregnancy after every season. I have not yet spayed her as i am wanting to breed her but due to unforeseen circumstances, have not yet been able to. Anyway, i have always took her to the vets to be treated with galastop. I decided to do a little research on the internet and discovered that treating a phantom pregnancy can make the next time worse?! I don't quite understand how this could be, but if anyone can shed any light on the matter i would be very grateful. My vet also told me that if left untreated, it could cause mastitus in the future. I don't mean to doubt my vet, but i have not come across any evidence that this is the case. Please help!

Just have her spayed, there are more than enough staffies in the world.

Thanks, but that doesn't really help the current situation!!! You can't spay them when they are going through a phantom pregnancy, therfore i was seeking advice on whether its best to leave her to naturally get over it or whether she urgently needs treatment to prevent the future possability of mastitis.

Severe phantoms like this are a serious health risk, it`s due to a hormone imbalance and is directly linked to pyometra, added to which it often passed on to pups which then suffer as well. A Beardie breeder I know well ended up with this problem, it became prevalent in her lines so she ended up having to spay her Dam then the Dams daughter who suffered more than the mother and did indeed end up having emergency spay because of pyo. Suffice to say she is now an ex-breeder.

It`s just not worth the risk to your girl, and while Staffies in rescue are indeed through the roof the immediate concern to you of course is your own bitch so for her future health please have her spayed asap and please contact her breeder so that those lines can be carefully monitored. Aside from the horrendous Staffie over-population issue your girls health must come before your desire to breed from her or you could lose her to pyo and any bitch puppies from her could suffer the same way, spaying as soon as the vet gives the all clear is the only responsible thing to do imo.

Really?!!! I have seeked advice on whether i need to get her spayed because of the re-occuring phantoms from several diffeent vets who have all examined her, and all have said she will be fine and it's just her way of saying "she's ready to have a litter". etc. But, thankyou very much for your reply i will definately be bringing this up to my vet to see what her advice is (again).

Id change your Vet, seriously! The ONLY way to stop phantoms is to have her spayed. She also wont get a Pyometra which she is at a much higher risk of getting with phantoms. 4yrs is a bit old for a first litter too.

Have a read of this article.

I think the answer is that where the phantom is mild, no action is needed, but if milk is being produced, drug treatments does need to be given (but these can have serious side effects for the bitch).

Presumably your bitch's phantoms are fairly severe and milk producing, hence your vets insistance that treatment is needed.

http://www.mcconnellvets.co.uk/html/.../24_265481.pdf

It would seem that if the symptons are severe, you should follow your vets advice. personally I would then have her spayed - it would seem very selfish to make her go through this each season just because you would like to breed from her.

I had a bitch who had a phantom and became very distressed over it so I had her spayed.As far as I know it`s the only cure.

I agree with what the others have said


I also have a bitch I want to breed who I also show,
you could try, cutting back a wee bit on her food intake and up her exercise this will help to an extent,

check her regularly for any heat/inflamtion in her teats if this happens take her to your vet.