Could it be a phantom pregnancy? Season ended 4½ months ago

This is really weird.. If I didnt know for a fact that her season ended on the 7. of august, I would swear she was having a phantom...

Her usual signs are the not eating regularly and last time she started on the nest building...

Well she's starting to not eat regularly again.. on the 24. in the morning, I gave her a duck thigh.. (She's rawfed) it was christmas afterall... (we celebrate on the 24. in denmark), she wouldnt eat it.. Oh well, I took it from her.. Later when I rinsed the duck we were having for dinner (we= me, my brother and dad), I gave her the duck neck.. didnt want that either.. Oh maybe she doesnt like duck then... she doesnt like turkey, so could be duck wasnt a favourite either..

Then on the 25. she reluctantly ate some veal ribbs... No dinner and no breakfast this morning... Oliver is not allowed near the food.. If he goes toward it she will run to it.. but not eat it

And just now, she started the nesting bit.. And she's collecting chews and toys from her basket and putting on her blanket with her.. not glued to her, but in reach for an occasional chew...

There's no problem with the exercise bit, and she isnt whining at Oliver (which she normally does during the phantoms)...

She will chew bones and stuff, so there's no problem with the teeth or mouth..

Any ideas???

How long after a season, can a phantom occur? Can they have 2 phantoms after 1 season??

Just taken this pic (I'm sitting on a chair just above/next to her):

Hi J does Luna seem ok otherwise..is she drinking more/peeing more/pooing ok , does she feel hot or walk in a funny tucked up way as if in pain..perhaps she is sickening for something or just having an off day ..I would watch her very closely and see the vet if you are concerned .

Regarding the false pregnancy bearing in mind false pregnancies are thought to be caused by an abnormality of the ovaries/hormone levels the whole question of bitches and their /hormones/false pregnancies is very complex and I guess anything is possible though false pregnanancies usually take place around the time a bitch would normally be due to whelp had she been mated during a season.

Has Luna got swollen teats or milk?

There could be other reasons for Luna's behaviour..a bitches hormone levels start to change about 8 weeks prior to a season and if Luna started her last season in July she could well be getting ready for the next one . Also it is thought by some that bitches with hormone problems can be affected by other bitches who may have whelped nearby..this is in line with the theory that in the wild only the dominant female will mate with the dominant male and the other bitches just produce milk to help suckle the litter.
The fact that Luna has false pregnancies means as she gets older they may increase in intensity as may her odd behaviour and susceptibility to pyometra ..as I said after Lunas last FP had she been mine I would have spayed her.

I hope she is back to normal soon

Edited Jeanette I also meant to say as I understand it a phantom pregnancy is not what Luna has, technically she has false pregnancies ...a phantom is when a bitch has been mated but for some reason does not produce puppies ..

Think I would want this bitch checked over by a vet, this is not normal behaviour and it could be hormonal or she could have a pain in the tummy or almost anything. When she stands up does she look normal does she seem stiff or arch her back, are her poos normal both in the way they look and their frequency, is she clingy. Actually it does not matter what the answers to my questions are I think any animal that seems to be acting abnormally or seems depressed in any way should see a vet.

Hi B/L, I`d go with the advice having her checked over, hope she`s back to normal soon

Thank you guys, I'm taking her to the vet now... I dont like this one bit..

The teats furthest back are still a bit swolled.. Not only the teats, but the "breast" itself...

Her next season wont be till late february/early march, she goes 7-8 months between.

Yes I do want her spayed, but its £400 that I just dont have right now.. But if the vet says she neeeds to be done, then I will... I'll find the money somehow...

Her poos are normal.. She has actually been peeing more frequently lately..

Right that does it.. We are off to the vet's....

Thank you all.. I'll let you know what he thinks...

If shes peeing more than usual B/L take a sample with you in case vet wants to test it

Good luck, let us know later what the outcome is

Don't panic, but best to be safe than sorry, hope it sets your mind at rest.

Well we've been...

2 vets and a student agreed with me.. Its a false pregnancy again.. And her glands in the last breasts are swollen (which would have been normal, had she been in season). She didnt have a fever..

They think she should be spayed as it will end up with pyometra at some point. I just dont have £400 or any opportunity to get that amount, within a month. They say it has to be between 2 seasons (like a lot of you also have said)

I'm gonna call the vetschool, cos they are almost half the prize.. £250. They do have a waiting list, so it will probablely be between the next 2 seasons.. I clean at a friend's house once a week and get about £80 a month for that.. so I will be able to have the money by then....

Would your vets take instalments if you sign a contract to say you will pay so much a month till your debt is paid, might be worth asking, it is done a lot in the UK.

Pleased you were right it could have been all most anything but most likely to have been pyometra which is why I was concerned that she was checked out.

No he wont do it that way.. I can have it pushed a month, but that's about it.

Yeah I had more or less made up my mind about going to the vet's, so your posts made me realise, that I should go...

I weighed her.. And I think a certain young lady is going on a wee diet... 29.75 kg.... Now most of it are muscles.. her body is changing after being switched over on raw, so we are talking about 1.2 kg she needs to lose.. Not too much..