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Treating a rubber Pig as her baby

  • 13-10-2013 11:57pm
    #1
    Bettyboop
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 950 ✭✭✭


    My 5yr old female shih-tzu x for the past week has been obsessed with this rubber piggy
    She brings it everywhere outside in the back garden and wont come out for her dinner
    we have to feed her in her bed.She isn't in heat and growls when you approach her.Why now after 5yrs is she doing this? I have 3 shih-tzu males all neutered
    and she now wants to fight with them.We are all confused as to why she is behaving like this. I don't want to remove the pig from her in case she panics and stresses out.Any advice appreciated:confused:


Comments

  • #2
    DBB
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 9,770 Mod ✭✭✭✭DBB


    Hi OP,
    How sure are you that she's not coming into heat? Is she spayed? If not, when was her last heat?


  • #3
    Knine
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,761 ✭✭✭Knine


    If she is not spayed, she probably is having a phantom pregnancy.


  • #4
    Bettyboop
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 950 ✭✭✭Bettyboop


    DBB wrote: »
    Hi OP,
    How sure are you that she's not coming into heat? Is she spayed? If not, when was her last heat?

    Her last heat was August,


  • #5
    Knine
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,761 ✭✭✭Knine


    Bettyboop wrote: »
    Her last heat was August,

    That would mean puppies due Oct if mated so very likely to be a phantom. Take piggy off her & anything else she could mother, increase her exercise to help take her mind off babies.

    One of mine used to produce milk during a phantom. She is in the vets being spayed today. The only long term cure. The phantoms tend to get worse each time.


  • #6
    borderlinemeath
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,340 ✭✭✭borderlinemeath


    Bettyboop wrote: »
    Her last heat was August,

    It's a phantom pregnancy then. A dogs gestation period is about 9 weeks. So this is about 9 weeks after her heat, when the hormones in her body are telling her that she should have mated so now she's at the point where she would have had pups (ie the rubber toy)

    It can be very distressing for a dog to go through it, she will come out of it after a couple of weeks but right now the other dogs in the house are a threat to her imaginary pup. Be very careful leaving them alone together as she may cause a big fight and do damage.

    Would you consider getting her spayed? She's coming to the age now where she may well be at risk of illnesses and infections from remaining intact. Not only will it eliminate the phantom pregnancies it will also eliminate the risk of pyometra, a potentially fatal womb infection and mammary gland cancers. Talk to your vet about when her last heat finished and they will book a date that is midway between her heat cycles as this is the least risky time to operate on her.


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