Boobs?

Post by **grant** » Mon May 17, 2004 8:10 am

After Bells first heat, her breasts/nipples, or whatever you call them on dogs, are getting bigger.:shock: Is this typical, or could she be pregnant?

Grant

Frenchy · Post by **Frenchy** » Mon May 17, 2004 10:50 am

Well grant, I am afraid I have always had male dogs, so I cannot answer your question. But you mentioned on another posting that she spent some time at the vet. You might want to find out who she may have been exposed to there? :roll:

Post by **grant** » Mon May 17, 2004 11:00 am

Thanks,

Here is some other info I found online:

Female dogs (correctly called bitches) have 3, 4 or 5 pairs of breasts (mammary glands ) placed in two rows running up the sides of their abdomen from the groin to the chest for nursing puppies.
The number varies and one side can have one or two more than the other side.
The nipples on a female who has not yet had her first heat are quite small, but they swell with the first heat and never return to 'puppy size'.
If the bitch has been bred and is pregnant, then about 35 days after the mating the nipples will turn a deep pink colour and will begin to enlarge.
The mammary glands produce the milk to feed the puppies and amazingly enough they manage to manufacture the right supply to meet the demand.
Bitches who are extremely maternal have been known to produce milk for a starving pup or another animal baby even though they are not pregnant or nursing their own litter.
The mammary glands are prone to cancerous tumors because of the estrogen produced.
Once the bitch has been "spayed", (fixed or altered) the source of the estrogen has been removed and the chance of breast cancer developing is greatly reduced.

http://www.petbitsforyou.com/fem_anat.html

snips · Post by **snips** » Mon May 17, 2004 1:09 pm

It is very typical for bitches to have false pregnancys. If you were cautious about keeping her separate i would not worry about it.

reedauction · Post by **reedauction** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 5:44 pm

My GSP carried her first heat in to a false pregnentsy. She carried it out so far, she began to lactate, and started nesting..I know its not uncommon for them to have a false pregnacy on there first heat..the young pups hormones just get confused.But it was starnge that she started to lactate and her teats fill up so much that every one since has thought she has whelped a litter..Even her vulva started to enlarge and drop just before she started lactating. Not long after she started lactating (2 weeks) she started to go back to normal. My vet said that is the furthest he has seen a pup carrie out a false preg..All of her heats since i have been normal.(she is 2 and just came out of her 3 heat in oct)