davey 310 Posted October 24, 2016 Report Share Posted October 24, 2016 Has anyone experienced this in a bitch ?? My young bitch has had her first season and looks like this is happening to her . Can I still run her etc Quote Link to post Share on other sites
neil cooney 10,415 Posted October 25, 2016 Report Share Posted October 25, 2016 In her mind she's going through a pregnancy and will go through the same cycle. I've never seen it in a young bitch ,only in middle aged bitches but they put on weight, filled full of milk and if there was pups on the yard they'd let them suckle. But, I never remember it happening during the Winter so it never affected my hunting. I'd give her a shot of Vit B.12 and hopefully that will help her body regulate itself. I'd also keep up her exercise so when she gets over it you'll have her fairly fit. A phantom pregnancy must be very bewildering to a young bitch. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
skycat 6,172 Posted October 25, 2016 Report Share Posted October 25, 2016 If you are a hands on sort of owner, by which I mean that you handle, stroke, massage your dog daily, you may well find that her muscles soften. Look particularly at the big back and thigh muscles. If your bitch is one of those who 'soften' in this way, then don't work her hard during this phase, for she is far more likely to tear or strain a muscle if she is running and turning hard on prey. As a result of the loss of muscle tone, she may also lose pace. This doesn't happen with all bitches, but to those it does, keep exercise to steady slower work such as plenty of trotting. Once her hormones come out of this 'pregnancy' phase, her muscle tone will improve quite suddenly. There's no point trying to do anything about it, it is just one of those annoying things that happen with some bitches, and not worth risking an injury if she does start to look like an old, soft saggy thing. It usually happens from about four weeks after the season, and can last for as long as 12 weeks! One of the downsides of owning bitches. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
davey 310 Posted October 25, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2016 Thanks for all the advise it's a strange one as she is very well built but at the moment she looks skinny and soft ( no matter how much I feed her ) and her teets look enlarged and getting bigger I won't rush this bitch as I've put a lot of time into her and she is still young but what a bummer of a time for this to happen Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gaz_1989 9,539 Posted October 27, 2016 Report Share Posted October 27, 2016 Strange request I know and just something to assist with my own learning, do you have a photo of the bitch before she had her season? Cheers. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mushroom 12,388 Posted October 27, 2016 Report Share Posted October 27, 2016 Has anyone experienced this in a bitch ?? My young bitch has had her first season and looks like this is happening to her . Can I still run her etc Push her down some phantom stairs Quote Link to post Share on other sites
davey 310 Posted October 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2016 The only resent photo I have Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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