I have a bitch that is now 10 months since her last heat cycle. She is not showing any signs of heat. Today, she was completely normal outside playing with supervision, and tonight she would not eat her dinner.
Later tonight, she started acting off. Not her normal self. She is very sucky and is panting a bit more than normal. She is actually acting like she is in labor. She is not lethargic at all, and is happy and wagging until she is close to me, then she is sucky again.
She is drinking, and has both urinated and had a BM no problem.
I took her temperature, and it is 102.2. Please remind me again what a normal temperature is? I was sure it was 101.5.
If she got pregnant, she shows no signs of pregnancy. I have heard of surprise whelpings before, but she is her trim self, no swollen nipples and no behavioural changes. I'm thinking in the back of my mind that she is maybe coming into heat but what an odd way to start it out.
Any ideas? I'll be putting in a call to the vet tomorrow morning if she's not better.
I can't believe there would have been a silent heat, or that she would be pregnant, but stranger things have happened. She has all her clearances, and it wouldn't be the end of the world if she was pregnant.
She is an indoor dog that is crated when I am not home. I do have an intact male and he's shown no interest in her but again, stranger things have happened.
She may have had a heat you missed or a silent heat and now is having a phantom pregnancy.
One of mine does this every heat cycle, same behaviour as you are describing. She has a ferocious appetite yet will also stop eating during this phase too.
Don't panic just yet if everything else is normal.
Thank you for the reply. Yes, I am not in a panic mode at this time- I just don't want something creeping up on us later. I know my dogs inside and out and if something is not right, I want to catch it quickly.
I actually like this sucky side of her, she is so independent usually. It is just so unlike her is all. And as I mentioned, only close to me she becomes this suck, otherwise is acting normal. (except the missed dinner tonight).
I very much doubt she is pg if she is showing no visable signs, I would however get her into the vet first thing in the morn as she might be sick, how old is she?
Aloha,
jackie
Thank you again. This morning, she came in heat. Her temperature is 101.8 this morning and she is back to her normal self. She's already eaten her breakfast too. My male is now interested in her scent and she growled at him when he went near her back end.
She is 25 months old.
She will now be going in to the vet for an appointment for a wellness check to be sure everything is all okay still.
Glad to hear all seems to be well, maybe her coming into heat was the reason for the odd behavior, I have one girl that gets really weird right before she comes in but she is fine, wonder if some get PMS like people do.... forgot to say on my last post temp is normal at 102.5 :}
Aloha,
jackie
