QuestionOur family Maltese has started whining for no apparent reason. DEC 31 she turned 1 and on Jan 1 she started whining almost all day. We show here love and try to play with her as much as possible but that just seems to be a quick fix to the whining since she just goes back at it when we stop playing. She has also started hiding under the bed and dresser while she does her whining and also gathering up all her toys and taking them under the bed. I'm assuming she got stressed/scared about all the fireworks that where going off on new years but there is also the chance she is having a false pregnancy seeing as her nipples are all erect. She isn't in heat and i haven't seen and limping or anything indicating pain. I mostly concerned because we all go back to work and school monday so no one will be here with her during the day.
AnswerHi Jonathon and welcome to 2010.
Firstly what is her age , I am assuming she is under 1 year old ?
There are sometimes triggers that send our little doggies upside down, and this can culminate in several different signs they will express to us.Now I also assume that no male dog has not got to her as such she cannot physically be pregnant.
Now I will assume that she has not been had by a male so is displaying signs of false pregnancy, if this is true she will go through all the physicalities of being pregnant and it can be very sad for bitches who do this as they tend to lean towards this and thus pyometra in the future, it is recommended that if she is doing this and treatment isnt effective in the short term that she be speyed,we tend to use a herbal product called raspberry leaf and give the bitch this daily until all is back to normal,The raspberry is a deciduous shrub that grows both in the wild and under cultivation where it is farmed largely for its fruit. It has a woody stem with small thorns and serrated leaves which have a glossy green upper surface and a white felted appearance below. Flowering between June and August, it produces white flowers followed by the familiar juicy red fruits. In addition to its culinary uses, Raspberry has a well-earned reputation as a herbal remedy. The leaves which are used medicinally having been once employed in the treatment of sore throats as well as a wash for wounds. In the past Raspberry leaves were used in the treatment of childrens' stomach problems and as a safe and reliable remedy for diarrhoea. These days their use is fairly well confined to dealing with conditions associated with the female reproductive tract.
How Raspberry Leaf can help
Raspberry leaves have an astringent (drying up) effect due to their tannin content which helps to tone tissues. It is this property which makes raspberry leaves so useful as a herbal remedy in treating diarrhoea and in helping check haemorrhage during and after kittening or whelping.
Raspberry leaf is also known as parturient. Herbs included in this category will help ease the process of parturition (birth) by toning the smooth muscle of the uterus. This assists the birth process by improving the strength and quality of the muscular contractions.
One of the other properties of Raspberry leaf is that of being classified as emmenagogue. Herbs in this category act on the female reproductive system and help to restore a state of balance to the system. This applies especially in relation to the bleeding that occurs during oestrus.
In helping to restore balance to the female reproductive system, raspberry leaves act as general tonic and can help ease the symptoms of false pregnancy in the bitch.
Indications for using Raspberry leaves
To strengthen, balance and tone the female reproductive tract
To increase the strength of contractions and ease whelping and kittening
To reduce the risk of post-partum haemorrhage (bleeding)
False pregnancy in the bitch.
Here is a link to buy the product if you cannot find it near you
http://holisticpetsupplies.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=41
I also advise a veterinary consultation to rule out and uterine infection that may arise during this time.
If this info isnt helpful please go to our website and use the search engine which will bring up over 1000 topics on canine pregnancy including false pregnancy.www.eurobichons.com
