My poor girl Elsa has had/is having a phantom. She came into season in May (unexpectedly) and although she has now shrunk back to normal size (she was very bloated and resembled a barrage balloon) has produced milk. :eek:
She also seems quite depressed and is very quiet :(. I would normally have given her raspberry leaf tablets throughout her season but wrongly thought she wouldn't have a phantom after having a litter.
To add to that she had to go to the vets at the weekend with a tummy bug so has been on chicken and rice for best part of a week. I have heard that epsom salts/vinegar can help dry up milk but have been reluctant to do it as I didn't want to upset her delicate tum!
Can anyone please advise?? I want my old Elsa back!
Hi Victoria - i have had some terrible phantoms with my dobe bitches - try epsom salts in drinking water.
I also know it helps to reduce feeding for few days, take her all her toys, mainly the plush ones, and you can try to give her cold compress on her milking nipples.
Good luck!
My pug Gracie has really bad phantoms with every season. I plan to get her spayed if i dont have another litter from her (will see how she recovers from this one!) as she gets REALLY bad.
If Elsa is really bad ask your vet for galastop. Its fantastic stuff, drys up the milk in about 3 days. It is very expensive (about ?40 for the tiny bottle) and you can only get it from the vet as its prescription only, but we have used it on Gracie for the last two phantoms and would very much recommend it. It sorts out the behavioural problems/symptoms very quickly too!
A bit more info on it:
Poor Elsa, cant offer any advise but hope she's feeling better soon.
Thanks for the help everyone :). I shall go to the chemist tomorrow and buy some epsom salts and try that first. If I put it into the communal water bowl, will it be ok for the other doggies to drink? I guess so!
You might not believe it, but NOWHERE in Keswick sells Epsom Salts!!!!!!
OOHH poor thing all of my female dogs have severe phantom pregnancies, My oldest ibizan hound is having one right now, and they all produce milk OUr youngest basenji Lio kept on being in her phantom pregnancy and there was only one way out left…. last tuesday we got her spayed, it is better for her, that was my last breeding female , she only had one litter, but well health first !!! we love her to death anyway :)back to the topic: raspberry leafs??? that is only to make the pregnancy and delivery more easy for dogs, I have never heard of giving it in their seasons...... what is it supposed to do for a female in season?
anyway the vet here prescribes Lactafal or galastop to treat severe phantom pregnancies, and it works usually very well ( with the exception of Lio this time..... )
Maybe you can consider to spay her? as it is not healthy for females to get these phantom pregnancies all the time and I even heard that it might increase the chance of milkgladtumors..... anyway my oldest ibizan will be spayed for this reason soon too ( as soon as she gets out of this phantom pregnancy )
I dont think the females are very happy when having these severe false pregnancies, and the rest of my pack neither as she is not very nice to them in this period as well 
I use Pulsatilla 30c 3 times a day for a week and Lac Can 30c for the same period. Lac Can is to dry up milk.
Both these homeopathic remedies can be obtained from www.ainsworths.com or 'phone 02079355330. They usually post the same day and also are very good with advcie on animal treatment.
