Hearts Break As Dog Going Through ‘Phantom Pregnancy’ Mothers Toys Instead

A video showing a glimpse into what a dog experienced during her phantom pregnancy is breaking hearts on social media.

The owner shared with Newsweek via TikTok that the 2-year-old dog, Oreo, went through heat about eight weeks ago. Following her fertile season, Oreo started showing symptoms of pregnancy, however, she wasn’t pregnant. Instead, the female dog was experiencing her first phantom pregnancy.

During these false pregnancies, dogs might show signs of morning sickness. Some will want to mother objects, which is what happened with Oreo. She picked out stuffed animals as her “babies” and started mothering them as if they were her puppies.

In the January 15 TikTok clip posted by @piinklady7, Oreo sits with the stuffed animals. Blankets surround them to keep them cozy. She protects her babies and keeps a close eye on them. However, Oreo doesn’t realize these aren’t her babies. She was never pregnant.

“We let her have the babies for four days then weened her off them,” the owner said. “Otherwise, she could produce milk, she was very protective and wouldn’t leave them all day long.”

Other videos shared to the account show Oreo holding her stuffed animal babies in her mouth, protecting them in her nesting corner and crying about them to her owner.

TikTok viewers on these several videos experienced their concern for Oreo, calling it “heartbreaking” and saying “poor dog.”

“We were told to distract her with walks and games,” the owner said. “She is now back to her normal self. Had we not slowly taken the babies away she would have kept going.”

To prevent future phantom pregnancy episodes, the owner said Oreo will be getting spayed because otherwise, she would be “more prone to phantoms” happening in the future.

What Is Phantom Pregnancy?

A phantom pregnancy, also known as a false pregnancy, is a common condition among female dogs that can affect any breed and at any age. About 80 percent of unspayed female dogs will experience phantom pregnancies at least once and 67 percent will have recurring symptoms, according to WebMD.

This false pregnancy occurs after a dog is in heat and symptoms can occur about six to eight weeks after a female dog’s fertile season, an article from Purina reported. The article also stated the symptoms should resolve within two to three weeks.

Owners concerned whether or not their dog is experiencing a phantom pregnancy can look for the following symptoms: mammary development, lactation, enlarged belly, loss of appetite, lethargy, vomiting, nesting, being protective of small inanimate objects and restlessness or aggression.