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Why is my dog nursing herself if she's not pregnant? False pregnancy?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | American Pit Bull Terrier | Female | unspayed | 3 years old | 69 lbs

I have a female American red nose pitbull, she is 3 years old and has been nursing off herself for about 2 weeks now. She hasn't come in contact with any other dog except through fencing. I know she's not pregnant so why is she doing this.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

Published on August 29th, 2017

Hello. It is possible that your girl is having what we call a false pregnancy. I have attached an article below that fully explains it. You will want to stop her nursing in order to stop the milk production. An e-collar might be necessary for this. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1896 Please let me know if that is helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

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