Have been to the vet and she (Sasha) is happily completely fit and healthy.
An ultrasound showed no abnormalities at all - and now I know she isn't accidentally pregnant!! I do heartily agree that it is better to be safe than sorry, even though I was 99 % sure she was healthy.

Apparently it is a mild case of phantom pregnancy, with only teat distension as I mentioned.

The odour is a non-issue, and just part of the range of normal odours that fluctuate with diet, hormones etc with young bitches. My incredibly sensitive nose and sense of curiosity were the issue, luckily, and nothing in her.

Thank-you for your advice. I realise that an internet forum is a difficult mode of communication. After reading some of the questions posted in the breeding Q &A section, I can understand the need to err on the side of caution and to assume nothing about the person behind the typing. Some of those questions really had me shaking my head and wondering what those people are doing with dogs, let alone breeding them.

The vet said that this level of phantom pregnancy should just resolve itself, so I'll just continue to keep an eye on things, though the dog and I are together all the time so that isn't a problem, and will definitely keep aware of the possibility of Pyo in the future.

Once again thanks for all your comments and concern.

All the best
Mara, and a happy Sasha with a shaved tummy :-)

Glad that you got her to the vet for a professional opinion & that she is ok. Especially good that they did an ultrasound & not just a physical exam. Very thorough.

At least now you are armed with alot of info on pyometra & its warning signs...as it is deadly & can go from a just noticed questionable problem to life threating very quickly, just like bloat.

I'm really glad too. "Like bloat" is a good analogy .... it can be so fast and deadly.

Yeah, I went in asking for an ultrasound - no point in half measures :-)

Wishing you a wonderful doggy day :-)

So happy it wasn't anything serious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!