Kitten nursing on a shih tzu

Question
Hi I have a 12 week old kitten we got around Halloween and we also have a 2yr old shih tzu. My question being the kitten suckles on the dog and now she actually has milk. is this detrimental to her health and will it make the kitten sick? Both of them seem to take comfort in it but it just seems really strange. Any help is appreciated Thank you.

Answer
While this is not unusual it is not recommended that it continue. This dog is spayed and shouldn't have milk for any reason. Not that it is unhealthy but mentally it is not a good thing. It's like having a false pregnancy. It messes with their heads mostly.

The kitten isn't nursing per se, but seeking comfort. When they are with their mom they 'knead' on mom and that causes the let down reflex in the mother cat to release milk.

You should take your Shih Tzu in to the vet and have her looked at because she needs hormones or something to stop this lactation. Besides the mental health aspect the kittens teeth at 12 weeks old can cause some serious abscesses in this dog.

But ask your vet about this when you have her looked at.