engorged breasts after weening puppies from mother

Question
I had a friend rescue a dog from a shelter that turned out to be pregnant. Long story short her husband would not let her keep the puppies and mother at their house after the pups were born, so I volunteered to do so until we could find good homes for the dogs. I have owned two prior dogs that had puppies but had never experienced this. Her breasts have gotten extremely engorged in only a few days since i have stopped the breast feeding. She is miserable, and I was wondering if there are any ways to reduce the swelling and leaking and most importantly bring the dog some relief.

Answer
Hi Daniel,

During the period immediately before birth and nursing until weaning, a dog's breasts increase enormously in size to then later return to their natural state six or eight weeks after having finished the weaning period. It wouldn't' be unusual if the dog's nipple size would remain larger than they were before she had the litter.

You can apply a warm, moist compress a few times daily to reduce pain. However, if you see any redness leading away from the mammary area, purple discoloration, discharge from the teats, or the mammeries are warm to the touch, you need to get her to the vet for an exam. These are symptoms that an infection of the mammaries, called Mastitis, may be present. Antibiotics are needed to cure this. If it is not treated, there's a possibility the infection will spread and cause complications, including organ failure.

You (or your friend) should have the dog spayed if the puppies have been weaned.

Best of luck,

Patti