inverted nipples on my dog

Question
My Sheltie just had pups.  They are nursing the end tit VERY well.  The upper ones seem to have inverted or nipples that do not stick out.  There is milk because I can squeeze some out.  I do not want them to get infected.  What can I do?  I have tried to get the pups to get on it, but they do not want to take the time to try.  Help me out here.

Thanks in advance.

Answer
Hi Tonie,

It sounds as though your nursing dog has Mastitis (also called mammitis or mastadenitis ), which is an infection of the milk ducts. Of course, I'm not a doctor, and I can't see your dog, so don't take this as gospel.

Untreated Mastitis can lead to gangrene mastitis, so it's not something you should ignore.  The only way to know what's going on with your dog, is to have her examined by your veterinarian. She may need antibiotics.

Your vet can best advise as how the pups should nurse, as there is mixed advice on whether or not pups should nurse on the infected teat. Until you speak to your vet, I would err on the side of safety, and not allow the puppies to nurse on the infected teat.

If need be, you can feed the puppies yourself, here are directions:

http://leerburg.com/bottlefeeding.htm
http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/breeding/bottlefeeding.htm

Best of luck,
Patti