Breast inflammation

Question
My dog just had 2 puppies and one of her breast is really badly swollen is that normal or should I be concerned?

Answer
Hi Jennifer,

Since you describe the breast as "really badly swollen", you should contact your vet.

It may be a case of Mastitis, which is an infection of the milk ducts. Also called 'mammitis' or 'mastadenitis. Mastitis is a blocked milk duct. You may see cracked or damaged skin or tissue around the nipple. Bacteria gets inside, either by a crack, or even through the pores, and can come up suddenly, even if the teat is not engorged. An engorged breast is a mild form of mastitis. Mastitis, if not treated can lead to gangrene mastitis. Gangrene mastitis is caused by a bacteria that does not require oxygen to grow (areobic bacteria).

If you need to take the mother dog in to the vet's office, wrap the puppies up in a warm blanket, and take them with you.

There is mixed advice on whether or not pups should nurse on the infected teat. Some say yes, and some say no. The treatment for mastitis in humans consists of letting the baby nurse on the infected side as much as possible rotating the baby in a different direction each feeding to clear all parts of the milk duct.

Until you can see your vet, you can monitor the pups, and only allow them to nurse of the healthy looking teats.

Talk this over with your vet, and get advice from the doctor about how the pups should be allowed to nurse. Until your dog can be examined by your vet, it's probably best not to allow the pups to nurse from the infected breast, as it can cause diarrhea.

Best of luck,
Patti