Mastitis in dogs is an inflammation of the mammary glands in the breast that produce milk, usually due to bacterial infection. It’s mainly found in nursing dogs, though it’s sometimes found in females who aren’t nursing or pregnant and even some male dogs.
There are two types of mastitis in dogs. Galactostasis, also known as caked breasts, is a type of mastitis that affects dogs in late stages of pregnancy. Milk can accumulate and distend the teats, causing pain, though there’s no infection and the dog will not show signs of illness.
Acute septic mastitis is the other type and happens when bacteria enter the mammary gland and cause an infection or abscess. It can be fatal if it goes untreated.
If you see the signs of mastitis in your dog, it’s important that you consult your veterinarian right away so you can form a treatment plan. Here’s what you should know about the symptoms, causes, and treatments for mastitis in dogs.
The symptoms of mastitis in dogs are often visible around the teats, and dogs are likely to show signs of discomfort or pain.
If you notice any signs of mastitis in your dog, get to a vet right away, as an infection can spread quickly and cause major illness or become deadly.
The common bacterial causes of mastitis in dogs usually include E. coli, staph, or streptococci. These bacteria are able to enter the mammary glands through injury to the nipples, often caused by cracking or scratches from puppies’ nails or teeth.
Dogs who have had mastitis in the past are more likely to develop it again in the future.
In cases where dogs are not pregnant or nursing, mastitis can be a secondary infection that migrates from some other place in the body, or it can be a symptom of mammary gland cancer.
You must see your vet if you notice symptoms of mastitis in your dog so you can get a proper diagnosis and treatment.
Treatment for mastitis in dogs often depends on the type and severity of the condition.
Galactostasis treatment usually involves withholding water for six to ten hours and withholding food for 24 hours. You may need to limit feeding after that for a period of about three days. A vet may also prescribe a diuretic.
Treatment for acute septic mastitis will likely include antibiotics. This may mean that any puppies will not be allowed to nurse from the affected teat and may need to be given supplementary nutrition.
The vet might also recommend applying a warm compress the affected area, and the gland may be milked to keep the ducts clear and reduce pain. A cabbage wrap may reduce swelling and promote faster healing.
In severe cases, a vet may drain or surgically lance the glands or completely remove them. Surgical removal is the usual course of action if the gland is abscessed or gangrenous.
If there’s an underlying cause, such as mammary cancer, the vet will discuss other courses of action for treatment.
Has your dog ever suffered from mastitis? How did your vet treat it? Let us know in the comments below!
Why Producing Milk Occurs in Dogs
Female dogs produce milk, or something with the appearance of milk, for two sets of reasons. Most of the time it is related to real or perceived pregnancy, but it can also be related to various illnesses.
Lactation
Female dogs spontaneously produce milk when they have given birth to puppies. This is a normal part of biological parenthood for any female mammal.
False Pregnancy
Female dogs may also produce milk when experiencing a false pregnancy or when another creature attempts to nurse from her. A false pregnancy is a condition where a female dog exhibits various symptoms of pregnancy, such as producing milk and building a nest for her puppies, but is not pregnant. Female dogs can also produce milk when another creature, such as a puppy or kitten, sucks and kneads her mammary area, even though she may not be pregnant or have recently given birth. This would have been essential when dogs lived in the wild in the case of orphaned pups.
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism occurs when the circulating level of thyroid hormone (T4) is too low. This causes the dog’s metabolism to slow down, resulting in symptoms that are typically associated with old age, such as lethargy, weight gain, loss of muscle coordination, and many more. Hypothyroidism usually occurs in medium to large dogs between 4 and 10 years old, and can be caused by lymphocytic thyroiditis, thyroid cancer, improper level of iodine, being born with it (congenital hypothyroidism), or for no clear reason.
Mammary Gland Tumor
Mammary gland tumors are growths in one or more of a female dog’s eight to ten teats. They may or may not be cancerous. Hormones are a clear factor in mammary cancer, as only half of one percent of dogs spayed before their first heat ever develop the disease. Toxins, such as pesticides and household chemicals, may be a risk factor, but there are no clear and certain non-hormonal causes of mammary gland tumors. In the case of a mammary gland tumor, the white substance produced may look like milk, but it is actually pus.
What to do if your Dog is Producing Milk
If your dog is pregnant or has recently given birth, she should be producing milk. Leave her to it. Neither are a false pregnancy or spontaneous nursing problematic. They are interesting phenomena, but they do not typically present a health problem. Discomfort or engorgement of the mammary glands may occur in any of these cases; these may be eased with alternating warm and cold compresses. However, hypothyroidism or mammary gland tumors require immediate medical attention.
Hypothyroidism is the less serious of the two conditions. It cannot be cured, but it can be treated, and a dog with medicated hypothyroidism can live a normal and healthy life. Your dog’s veterinarian will give your dog thyroxine, an oral hormonal replacement, which she will take for the rest of her life. The dosage may need to be adjusted as your dog’s weight and drug tolerance fluctuates. Mammary gland tumors will need to be surgically removed, possibly followed by chemotherapy or, less likely, radiation. Following treatment, the owner should take care to regularly check the dog’s mammary glands for a recurrence of tumors.
There is no need to prevent a normally lactating female dog from producing milk, even if it is experiencing a false pregnancy or nursing without being pregnant. Hypothyroidism is typically not preventable; however, mammary gland tumors are almost entirely preventable by spaying your female dog before her first heat.
A normally lactating dog does not require any medical treatment, nor does a dog experiencing a false pregnancy or spontaneous milk production for another nursing animal. The average cost of treating hypothyroidism is $1300, while it costs an average of $5500 to treat mammary gland tumors.
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There are two types of mastitis in dogs. Galactostasis, also known as caked breasts, is a type of mastitis that affects dogs in late stages of pregnancy. Milk can accumulate and distend the teats, causing pain, though there’s no infection and the dog will not show signs of illness.
Treatment for mastitis in dogs often depends on the type and severity of the condition.
If you see the signs of mastitis in your dog, it’s important that you consult your veterinarian right away so you can form a treatment plan. Here’s what you should know about the symptoms, causes, and treatments for mastitis in dogs.
Treatment for acute septic mastitis will likely include antibiotics. This may mean that any puppies will not be allowed to nurse from the affected teat and may need to be given supplementary nutrition.
Dogs who have had mastitis in the past are more likely to develop it again in the future.