Why is my dog's milk green and leaking? Causes, mastitis, prevention.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Answering your questions: 1. It is not normal to produce milk 3 weeks before giving birth. Some dogs start producing milk 2-3 days before the labour but not longer than that. Green / thick discharge suggest mammary gland infection, not natural milk production. 2. Mammary gland infection is almost always caused by bacteria from the skin getting into the mammary tissue. I do not think it is related to eating a worm by Kaya. 3. To avoid mastitis you should keep the nipples clean. You should wipe them with baby wipes 2-3 times a day. Also, Kaya should be on good quality food and get exercised regularly. Once she has the puppies you should make sure that they feed from each nipple, latch them on the nipples that are 'full' or express milk from the large and very hard nipples. Using antibiotics prophetically is not recommended, but if Kaya is producing green, thick discharge she will need a course of antibiotics now.

Green or discolored milk indicates mastitis or an infection in the mammary glands. Your veterinarian should examine her and put her on an appropriate prescription antibiotic to treat the infection before the pups are born. If the milk is not normal by the time the pups are born, you will have to bottle feed them and not allow them to nurse. Your dog is past the recommended age for breeding. It would be best to not breed her again. The recommended age for a larger breed such as an Akita to be bred for puppies is 2-5 years of age. I would recommend that you discuss having her spayed after this litter. Thank you

I am highly concerned that she is an infection. Without seeing her in person, I cannot say for sure what is causing it. I would strongly recommend to take her in to see your vet as soon as possible. With it being from both her nipples and her anus, I am worried about it going systemic and being a lot harder to treat in the future. Your vet will be able to determine the cause and start her on the proper meds as needed. I hope this helps!

This requires an immediate check up. Green discharge could be a sign of infection of the uterus and may compromise the pregnancy. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

If Mykka is 57 days pregnant, she should be very close to giving birth since normal gestation in dogs is generally 57-63 days from the breeding date. If the green fluid is thin and watery, it may be normal discharge signifying that she will be starting labor soon. If it's thick and very dark green, then this is more concerning - usually this indicates a placental separation, which can be dangerous for her and the babies if she isn't quite ready to whelp yet. I would recommend having her checked by a vet as soon as possible - he/she can ultrasound the puppies and check fetal heart rates to see if any of them are in distress or if there are any problems with the appearance of the uterus. Depending on what is found, she may need close observation for the next few days, or an emergency c-section.

It's normal to see some green discharge after puppies are born, but if the discharge comes before the puppies are being born, that can be a sign of a premature placental separation. It's quite concerning that the puppies are dying. They are extremely fragile creatures, and unfortunately some don't make it, but if all of them are dying, that suggestions something seriously wrong. I would take the mother and the puppies into an ER vet or find a vet on call to see them now.

Yes, I would take Lulu into the vet just to be safe. The color of her teats could be due to so many puppies nursing, but mastitis can occur in nursing dogs, which is fatal without treatment. Because of this, it's always important to have any concerns with the teats checked out by a vet to sure everything is ok. I would make an appointment for her on Monday. I hope this helps!