My dog's teats are injured from nursing puppies. What can I do?

I am very sorry to hear that Lucy is having these problems while she is nursing her pups. It sounds like you are very on top of the situation and attentive to her needs. Since the pups are four weeks old hey will have started to wean, which I can see you have done. This means that Lucy can have a break too. I would place a tshirt on Lucy and let her tears have a break for a couple hours each day. Since she was also warm I would watch for signs of mastitis. Mastitis is a bacterial infection of one, or sometimes more then one, of the milk producing glands in the breasts. Other clinical signs would be; Swelling Firm Warm Discharge (other then milk) painful to the touch Loss of appetite Lethargy Neglect of puppies If you suspect that Lucy could have mastitis based on the above clinical signs I would suggest taking her to see a veterinarian. The vet will be able to prescribe an antibiotic, antiinflamatory medications and pain relief. In the meantime you can apply a cool compress to the affected area. Do not attempt any over the counter medications or ointments as they may cause pain or delay healing. I hope this was helpful and more importantly that Lucy starts to feel better soon.

You can use a clean washcloth to gently remove any debris and keep the nipple clean. Monitoring the puppies and moving them to a different nipple when they try to nurse is also best to help the area heal. If it becomes infected, oozing debris, smelling, red and hot to the touch, etc, it needs to be seen by a vet to be more thoroughly cleaned and treated with antibiotics.

Oh my, that is a problem! I am most suspicious of the following: 1) If she recently weaned puppies (which doesn't look likely based on the appearance of the rest of the mammary chain), it could be she's got a blocked duct thats abscessed or she has severe mastitis. Either of those conditions would likely cause her to be lethargic, decreased appetite, fever, feeling sick. OR 2) She has a tumor that has become infected. A mammary tumor or skin tumor is less likely to make her "feel sick" than what I mentioned just above under #1. Regardless of the cause, you need to take her to your vet. She likely needs antibiotics and I suspect they may talk to you about surgical intervention as well. I suspect she is painful as well and they can get her some medication to make her more comfortable. Put an E-collar (cone of shame) on her to prevent her from licking at it, and get her to your vet as soon as you can. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Poor Bella. Bleeding from a nipple can be a sign of mastitis, which is fatal without treatment. Do not let the puppies nurse from that nipple, and take her and the puppies into a vet right away to get this treated.

I would take Minimosa and her puppies into a vet immediately. It sounds like she could be suffering from mastitis, which is a severe infection of the mammary glands. This can be fatal without treatment, which is why it's important she is seen by a vet now. Please take her and her puppies into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. Best of luck!

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!

Do not allow the puppies to suckle on the dog that is not their mother. She is getting mastitis (infection in the mammary glands). You need to keep them separated. You can try home treatment for the mastitis with cabbage leaves (see link below) but she may need to see a vet for systemic antibiotics. ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/mastitis-in-dogs )