My dog's nipples are dark after whelping. Should I be concerned?

As long as it doesn't seem to be bothering her I don't think there is cause for concern. Some pigment around the teat can be normal. Ask your vet to take a peek at it the next time you are in. If she starts to seem itchy, if it becomes painful, or if the air starts to fall out or the skin become red or oozing, take her in. I hope that's helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hello. The amount of blood flow to the mammary glands ( not boobs ) has increased tremendously & this can cast a bluish tinge to the tissues. As long as the tissues seem soft & pliable, there is no pain & your dog seems comfortable nursing, then this is normal. Signs of infection in the glands ( mastitis ) would be pain, erythema ( redness ), lethargy, a reluctance to nurse, possibly a loss of appetite, a red discharge from the nipples, & ulceration of the tissues. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I hope Maggie's litter did great and that she was a great mother. This pigmentation actually looks completely normal. Some dogs as they age, they will accumulate more and more pigment on certain areas of their bodies. As long as she is not scratching these areas, licking them excessively I would not worry about them. If these areas become red and chronically irritated, then I would advise treatment. Again this looks like normal pigment accumulation to me since the skin otherwise is not inflammed and looks normal. Good luck with Maggie

That could be a normal pigmentation of the skin and if not associated to any other sign, it is nothing to be worried about. Hope this answer was helpful, but 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.

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. These appear to likely be benign hyperpigmented spots, so if Magna seems comfortable and the spots aren’t changing, my level of concern is very low. Of course, the best input is possible when a vet can see the skin in person and take a sample if necessary to test (to rule out other common causes, such as a cancerous change), but I think chances are very high that this is nothing worrisome. I hope this helps!

Thank you for your question. I think that she appears completely fine. It is normal to see a little skin irritation and what is visible in the photos is not worrisome. The puppies nails can scratch her and that is most likely the cause. As the start to develop teeth, watch for more serious problems, but so far she looks good. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The picture isn't the greatest quality so I hope I am seeing what you are seeing. The black at the ends of the nipples are normal and not of a concern, as is a little bit of a different colour near the belly button region. If there is a bump that is sore, swollen, red or hot where the belly button is and it is discoloured, this is not normal and very concerning, but this doesn't appear the be the case in the picture. Best of luck with your little one!