My dog's back nipples are hard, discolored, and leaking. What's wrong?

I would be extremely concerned that Trixie has a pyometra. This is an infection of the uterus that is fatal without treatment. It would cause a purulent discharge from the vagina (the white discharge) as well as pain. This is a medical emergency if she has one, as if it's not treated, she will die. Because I can't see her to rule out a pyometra, she needs to see a vet now. Please take her 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.

Sorry to hear that Honey isn't right. I would want to know if that vet only analyzed the discharge or actually obtained a needle aspirate of the mass itself. While analyzing the discharge is fine, it is not going to be as accurate or meaningful as obtaining a sample of the mass. The most effective way to find out what is happening would be removing the affected area and sending it out for a biopsy. If it is an abscess or some sort of cyst, it would be curative hopefully. If it ended up being malignant in some way, they may have to go back and remove the entire mammary chain. Mammary cancer would be pretty unusual but certainly not impossible for a four year old dog. Hope this helps.

Hi and thanks for your request. The one with red liquid may be affected by a mastitis, which is an inflammation/infection of the mammary gland. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Other care recommended for the bitch may include hydration, warm compresses using towels or cabbage leaves, and frequent expression of milk from the infected gland by hand. This alleviates discomfort and swelling while also encouraging blood flow. Hand-milking should be performed every six hours. 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Thank you for contacting PetCoach with your question about Zoe. Wow, that is quite enlarged. I am concerned that she does have a mammary tumor. Those can be common in dogs who are not spayed. Unfortunately there are no natural remedies for this, and it does require veterinary treatment. You also need to be aware that 50% of these tumors are malignant, so there is a chance it is cancer. The only way to know for sure is to have her seen by a vet to get it diagnosed. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of its cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. I'd also see if you can borrow money from family and friends. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/ I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is probably a small abscess or focus of infection. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian. They can prescribe a topical or systemic antibiotic for her which may be enough to treat this if they agree it is an infection. Good luck!

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Kiera! Blood could be from trauma. Mastitis is very painful and is an infection. The mammary gland is red, hard and painful. Pus can be detected from the nipple. I suggest and exam by your Vet first before starting any medications. We can not prescribe medications on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach because we can not perform and exam. An exam is required by law to have a valid Veterinary-Client-Patient Relationship in order to prescribe medications. The gland should be expressed or still nursed from. Cephalexin doesn't hurt the puppies. I hope this helps and good luck!

Hello. It is difficult to say exactly what this is because cysts, small tumors & other benign skin growths can all look pretty similar. We do not recommend doing any squeezing on things like this because you could inadvertently introduce bacteria back into it & then you have a real problem. You should contact your veterinarian to schedule an appointment. Only after a hands-on examination can a plan be determined. One might be to just continue to watch this (without squeezing out the contents), or to remove it, send the tissues off for pathology, & make sure this is not something worrisome. I hope it is just benign, but it is better to know than worry. Thans for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.