Why does my dog have purple bumps near her nipples after heat?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. What you are describing may be what we call papules or could be hemangiomas. Papules typically show up secondary to allergies or skin infections and hemagniomas are almost like blood blisters but can turn into cancerous skin tumors if not removed. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine these bumps so that you can get closer to an answer in regards to what these may be and what the most appropriate diagnostic / treatment recommendations would be. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

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.

I would recommend bringing Mary to a veterinarian to have it aspirated. It may be a growth that needs to be removed or it may be nothing. The aspirate would be sent to a lab to have a pathologist review it and let you know what it is. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach! Based on the photos you provided, the bumps appear to be papules / pustules that indicate a skin infection. This could be from her licking at the area when she was in heat (which is common). I would disinfect the area with and keep clean with a spray called Miconahex. This is a antimicrobial / antifungal spray that can treat superficial skin infections quite effectively. You can find this spray online quite easily. If you begin to notice any irritation after using the spray, discontinue immediately. If the skin condition worsens or does not resolve, I would recommend scheduling an appointment with a veterinarian to have this looked at. Additional medications may be needed to treat this. I hope this helps!

Hello. This is probably benign mammary hyperplasia, but you do want to have this looked at, especially if she has been spayed. If she has not been spayed & has never been with a male dog, then this could be related to a false pregnancy. Also, has she been in contact with anyone who is on hormone replacement therapy? Sometimes, this can rub off on a pet & cause mammary enlargement. If no outside cause can be found, then have her spayed if that has not already been done, & submit a biopsy to see exactly what is going on with the tissue. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

a higher hormone activity level such as during heat can indeed make the mammary complexes get more blood supply in preparation for a possible pregnancy. This should go away a little while after coming out of estrus (estrus = heat, and your dog is in heat for about three weeks after she stops bleeding. If the redness does not subside, or if the skin starts to look diseased, you should have your vet give Fufu a skin exam.

This lump/growth should be ideally examined by your veterinarian to have a definitive diagnosis. Your vet will examine it and possibly perform with an FNA (fine needle aspiration) or a biopsy. Differentials would include skin cyst, inflammatory polyp, infections or benign or malignant type of tumors (extremely unlikely given the age). 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!