Dog has smelly brown discharge and looks pregnant. What should I do?

Hello there! It looks like Princess has a mammary gland problem. What is causing the swelling should be determined at the vet's office. It could be mastitis (an infection of the mammary gland), a cyst (a fluid filled sac), or possibly mammary cancer. At the vet, they will give Princess a complete physical exam, and most likely they will take a small sample of cells from the mass with a small needle to look at under the microscope. This is called a fine needle aspirate, or FNA. The FNA will help the vet determine the cause of the mass and decide it's treatment. An infection may require antibiotics, a cyst may require regular draining, and a tumor may require surgical removal. Mammary tumors in unspayed dogs have the potential of being malignant (the kind of cancer that multiplies and spreads), so they may want to biopsy the mass to rule this out, should it be removed. The brown discharge and milk production may be from a condition called false pregnancy. This occurs when the body is responding as if it has puppies, but it in fact does now. This usually occurs soon after a heat cycle. It is also possible that she has an infection in the uterus, called pyometra, which can also cause abnormal discharge. This also requires a visit to the vet as it could be life threatening. I am suspicious of this due to her straining to go to have a bowel movement, as an enlarged, infected uterus can put pressure on the colon and make a dog feel like they have to go. You should make an appointment with your vet as soon as possible to have Princess checked out. Good luck, and I hope she feels better soon!

It could be a false pregnancy, true pregnancy, or a pyometra (though fluid from the nipples is less likely with this issue). The only way to know for sure is to have her examined by a vet. As long as her appetite and behavior are normal, I don't think you need to rush her in.

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!

It could be normal discharge. I would not be concerned about it if she is still acting normal and eating and drinking ok. We only get alarmed if we see green or black discharge (which could indicate placental rupture). Here is more information on other things to watch out for that could indicate she is having complications of her pregnancy. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=678&S=0&EVetID=0 Continue to monitor her and expect her to go into labor around day 65, but it can occur anywhere between 58-72 days gestation. Best wishes and take care.

I would take Gabriella into a vet immediately, this sounds like a medical emergency. If you have to pull one puppy out, it could be that there is another one stuck in the birth canal causing this smelly discharge. It certainly isn't normal to have a discharge that smell very bad, so she needs veterinary attention now. Please bring 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.

If Linda isn't pregnant or hasn't recently given birth, she shouldn't be making milk. Abnormal colors in the discharge could indicate infection or inflammation in the gland. The only way to know what a lump is caused by is to take a sample for examination under a microscope or submit a biopsy to a pathologist. I would recommend having Linda re-examined by the vet with this new information or get a second opinion.

This is likely the dissolution of the mucus plug. She will give birth within the next week and should start lactating soon. If the discharge looks like pus or has a bad smell. you need to take her to your veterinarian right away for an exam. Your vet can also take an x-ray and tell you how many puppies to expect so you know when she is done giving birth.