Why are my dog's breasts swollen and she's whiny after her heat?

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is possible that Harley could be going through something called 'pseudo-pregnancy'. Dogs can develop mammary glands, produce milk, and will sometimes even start to nest and collect small stuffed animals to nurse. This is normal and will subside in a few weeks. However, it is recommended to get her spayed before her next heat so she doesn't have to go through that stress again. The other possible cause is something called a pyometra. This is an infected uterus and is life-threatening. If you notice any discharge from her vulva, if she is weak, not eating, drinking more, or acting abnormally at all, I would have her seen by your vet right away. Best of luck with Harley.

The timing and symptoms could point to a false pregnancy. Have a examined by your veterinarian for confirmation. Treatment is typically not required in mild cases. Symptoms should abate within 2-3 weeks. If they don't or her behavior worsens, your vet can dispense medications to decrease milk production and possibly tranquilizers/sedatives for anxiety. Severe cases can be treated with hormone replacement therapy. To prevent​ future episodes, having her spayed would be the recommended course of action.

If Nyia has had a recent heat cycle, this can cause the mammary tissue to swell and it should go away. Intact females can also have problems with false pregnancies and this too will result in swollen teats and will generally reaolve. The teats can get infected and signs include swelling, heat, discomfort, discoloration and discharge. If any of those signs are seen, she should see the veterinarian. Getting her spayed will stop issues with swollen teats and false pregnancy. Dogs can get breast cancer and dogs that are spayed under the age of 2.5 years old have less cancer rates than those who are not spayed. So if you are not planning on breeding her, spaying her will provide health benefits. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

That could be a normal reaction of the mammary glands after the season, and it is likely to resolve spontaneously one or two weeks after the season. if signs persist more than that and discharge comes out from nipples a check up would ideal as false pregnancy or mammary gland inflammation/infection may be present.

This swelling is probably a hormonal response to being in heat. As long as she still has hormones in her system the swelling will remain. Since your vet did not feel like it was anything significant, it is probably fine. It will eventually go away on its own and if not it will certainly go away when you spay her. If you feel like the swelling is getting larger or starts to feel firm or painful than I would be concerned. Otherwise it is just a side effect of her being in heat.

tAs long as she didn't get bred or is going through a false pregnancy, most dogs will shrink down within 2-3 weeks or so months from the heat cycle. It should be noted they will never shrink back to the size they were prior to here heat cycle. Since her teats and vulva are still swollen, I recommend to have her examined to find out if something is wrong or if she is pregnant. I do recommend to spay Oakley unless she is planned to be a breeding dog. There are many health and behavioral benefits to the procedure. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Yes if she didn’t get bred she could be having a false pregnancy. If you don’t plan to breed her I do recommend having her spayed. Dogs that have irregular heat cycles and false pregnancies can get uterine infections that can be very serious and need emergency treatment and spaying. Also the constant hormonal ups and downs make dogs moody and may be a factor in developing breast cancer sometimes later in life. A false pregnancy can last the nine weeks of a normal pregnancy then she should get over it a week or two after that. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Lily.