My dog has swollen mammary glands, discharge, and she vomited. What's wrong?

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!

Poor silver! She could be pregnant (unless y'all have watched her 100% of the time she is outside) or she could be going through a false pregnancy (they think they are pregnant and will show similar signs of swollen mammary glands, nesting, whining, etc). She could also have an infection in her mammary tissues. I would recommend to contact your vet for an exam to confirm that she isn't pregnant and see what is going on. I hope she starts to feel better!

There are a couple of things that could be wrong with your dog. She could be pregnant causing her swollen nipples and making her feel ill. It could be that she has mammary tumors also causing these symptoms. If she had puppies recently, she could have mastitis (an infection of the mammary glands). Finally, she could have a pyometra which is an infection of the uterus that is fatal without treatment. Because both mastitis and a pyometra are fatal without treatment, and since I can't see her in person to rule them out, I think it's best that she sees a vet right away. The vet can diagnose what is causing these symptoms and the best way to treat her. Please take her into a vet now. Best of luck.

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.

It could be stomach upset but it could be something more serious like a pyometra. A pyometra is an infection of the uterus that is fatal without treatment. I'd have her seen by a vet now to be safe. Best of luck.

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.

First off, I'm very sorry your lost your grandmother! Please accept my condolences for your loss. I see that she isn't spayed, and I would be concerned Bailey could have a pyometra. This is an infection of the uterus that is fatal without treatment. It would cause her to not eat and have a swollen stomach. She needs to see a vet immediately, this is not something you can treat at home. Please take her into a vet now. Best of luck.