Why does my older spayed dog have a swollen nipple with lumps?

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!

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.

I see that Jessabell isn't spayed. Unfortunately in unspayed females, mammary tumors are common and that is what could be causing her nipple to look weird. Mammary tumors in dogs have a 50% chance of being malignant, so I would recommend having her seen by a vet for it. 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 it's cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Should she have a mammary tumor and it's malignant, it will need to be removed surgically and local lymph nodes should be checked to see if it has been spread. I would have Jessabell seen by a vet tomorrow to have her nipple looked at so it can be treated as needed.

She may have mammary cancer which is fairly common in unspayed dogs. Your vet can perform either a biopsy or a fine needle aspirate and cytology to confirm the nature of the mass. If it comes back as mammary cancer, full screening pre-operative bloodwork as well as chest radiographs to rule out metastasis to the lungs will likely be discussed. If chest rads show that cancer has already spread to her lungs, unfortunately surgical removal under anesthesia may not be practical. Good luck-

I'm not sure if Dhuli is spayed or not. You say she is sterilized in the beginning of your post, but then at the end, you say she went into heat. If she was spayed, she could not go into heat. Intact dogs are prone to mammary tumors, and this may be causing her issues. These lumps look terrible, and I would be very afraid she could have malignant mammary tumors. You do need to take her into a vet asap. Best of luck.

If she is not spayed the number one reason for swollen teats is mammary (breast) cancer. If she recently had puppies then it could be severe mastitis. Either way this is serious. Your vet cannot drain these. I have no idea what they would possibly be referring to. If this is cancer, they have to be surgically removed. Sometimes the cancer is benign. Sometimes it is malignant and will spread to other organs (mainly the lungs). Regardless, the only way to potentially cure this is surgery. ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/mammary-tumors-in-dogs-malignant ) If it is mastitis, then she should respond to antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and warm compresses (or cabbage leaf compresses). ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/mastitis-in-dogs ) Please go back to your vet to discuss this or get a second opinion from another vet. This can be fatal.

What you are feeling are tumors (breast cancer); very common in dogs that are not spayed. They could be benign or malignant. I can't tell you that. You need to have them surgically removed and sent to a lab for histopathology. She should also be spayed as the same time as the masses are removed. ( https://www.petcoach.co/article/mammary-cancer-in-dogs/ )