When a dog goes into heat, its breasts get swollen and tender. This is a natural consequence of the body in heat, but why do they swell in the first place? While it’s normal for a dog to have enlarged nipples in heat, you may wonder how long it takes before it returns to normal?
Let’s find out some more info about what happens to that part of a female dog’s body.
How long do a dog’s nipples stay swollen after heat?
After the heat cycle ends, it will typically take 4 to 6 weeks for the dog’s nipples to return to normal. The average reproductive cycle in dogs is approximately six months, so it may take most of that time before the glands are back into their regular size.
This period varies from one animal to another, but it’s important to remember that the glands will not return to their regular size until after the reproductive cycle has ended.
In any case, there should be no cause for alarm unless a dog’s nipples remain enlarged or swollen beyond the heat cycle. After a dog goes into heat and returns back to normal, the best way to prevent this from happening again is spaying.
If you think that your dog’s nipples are partially swelling while they’re still in heat, make sure to keep an eye on them and look for any warning signs of a possible infection. This is especially important if there was a previous infection or abortion in a female dog’s past.
An infection can be caused by a dog’s surroundings, so make sure to keep them clean and safe from any possible irritants. Also, make sure that their food is fresh and water is always available for them to drink.
Is it normal for a dog’s nipples to be swollen after heat?
Confusion about the swollen nipples during the heat cycle for female dogs is common.
The size, shape, and color of a dog’s nipples can change when it goes into heat. These changes are relatively normal and should not cause alarm or concern for you or your dog. Many times the changes are noticed by the pet owner when they become more visible or engorged from licking.
If you notice any change in your female dog’s nipples, it is not necessary to take them into a veterinary clinic immediately. It takes most female dogs about three to four weeks before the nipple changes go back to normal. If not, then there may be an issue with your dog’s health, so it is best to bring them in for the veterinarian to check.
What happens when dog nipples are swollen?
When a female goes into heat, her hormone levels will fluctuate due to the release of estrogen and progesterone. This leads to increased blood flow between their mammary glands that enlarges and tightens the nipples. There also may be a marbling effect with some white dogs, where the pink color of the nipple is more visible through their fur.
Sometimes there can be a darkening or reddish discoloration that occurs on the tips of your female dog’s nipples, which is just another normal change that should not cause alarm. This darkening or reddish discoloration can last a few months, which is normal for the dog going into heat.
The increased blood flow and tightening of a female’s nipples during heat should go back to normal three to four weeks after they go out of heat. As long as there are no signs of infection, there should be nothing to worry about.
It can take up to four months or longer for the dog’s nipples to return to their normal size and color after they go into heat.
What are the possible reasons why my dog’s nipples are swollen?
The swelling of a dog’s nipples can be caused by different factors that are not related to heat.
One type of swelling is referred to as pseudogynecomastia, which means that there is no medical issue with the female dog’s mammary glands.
The most common reason for swelling in canine nipples is due to an overactive thyroid gland. It can cause a fast increase in weight and provide them with an increased appetite. A dog’s nipples may be sore and swollen because of this overactive thyroid gland, so you should have your pet examined by the veterinarian as soon as possible.
Other medical issues can affect a female dog’s nipples during their heat cycle, such as mammary hyperplasia, a condition of enlarged glands. This leads to a cystic formation in your female dog’s nipples, which can be very painful for them.
Many times this formation will disappear on its own after two to three months, but you should have your pet examined by the veterinarian just in case it gets worse and requires medical treatment.
Another common cause of a female dog’s swollen nipples is an infection. This can be caused by a tissue reaction to the hormones released during their heat cycle, which causes the blood vessels within the mammary glands to swell up and become painful.
The best way to determine if this is what is going on with your pet is to have them examined by the veterinarian, who will try to determine what is causing this swelling. Treatment usually consists of antibiotics or anti-inflammatory medication if it does not get worse over time.
Symptoms of my dog’s swollen nipples
There are many symptoms of swollen nipples in dogs.
Some of these symptoms are very obvious, such as the clearly swollen and red nipples.
Other symptoms include:
- Pain in your dog’s mammary glands or surrounding tissue
- Loss of appetite
- Weight change
- Fever
- Discharge from the nipple area
- Open wounds in the breast area that seem to be slow to heal
- Draining fluid from their nipples that appear to be bloody or discolored.
Your vet will help determine what might be causing this swelling and give you some peace of mind.
Swelling in a female dog’s nipples can also occur if they have been in a lot of physical activity. Another common reason for swollen nipples is when the dog is pregnant or nursing puppies, which causes the blood flow to increase to this area because it needs to supply oxygenated blood to them.
Once the puppies are weaned and no longer nursing, the swollen nipples should go away by themselves. This swelling does not need any medical attention as long as it goes away within a few weeks.
What to do about my dog’s swollen nipples?
If the swelling in your female dog’s nipples is not causing any pain or discomfort, then there is no reason to be concerned. The best thing you can do is monitor what is going on with them and make sure they are eating well.
As long as there are no open wounds associated with this swelling, it should go away within a couple of weeks without any medical treatment. If the swelling becomes worse or does not go away within this time, then you should have your pet examined by the veterinarian – just to be safe.
If your dog’s swollen nipples are accompanied by other symptoms such as fever and loss of appetite, then they probably need immediate medical attention to determine what is causing this swelling.
Your female dog’s swollen nipples can also be caused by a bacterial infection. An infection will require antibiotics and other medications to treat it successfully. A lack of proper treatment may result in the swollen nipples becoming worse over time.
Your vet will need to drain an infection if it becomes abscessed so that it does not become septic. Your veterinarian will be able to determine if your female dog has an infection, or if their swollen nipples are being caused by one of the other causes mentioned above.
What Is Mastitis?
Mastitis is a common concern among dog owners, especially if the female owner has small children. Mastitis is an infection of the mammary glands in dogs.
It generally affects female dogs that are nursing a newborn litter of puppies for the first time. Because of their young age, pups may scratch the mother’s nipples during nursing, which can cause them to start cracking. This can allow a bacterial infection to begin in the milk ducts. Male dogs can also be affected by it.
Symptoms of this condition include:
- Nipple pain
- Itching around the nipple area
- Pus or thick, stringy milk coming from the nipples
- Crying
- Lethargy
- Redness in and around the mammary glands
- Fever; chills; fatigue; loss of appetite; vomiting
- Enlarged lymph nodes near the mammary glands
Some breeds of dogs are more susceptible to mastitis than others. Beagles and German shepherds are two common breeds that tend to have issues with this condition due to their size. Mastitis is best avoided by not breeding small-breed dogs before two years old.
If a dog has mastitis, the whole litter should be monitored to make sure it does not spread. Dogs can transmit this to one another if they are licking each other’s mammary glands. Puppies must not drink the milk of their mother if she has mastitis – it is toxic for puppies.
How to treat mastitis in dogs?
In most cases of canine mastitis, your dog will need antibiotics from your veterinarian. If the condition is not treated, it can cause your dog to start running a high fever.
Your veterinarian will be able to use an ultrasound machine to check for any signs of infection in your pet’s mammary glands. They may also do a culture and sensitivity test on the milk you express from your pup’s mammary glands to see if the infection is caused by a specific type of bacteria.
If the antibiotics do not work, then there may be a possibility that your pup’s mammary glands have become abscessed.