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My breastfeeding dog has a swollen, painful breast. What should I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female

In my university we are taking care of a breastfeeding dog, one of the breasts of the dog swallowed and it hurts her. What can we do?

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3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 18th, 2018

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. I would recommend that a veterinarian examine her so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. This looks to be mastitis which is an infection of the mammary gland. The sooner this is treated the better. If it becomes necrotic and worse, she may need to have this surgically treated / removed. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on February 25th, 2018

    Hi there! I agree that this gland looks quite swollen and a bit red compared to the others. I believe I can see in the photos that she has some nursing puppies currently, correct? If this is the case, then I would be concerned that she may have mastitis - this is an infection of the mammary gland, and is a very common problem in females that have recently had pups. If your vet wasn't concerned or wouldn't do a proper exam, then I would recommend getting a second opinion from another veterinarian in your area as this should definitely be checked. If she does have mastitis, antibiotics will likely be prescribed to treat the problem. I would not recommend giving any Baytril unless directed by your vet, as this antibiotic is generally not considered safe for nursing mothers due to the potential for causing problems with the joint cartilage in the pups.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 10th, 2018

    Certainly her mammary gland looks very swollen in the picture, but I can't say for certain if she has mastitis or not without seeing her in person. The puppies can nurse, but not from that teat. She will have to see a vet immediately for this problem, as if she does have mastitis, it can be fatal if not treated quickly. She will get very sick from it, and she needs to be as healthy as possible for her puppies. Please bring her and her puppies into a vet today.

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