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My dog's teats are bluish-red after giving birth. Is it mastitis?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Golden Retriever | Female | unspayed | 1 year and 5 months old

My dog gave birth 11 days ago...she has a habit of leaving the box when she doesn't want to nurse but she nurses them almost every 1.5 hours. She has 11 pups. I noticedtoday her teats are a bit bluish red but doesn't seem to have any pain when I touch her teats. Should I take her to the vet?

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1 Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on February 11th, 2018

Yes, I would take Lulu into the vet just to be safe. The color of her teats could be due to so many puppies nursing, but mastitis can occur in nursing dogs, which is fatal without treatment. Because of this, it's always important to have any concerns with the teats checked out by a vet to sure everything is ok. I would make an appointment for her on Monday. I hope this helps!

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