Can Bitches Have Mastitis?
There are many common illnesses that dogs, like us, can have. But sometimes we don’t know what they are. For example, can bitches have mastitis? We’ll talk about that in this article.
What is mastitis?
Mastitis is an inflammation and infection of the breast, which causes great pain.
It is usually caused by a loss of quality of breast milk, which not only affects the mother, but can lead to the babies’ death because it prevents them from being properly fed.
Although mastitis has always been a common disease in humans, it has been known for several years that female dogs and other mammals can also suffer from it.
Identifying the symptoms that your dogs may have mastitis and knowing how to act is essential to help the mother and save the lives of her puppies.
Bitches can have mastitis, but how to identify it?
Mastitis can appear even in bitches that are not pregnant and suffer a psychological pregnancy.
In fact, it is one of the most recurrent symptoms to diagnose this type of “pregnancy”.
Canine mastitis doesn’t always have to present with an infection, because it could simply be an inflammation. In any case, it will always cause your pet great pain and discomfort.
Canine Mastitis Symptoms
As we always say, being aware of any changes that occur in our animal is part of the responsibility we take on adopting it.
So check if your dog has one or more of these symptoms to act quickly:
- Apathy
- Fatigue
- Lethargy
- Touch sensitivity in the area
- increased heart rate
- vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Redness and irritation of the breasts
- loss of appetite
- Harder Tits
Remember that mastitis also affects puppies, who can show symptoms that the milk they drink is not of good quality.
These can be: weight loss, not eating enough, weakness, moaning, skin or digestive problems.
If you notice any of these signs, whether in the mother or the puppies, go to the vet to get them sorted out as soon as possible.
The milk accumulated in the breasts can have fatal consequences for her. Therefore, if the puppies are not feeding enough (a rare thing to happen), this can increase the chances of the bitch suffering from mastitis.
It is very likely that the vet will suggest that you feed the puppies infant formula, from a bottle, until they consume more solid food.
Canine Mastitis Diagnosis
In addition to taking into account the symptoms mentioned above, the veterinarian will test your dog.
You may even order an ultrasound or similar exam, depending on the state of the mastitis and the animal.
A microbiological culture of milk and even cytology may also be necessary.
If the veterinarian determines that it really is mastitis and also its severity, treatment will be given.
Treatment
Do not medicate your dog yourself or follow the recommendations of others. The veterinarian is the only one who can determine a treatment for your pet.
The first thing to do is extract the breast milk accumulated in the breasts to relieve the animal.
There may be abscesses or tumors, in which case surgery will be needed.
Antibiotic treatment to soothe the pain and clear the infection, if any, lasts between two and three weeks.
The most common medications that may be prescribed are amoxicillin, clavulanic acid, cephalexin or cefoxitin.
Follow to the letter any instructions the vet gives you, and while you suspect your dogs may have mastitis, do not let the puppies be fed. This would be harmful to them and to the mother as well.
Calm down, if you are aware of these changes in your pet and act in time, mastitis has a simple solution.
