What is Mastitis in Dogs?
Mastitis in pets is a disease that requires to be carefully monitored and dealt with in order to offer your furry pal as many healthful years as possible.
The inflammation of the breast tissue (mammary tissue) in dogs is referred to as Mastitis. When one or more of the mammary glands (mild-producing glands) on your pet becomes infected, you will notice this painful condition.
Mastitis usually affects female dogs after they give birth but may also occur after a false pregnancy. Mastitis in dogs is potentially life threatening and must be treated right away.
More info on the early signs of mastitis and what are the causes of mastitis and treatments for mastitis in dogs can be found on this web page.
Symptoms of Mastitis in Dogs
Mastitis can cause visible changes in your dog’s health and behaviour. As a pet owner, it is important to know the signs and symptoms of mastitis in dogs, so you can get the correct treatment for your pet as soon as possible.
- Depression Or Lethargy
- Decreased Appetite
- Fever
- Dehydration
- Failure Of The Puppies To Thrive
- Hot, Firm, Swollen And Painful Breast Tissue
- Signs Of Septic Shock
- Abscess Or Gangrene Of The Affected Glands
Please Note: The information provided in this page is designed to help inform you regarding mastitis. It is not meant to replace the vet diagnosis or treatment for mastitis. If you have any questionsor concerns about your pet’s health or possible symptoms, make to get in touch with and consult with your vet right away.
The Main Causes of Mastitis in Dogs
To understand and treat mastitis in dogs, we need to know the underlying causes of mastitis in dogs. This can help you prevent mastitis occurring in the first place or again.
The possible causes of mastitis in dogs are:
Mastitis in dogs is usually caused by several well-known bacteria: Staphylococci, E. coli (Escherichia coli), and ?-hemolytic Streptococci.
Any one of the mentioned bacteria normally gain access to the mammary gland by several possible paths:
- Infection caused by trauma to teat canal, the nipple, or mammary glands from the puppies teeth or nails
- Poor hygiene around your dog
- Ascending infection - up the teat canal from the skin
- Systemic infection spreading elsewhere in the body
- Prolonged periods of milk accumulation in the gland without milk removal
Diagnosing Mastitis in Dogs
Nobody knows your dog better than you do and therefore it is vital that your pet be examined properly by a vet annually.
By using cultured blood or milk samples, your vet can determine the type of bacteria causing the infection and offer proper treatment for mastities in dogs.
For dogs at risk of getting mastitis, more frequent visits to the vet recommended.
Preventing Mastitis in Dogs
It is awful when your dog gets sick, and seeing them hurt can be absolutely heartbreaking. With caution and a bit of extra care, a dog owner can make sure that dog stays protected from illnesses like mastitis.
To not to look weak or vulnerable to predators, the natural survival impulses make dogs conceal health problems. This means extensive physical exams by a certified vet are crucial to keep your pets healthy. Typically, blood and urine tests carried out by your veterinarian are required to get the total picture of your family pet’s health. These preventive checks actions will diagnose any health issue earlier making treatment more successful and less costly and, more significantly, will help your pet live a longer, healthier life.
Mastitis in dogs is preventable in most cases.
- Keep the whelping box as clean as possible
- Keep the environment around your pet clean
- Make sure that all the mammary glands are used in nursing
- Trimming the puppies nails, regularly to prevent scratching
- Remove the excessive hair will keep the skin clean
- Reduce inflation by applying a warm or cold gel compress wrapped in a cloth for no more than 20 minutes at a time.
Treatment for Mastitis in Dogs
In the event of an infection, the mother will need antibiotic medication, specific to the bacteria involved.
If the mastities infection is considered mild, the puppies will usually be allowed to continue nursing. The vet may also recomment that you to express milk from the infected glands, several times a day to help clear the infection and it can make the mother feel more comfortable, encourages blood flow, and promotes healing. Its also vital that you monitor the puppies closely for any side effects of the medication, which may be present in the milk at low levels. Talk to your vet if this is a concern.
If the mother is in septic shock or seriously ill, hospitalisation of the mother is required. Your pet may treated with intravenous fluids, pain relief, and specific antibiotics for the infection.
In rare serious infection situations, gangrenous glands will require surgical removal under general anesthesia.
Talk to your vet to understand more about the treatments for mastitis in dogs.