Dealing With Acute Mastitis

Mastitis, or inflammation of a milk gland, is usually seen in bitches in milk. Therefore this condition arises in bitches which have recently whelped or, less commonly, in those which have had a false or "phantom" pregnancy (i.e., all the changes of pregnancy have occurred but no puppies have been produced).

In cases of mastitis the milk gland or glands affected are hot, hard and tense, being painful to the touch, and the milk secretion is discoloured. The condition may mature quite rapidly—in 12 or 24 hours—so it is important that expert attention be given as soon as possible.

The temperature of the animal usually reaches 103-105°F., and the bitch shows signs of pain, refuses food and develops an excessive thirst. There may or may not be vomiting, and pain sometimes causes the bitch to snap at her young if they attempt to feed from the affected gland.

Before skilled help arrives steps can be taken to prevent the condition becoming worse. The gland should be well fomented with warm water or warm olive oil, and any secretions gently milked out by a gentle squeezing with finger and thumb towards the teat. This can be repeated every hour..

The procedure greatly helps to relieve the local congestion and prevent any further absorption of poisons from the gland. This condition should not be confused with that of mammary tumour, which shows itself as a swelling in one or more of the milk glands, usually in the bitch when not in milk.

The swelling is usually painless, hard, and localised to a portion of a gland. The temperature remains normal and the bitch's general health is unchanged. Professional advice should be sought in such cases but great urgency is not present..

The Prevention of Mastitis

This inflammation of the mammary glands in the bitch, which arises from various causes, is sometimes avoidable. The most important cause is injury from the puppies or from some other source, or an accumulation of milk in one gland due to it having been neglected for some reason by the offspring.

It is a good plan to cut the points of the puppies' nails from ten days of age onwards about once a week; these grow at astonishing speed and can lacerate the glands.

Pekinese and other low-to-the-ground bitches should have the top of the whelping box very smooth otherwise injuries can be caused when getting in and out.

An accumulation of milk can be prevented by feeling all the glands regularly, making sure they are soft and pliable, and encouraging the puppies to suck from all the teats. If a gland begins to feel full and hard the milk must be drawn off by hand several times a day until the gland is soft.

Vaseline or olive oil will help to keep it in a supple condition. Any hardness or fullness is often the preliminary to mastitis which, like all local inflammatory conditions, shows the classic signs of heat, pain and swelling. Mastitis is usually preventable and should not occur if a bitch is properly cared for by an observant owner.

Mastitis is sometimes found in bitches who have lost all their litter and have plenty of milk. Such cases are more difficult to prevent and if it is possible to use the bitch as a foster, this should be done. A bitch deprived of her puppies can become ill with misery, quite apart from discomfort from her milk.

If this is impossible to remedy, the bitch must be returned to normal as quickly as possible by giving her very dry food and mostly biscuit (not meat), Epsom salts internally, and by careful observation of her glands. They should not be touched, if touching is avoidable, as massage increases the supply of milk.

Sometimes treatment with an oestrogen becomes necessary, and sedatives are often required. The owner must be very watchful and call in veterinary assistance immediately if the bitch seems restless, distressed and anxious, and if she is feverish or shows symptoms of mastitis.

For More Information

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