Over the last few weeks, we have been discussing the difficulties bitches/cats could have before, during and after puppy/kitten birth. One big problem is associated with the nursing of newborn pups/kittens.
Mastitis
This is an infection of the breast. Dogs can have up to ten functioning breasts. Sometimes tiny germs (bacteria) can invade the breast via the canal (ducts) in the nipples. Of course, any wound (eg, the scratching of the tender tissue by the pups/kittens’ claws during suckling) would function as a doorway through which the germs can get into the breast. Milk is an excellent medium in which bacteria can grow. Also, if the mother has contracted a general infection, those germs can find themselves in the milk- producing tissue and flourish.
Signs of mastitis:
i. The mother refuses to let offspring suckle (because of the pain).
ii. She might have a fever. The breast feels hot to the touch. Of course, the other symptoms associated with fever eg, inappetence and lethargy, are present.
iii. The breast is swollen and, in dogs/cats with a light-coloured skin, you may actually see the redness (reddish-blue) of the breast.
iv. The milk is slimy; it may be even reddish (blood) in colour.
What can you do?
First of all, you must remove the puppies. If they drink milk contaminated by bacteria, they could get sick (fatally so). Your veterinarian would most likely prescribe a course of antibiotics and possibly anti-inflammatory drugs. I always suggest that the breasts be milked out as often as possible (gently pulling at the nipples with the thumb and index finger). The caregiver can gently milk the breasts about 4-6 times daily. So as not to produce a blister on the breast, apply a mixture of aloes and cocoa butter on the milking fingers (thumbs and index). Use blotting paper or absorbent tissue paper to remove the milk that accumulates on the nipple.
About two days after the mastitis has developed, you can massage a liniment around the swollen breast every four hours or so. Be careful not to use a liniment that would blister the skin. Camphorated oil is an old but effective medication which has stood us in good stead over the years.
Very often, it is only one or two of the breasts that are infected. If this is the case, you can guide the pups on to those breast that are healthy. Alternatively, you could place a plaster over the nipples of the sick breast. Also, if the mastitis develops when the newborns are about three weeks old, then you could wean them completely away from the mother.
I should mention that there is a form of mastitis (as in humans) that occurs either because there is too much milk production or there is a blockage (eg, the caking up of nipple canals) that prevents the milk from being suckled out. This results in the backing up of the milk in the tissue itself. Obviously, this would be painful. The breast – usually the last ones at the back – become hard and swollen.
This treatment would require the removal of the cause of the blockage. Milking out the affected breast(s) is of paramount importance. If an infection develops, then the condition is treated as described above for mastitis. If the blockage is due to an anatomical defect, then surgery might be indicated.
