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Expert: - 12/15/2010


Question
Hi I have a 12 week old kitten we got around Halloween and we also have a 2yr old shih tzu. My question being the kitten suckles on the dog and now she actually has milk. is this detrimental to her health and will it make the kitten sick? Both of them seem to take comfort in it but it just seems really strange. Any help is appreciated Thank you.

Answer
While this is not unusual it is not recommended that it continue. This dog is spayed and shouldn't have milk for any reason. Not that it is unhealthy but mentally it is not a good thing. It's like having a false pregnancy. It messes with their heads mostly.

The kitten isn't nursing per se, but seeking comfort. When they are with their mom they 'knead' on mom and that causes the let down reflex in the mother cat to release milk.

You should take your Shih Tzu in to the vet and have her looked at because she needs hormones or something to stop this lactation. Besides the mental health aspect the kittens teeth at 12 weeks old can cause some serious abscesses in this dog.

But ask your vet about this when you have her looked at.  

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

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Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

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Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

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Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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