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Expert: - 5/29/2010


Question
About 4 weeks ago my pitbull pup had puppies by a mastiff on her first heat. she has this big lump that is very hard in her second from the front breast... i squeezed on it to see if milk would come out and there is some blood coming out. she doesn't like feeding them really anymore but they are also about five pounds a piece at 4 weeks old too. so i guess, it could be their teeth. what do U think i should do about the lump and should i start feeding the 3 puppies soft dog food?

Answer
Sounds like the lump could be mastitis which is an infection in her teat or near it. Most puppies start on soft food at 5 weeks, but larger breeds can be started at 4 weeks.

Make sure they get a large breed puppy food and do not use Purina Puppy chow as it is coated in milk and causes diarrhea. Dogs are lactose intolerant when they are weaned.

She needs to see the vet for this infection because they can get out of hand really fast and she will need some antibiotics. While she is there you can make her appointment to get her spayed so she won't go through this again.

Don't wait too long to get her in either because this infection can get nasty quickly.

Good luck with the puppies!

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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.

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

Education/Credentials
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!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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