Female dogs who have just given birth are sometimes prone to the condition of mastitis, this is where the milk gland becomes inflamed.
Mastitis can also occur within dogs that have just had a fake pregnancy too.
You'll be able to notice if your female dog is suffering from mastitis if her milk glands feel hot to the touch or are hard and cause your dog pain when they are touched.
Her milk will quite often also be off colored and puppies could show signs of malnutrition.
Your dog will show obvious pangs, she will not eat and may become extremely thirsty as her body temperature could rise to around one hundred and five degrees.
She may vomit and become aggressive towards her pups as well.
Mastitis can very quickly become a serious problem, many times within a half of a day it can progress and should be attended to immediately if suspected.
It is advised to seek veterinary care.
If you cannot get your dog to a vet immediately upon noticing signs of mastitis there are some things you can do to help ease her pain and to help possibly prevent any further complications that may arise.
First and foremost you should apply warm water to her milk glands, some even use a warm olive oil solution and at the same time as doing this try to gently remove any contaminated milk by squeezing her teat between your forefinger and thumb.
By doing this you are enabling her milk to flow freely and stopping the poison produced by mastitis from absorbing into her blood stream.
If possible do this hourly.
In addition to that, you may want to take preventative care of her pups by removing them from her presence just in case she does develop an aggressive attitude.
Keep her comfortable and within easy reach of water so that she can drink and keep her body temperature down.
Mastitis in female dogs can be caused by many things but the most common is that an injury of some sort had happened to her teats or udder.
Sometimes, it can be something so simple as the flow of milk has been disrupted in some way or another.
These types of injuries often happen as a result of her pupy's claws being too sharp and scratching or cutting her.
You can prevent this from happening by ensuring the nails of the puppies are kept trimmed neatly and the sharp points removed.
Additionally, keep a steady eye on your female dogs teats and udder line.
Check her often to be sure that her milk is flowing well and is not building up in one of her teats.
By doing this you can go a long way towards the prevention of acute mastitis and also will be able to begin the care required to help your dog overcome it.