Anybody know about dogs...?

[cloud_weaver]

Help please!  I have a Mini Australian Shepherd and I'm having a small issue with her.   


Callie is 2 1/2 years old, and is not fixed.  She's got an appointment to go in March 20th (a week and a half) to get fixed, shots, and microchipped.  Now, I got her when she was just over a year old, and she's never had pups (we've been careful!).  The last time she was in heat was in November, I remember because I was worried she wouldn't finish before Thanksgiving.


Alrighty, so with that being said, my problem is...she's leaking milk from her nipples.      I can't figure it out!  She's a skinny dog, and hasn't been gaining weight but about two days ago I noticed her licking a lot, and now her nipples are filling up and she's...um...got milk.    I've taken her to the dog park the past few weeks but no dogs have mounted her, and most of them are fixed anyway.  Also...she hasn't been in heat any time recently - it's been almost 4 months, and she's not due to come into heat until April/May. 


What is going on?  I'm a bit worried, and honestly quite grossed out as she won't stop licking.  Does anyone know what it is?  Is it a "phantom litter"?  I thought that was only a possibility right after she was in heat.


I'm so confused!

[kaoskat]

There are quite a few things that can cause lactating. My GSD started swelling and lactating when she had a mammary gland infection. I would suggest having your vet check her out.

[Eviecorn]

Sometimes it's just hormones, but I'd be on the safe side and get it checked out.  Like Kat said, it could also be an infection.

[Princess-Sparkles]

Might be a phantom litter, but there would be other signs other then milk coming out... Might be best to ask the vet just to be on the safe side. You might be able to ring them and they'll say whether she'll need a check up or not.

[PandoraFox]

I would have her checked out, just in case, to see if it's indeed an infection, or some other medical reason. I most certainly hope it isn't.
However, one of our border collie girls would sometimes lactate when she was in heat, due to nothing more then her hormones going a bit funny on her. Heat would also happen at pretty random times for her, so not having a set time frame for it isn't completely unusual.
Your girl may very well just be in heat, and if so there's nothing to worry about.

In my case, whenever I caught our border collie girl eating grass, I'd always jokingly tell her she wasn't a cow, and I'd only allow her to do so once she started giving milk. Imagine my face when she, in fact, did just that.

[cloud_weaver]

Thank you guys!  I will call the vet and hopefully things will clear up on their own.  She doesn't have any other symptoms other than licking.  (Again, *yuck!*)

[hathorcat]

Could be a phantom pregnancy...some bitches are prone to this over their life and will get them with some regularity

However when it comes to anything with an animal and as others have said..the best bet is a little trip to the vets!!!

Hope she is all ok!

[Rococo]

My dog would get random phantom pregnancies even though she shouldn't have been in heat before we got her neutered so perhaps that is also the case with your doggy?

My dog's nipples would have milk in them and she would also gather up some of our old plush toys and act as though they were her babies... She would sleep with them near her belly and would whimper and cry every time we tried to take her"puppies" away. It was actually annoying because I got jealous of those toys and how she didn't want me to hold her or pet her anymore... lol

[melodys_angel]

Definatley call the vet and see what they say <3