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Section: Overview
Mastitis is a bacterial infection of the mammary glands, almost exclusively seen in females. It may occur in one or multiple glands and usually occurs in lactating animals. It is a fairly uncommon condition, but occurs more frequently in bitches (female dogs) than in queens (female cats). Mastitis is most commonly caused by an ascending infection from the teat opening. Other potential causes or contributing factors include trauma (from nursing puppies) and hematogenous spread (infections spread via the blood). It may be more common in older dogs and in dog breeds with short legs in which trauma to the mammary glands is more likely. Poor hygiene can also be a contributing factor. Mastitis can be a painful condition that usually is fairly localized, although some animals may become systemically ill or even septic (bacterial infection in the blood).
Mammary gland tumors are a type of cancer that arise from breast tissue and are similar to breast cancer in women. About half of these tumors are malignant, which means they can spread, and half are benign...
Pregnancy is the period of gestation when the young are developing in the mother’s uterus. Typically, pregnancy lasts about 62 days and average litter size varies from one to fifteen, with an average of...
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