My dog got mastitis after her litter – is it okay to breed her?

Our question this week was:

I have a 3-year-old female Boxer. She had her second litter of pups and she got mastitis in one of her mammary glands. Would it be ok to breed her again?

Answer

Hi – thanks for your email. If your boxer is well and the mastitis is completely resolved, it has been a year since her last litter, then yes, it would be okay to breed her.

I'd recommend that you read our article on Mastitis in Dogs to try to minimize any risk factors for repeated mastitis problems. Some things will be out of your control (such as trauma from the puppies nursing) but good hygiene, a clean whelping box, changing and washing the bedding often, ensuring that your dogs glands are clean when the puppies are nursing, are good methods to try to prevent future problems.

Best of luck!

Dr.