It’s normal for a dog’s nipples to swell during a heat cycle. After the cycle ends, it can take 4-6 weeks for the teats to revert back to normal. This depends on a few factors, like cycle duration and hormone levels.
Your puppy's first heat can be a little nerve-racking. The puppy seems to be uncomfortable all the time, and you feel like there’s nothing you can do.
You also notice physical changes, like the nipples swelling, and they stay that way for a while. So, you’re left wondering, will my puppy's nipples go back to normal after heat?
Let’s take a look at the factors that affect how fast your puppy’s nipples go back to normal.
Why Do Your Puppy’s Nipples Swell?
Generally, a puppy’s nipples will stay swollen for about 4-6 weeks after heat. Still, that’s not always the case.
In order to determine an accurate timeline, it’s best to know why your dog’s nipples swell during a heat cycle.
Just like humans, female dogs go through menstruation. During this period, the puppy will go through many shifts to prepare herself for breeding.
The dog’s ovaries will start producing hormones like estrogen. This will cause the pup to go through a few physical changes, including nipple swelling.
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How Heat Affects Nipple Swelling Duration
Swollen nipples are common in dogs during a heat cycle. Still, there are a couple of factors that affect how long they stay that way.
Cycle Duration
The average menstruation cycle of a puppy lasts about 6 months. That doesn’t mean your dog will stay in heat for the entire period, though.
Your puppy goes through a heat cycle of about 1-2 weeks, depending on the breed of your pup.
During this time, there’s a spike in hormones. This is usually when the nipples will start to swell.
The longer a heat cycle lasts, the longer the nipple will stay swollen.
Hormone Levels
Another factor that affects how long your dog’s nipples stay swollen is hormone level.
After a heat cycle, hormone levels don’t return to normal straight away. Instead, they gradually decrease over a period.
This period can change depending on your puppy.
It usually takes a few weeks for this to happen, but it’s not always the case. Sometimes, it can take a couple of months for them to equalize.
In the meantime, the nipple will stay swollen until hormone levels even out.
Other Factors That Can Cause Nipple Swelling
While heat may be the most common reason behind nipple swelling, it’s not the only one. There are a few other reasons your dog’s teats may expand.
False Pregnancy
If your puppy’s hormones are out of balance, it can trigger a false pregnancy. While your pup may not be carrying a litter, her body thinks it is.
That will cause your pet's body to go through many of the changes a pregnant dog does. This includes increased activity in the mammary glands.
The activity will cause the nipples to swell in preparation for new babies.
Luckily, this doesn’t last very long. Generally, your dog’s body will realize it isn’t with child within a few weeks.
After that, it may take a couple of weeks for the dog’s nipples to go back to normal.
The symptoms of a false pregnancy mimic those of a real one. Therefore, it may be difficult to tell the difference.
To be safe, it’s best to take a trip to the vet and ask for a check-up.
Thyroid Issues
Your dog’s thyroid is responsible for controlling the metabolic rate. This is a fancy way of referring to how an organism turns food into energy.
An issue with the thyroid can cause major weight fluctuations in your puppy. These changes can cause a hormonal imbalance.
When this happens, your pup's nipple can swell and stay that way until you resolve the issue.
Finding out if the thyroid is the issue is a little tricky. However, there are a few signs you can look out for.
- Rapid weight gain
- Excess shedding
- Hair loss
- Inability to handle cold temperatures
If you suspect your pet’s facing a thyroid issue, schedule a check-up with the vet. If the issue is serious, the vet can prescribe medication to help.
In addition, a little exercise can go a long way in keeping your dog’s thyroid healthy.
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Mammary Hyperplasia
Mammary hyperplasia occurs when lumps form around a female dog’s mammary glands. This condition usually happens around a dog’s heat cycle.
The constant hormone shifts cause abnormal cells to grow. These cells can cause inflammation in the area.
Most of the time, these lumps are benign and are no cause for alarm. As soon as your puppy’s heat cycle ends, the growths should resolve themselves.
However, sometimes the lumps can be a little more dangerous. While most lumps will look the same, they feel very different.
Benign Lumps
- Soft
- Fatty
- Movable
- Rounded-edges
- Clear defined borders
Malignant Lumps
- Hard
- Lumpy
- Immovable
- Sharp jagged edges
- No defined border
This may make it easier for you to figure out the type of growth. However, this isn’t an exact science.
The only sure way to figure out what’s wrong is to stop by your vet’s office.
Infections
Even though heat cycles are a natural part of life, they’re not always easy on your dog’s body.
Throughout the process, your puppy will go through bleeding and inflammation. The combination of these two may lead to a drop in your pup’s immunity.
This leaves your furball open to all sorts of infections. Considering that dogs spend a lot of their time on their bellies, this area is more prone to disease.
If the infection travels to the nipples, it can cause them to swell.
The swelling can be incredibly uncomfortable and painful. It can also cause a few other symptoms:
- Pus discharge from the nipples
- Fever
- Lethargy
How you treat this will depend on the type of pathogen infecting your puppy. The only way to figure that out will be with a vet’s help.
Paul has been creating content for the dog niche for many years. The information he shares comes his first hand experience growing up in dog lovers household and then owning multiple dog breeds of his own as an adult. Paul enjoys doing the hard research to collect, analyze and present our dogtemperament.com readers with the best answers to their questions.