# question about dog after birth and nursing



## icewiz2002 (Jan 4, 2009)

I am looking at adopting a rescue dog that has probably had several litters. She has very saggy and enlarged nipples. Her milk has just dried up after her last litter of 10 puppies. I know this may seem superficial, but will her nipples reduce in size now that she is not nursing anymore? Probably won't ever go back to normal, but right now they are flopping all over the place! Also, wondering if gaining a little weight might help fill her out, the listing says she could gain about 2 pounds. Currently is around 18 pounds.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Has she been spayed yet? I assume the rescue group will spay her at some point if not already. Without the hormones, her teats should begin to shrink a bit. I've known some dogs (who've had litters) whose teats shrunk up right away, and other who still have saggy teats years after their litters. I guess it's an individual thing.


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## MyRescueCrew (May 8, 2008)

Like Willow said, I think it's an individual thing. Speaking from experience with my dogs, I can say this. I have a 4 year old Beagle/Bassett hound that was pregnant when the rescue took her in. I adopted her just a few days after she finished weaning her puppies. Her nipples were BIG. Now, they have completely shrunken and look almost normal, except one that hangs just slightly. Here's a photo of Katie's right after I first got her, and then a photo of her today.



















I also have a 9 year old dachshund that was rescued from a puppy mill just a few months ago. They claim she had a reported 17 litters of puppies in her life. When I got her, her nipples almost litterally dragged the ground. They were that gigantic. I've had her a few months now and her nipples have really shrunken. They aren't completely normal size, but they are well on their way there. I don't have a photo of her showing them right after I got her (when they were very saggy), but I do have a photo of her as of now (she was rolling on her back playing):










Both of these girls were spayed right after I got them, so spaying may have something to do with the length of time it takes for them to shrink, but I don't know that for sure.

Hope this helps!


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## icewiz2002 (Jan 4, 2009)

Thank you so much for the answers and pictures. Hopefully they shrink back, but if not I'll get her some sweaters to wear 

She has been spayed yet, first thing on my list to do!!


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