I was giving my Doberman a bath last night and noticed one of his nipples was really swollen, much bigger than his others. I examined it and he did not mind so I guess it doesent hurt or anything. Should I be worried?
Is your dog one of those who hides pain? Some dogs won’t whimper even if you know they’ve got to be hurting.
Is the skin broken in any fashion, indicating it might be a rash or a bug bite? When you squeeze it, does it feel like there’s any swelling in there? Is it red or discolored from the swelling, like this? That pic is of my dog Sirius. (Don’t worry, it’s not gross to look at.) I was really worried when I saw that swelling. He, too, showed no signs of distress when I poked it. Dopers told me to give it a couple of days, and sure enough, it went away on its own. It may have been poison ivy.
Could you post a pic of the swelling?
Zeus does not feel pain. His skeleton is lace with adamantium.
Seriously I can’t ever remember him ever getting hurt even when he runs into shit around the house. I think I stepped on his paw one time and he made a little sound.
It’s a little pinker than the others but not really red.
IANAV, but I’d say give it a couple of days and see how it goes. Dogs are pretty fast healers-- the swelling on Sirius was gone within two days.
Watch his food bowl. The first symptom that dogs often display is changing their eating or drinking habits. Similarly, keep an eye out for lethargy, fever or vomiting-- if any of these symptoms happen, don’t wait. Take him in to a vet ASAP.
If the swelling isn’t gone in a couple of days, or if it starts getting larger, take him to the vet.