My nursing cat's nipple is bruised. Is this normal or serious?

Hello. The amount of blood flow to the mammary glands ( not boobs ) has increased tremendously & this can cast a bluish tinge to the tissues. As long as the tissues seem soft & pliable, there is no pain & your dog seems comfortable nursing, then this is normal. Signs of infection in the glands ( mastitis ) would be pain, erythema ( redness ), lethargy, a reluctance to nurse, possibly a loss of appetite, a red discharge from the nipples, & ulceration of the tissues. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The purple areas look like bruising that likely occurred due to trauma/pinching of the area during surgery. Bruising can worsen during the first 2-3 days following a procedure, so this is not abnormal to see at this time for Molly. This bruising should start to improve after another 1-2 days. I definitely recommend keeping Molly's Elizabethan collar (E-collar) on AT ALL TIMES until her sutures are removed by your veterinarian to prevent her from licking at the area and causing trauma/increasing the risk of an incisional infection. If the bruising worsens after day 3-4 post-op, and/or you notice yellow/thick, foul-smelling discharge, and/or if any of the sutures seem to have fallen out, I recommend having Molly seen by your veterinarian right away. Otherwise, I recommend monitoring the area and keeping her E-collar on. Best of luck with Molly - and THANK YOU for spaying your pet!

Hello, and thank you for your question. I would be worried about mastitis (mammary gland infection) based on your description. Are the kittens nursing from that nipple? I would try to encourage them to nurse from all mammary glands, and if the problematic one is not being emptied, you may need to gently express it every few hours to help it empty. Warm compresses may help with this as well. Sometimes it is a problem with the kittens not being able to find the nipple, so you could also try clipping the hair around the affected gland to make it more visible and easier for the kittens to reach. I hope this helps, and that mom feels better soon!

This is probably due to some bleeding under the skin, which is not uncommon after a spay, if she is not showing any symptoms other than that i wouldn't be too worried about it, you should take her to the vet for a routine post opp check early next week though.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This mass looks pretty serious. Any type of color change, especially dark like this one, makes us suspicious of cancer. I suggest you take her to your vet for an exam. Likely this mass will need to be surgically removed and sent to a laboratory for histopathology testing. I don't mean to scare you but I don't think this is something to ignore. I hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! At least based on these pictures I can tell you that mastitis seems unlikely as they typically also have visible swelling of the mammary glands and there is usually discharge. This may be due to dirt from them nursing or perhaps due to a mild skin infection. If it does not resolve on its own in the next 5 days or it worsens, have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a great day!

This is excessive bruising. Cats don’t usually show much bruising compared to dogs or people. I recommend a recheck with your veterinarian and a check of your cats blood clotting factors. I’m glad she is feeling fine but I’d still have this examined to make sure there is no underlying medical problem. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Sushi.