Puppy's enlarged nipple, vulva pimple, fishy smell after heat?

It is possibly local skin fold infection or mild inflammation around the nipple. Please, clean the area with antiseptic skin solution (ideally containing 4% chlorhexidine, for example Hibiclens) twice a day for 4-5 days. If it does not get better, you will need to take Lady to your local vets for a check.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It can take a bit for the vulva and mammary glands to decrease from the hormones. She could also be experiencing a false pregnancy, which is a hormonal imbalance that can cause pregnancy symptoms: swollen mammary glands, milk development, nesting behavior, anxiety, carrying stuffed animals around. It usually resolves in 2-3 months. Causes for the area of hair loss are: trauma/injury/abrasion, skin infection, ring worm, demodex. I would put her on one of the oral flea and tick medications: Nexgard, Bravecto, or Simparica. All 3 also kill demodex as well. If the spot grows or doesn't resolve then I would have her seen. I hope this helps!

I would recommend that you have these spots examined by a vet. It could be a small pyoderma or skin infection, which is common in young dogs, or could be related to urine pooling in the area (especially if she has a recessed vulva). Or it could be something else. The vet will examine it and may take a small sample to be examined under a microscope.

That could be a normal reaction of the mammary glands after the season, and it is likely to resolve spontaneously one or two weeks after the season. if signs persist more than that and discharge comes out from nipples a check up would ideal as false pregnancy or mammary gland inflammation/infection may be present.

It is not unusual for the vulva to remain swollen for a period of time after the "heat" cycle is over. In dogs, there are [4 stages of estrus](https://www.petcoach.co/article/anatomy-and-function-of-the-reproductive-system-in-dogs). The combination of proestrus and estrus, which is often referred to as "heat" by breeders, lasts approximately 21 days. "Heat" is followed by diestrus and anestrus. During proestrus, the vulva swells and has a bloody discharge. During estrus, the vulva softens and becomes pliable in preparation for mating. It can take several weeks following estrus for the vulva to shrink back down in size, but it will never go back to the size it was before the first heat cycle. The same is true of the mammary glands, which enlarge slightly in preparation for [pregnancy](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/pregnancy/).

Hello. If you are sure that she is not pregnant, then this is just a hormonal response. The breast gland tissue may regress a bit, but as long as she remains unsprayed, she may develop a little more with each heat cycle. Spaying her now may help regress the tissues totally, but with each additional heat cycle, she may develop just a little bit more. So yes, this is a normal condition in an unsprayed female dog. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is possible that Harley could be going through something called 'pseudo-pregnancy'. Dogs can develop mammary glands, produce milk, and will sometimes even start to nest and collect small stuffed animals to nurse. This is normal and will subside in a few weeks. However, it is recommended to get her spayed before her next heat so she doesn't have to go through that stress again. The other possible cause is something called a pyometra. This is an infected uterus and is life-threatening. If you notice any discharge from her vulva, if she is weak, not eating, drinking more, or acting abnormally at all, I would have her seen by your vet right away. Best of luck with Harley.