Hi again friends,
My little Mia had her pups a week ago and everything has been progressing very well. The pups have put on an immense amount of weight, I've been weighing them everyday at 6pm and I have also been checking Mum daily for any swelling or unusual things going on (first time breeding so a little paranoid) , so this morning I noticed that she has a swollen teet that feels totally different to the others. I took her straight to the vet and she said it was not mastitis but has given me anti biotics for five days and a anti inflammatory pain killer for three days. There is no milk coming out and I am just worried. I feel that I should be doing more to help but I don't know what to do for her. The vet said that what she gave will stop it progressing to mastitis but if the milk has no where to go will it not get worse. How long will the medicine take before I start to see it working. The pups try to suckle from it but move on after about a couple of mins. She did say to let them suckle, which I feel is right. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Gareth & Mia

I'd milk some from it or it will get worse.. if you can get it going again as it were then the pups will drink from it again... also aloe vera gel is good (put it on after pups have suckled)

Applying hot (as hot as won't burn you when you put it on your inner arm) flannels as compresses, alternating with cold ones will get the milk flowing.

If it is infected (mastitis) it will vary in colour from Red, through to mushroom soup as it improves, until it finally looks normal.

Until it is normal coloured pups will not drink from that gland.

A vet (experienced in milking goats and mastitis) showed me how to do this when my Jozi had Mastitis (the emergency vet had given AB's and pain injection the day before).

What we got out was Tomato soup at first, so she had Noraclav for two weeks.

It came up literally over a couple of hours, so don't feel you have neglected to notice.  Typical it was boxing day, so cost a bomb at the emergency vet.

Hi,
Well I can't believe it. I went to put a hot compress on her just after she fed the puppies and to my total amazement the swelling has started to come down and feels softer. Not as soft as the other ones but near enough. She has only started the medication this morning. The biggest of the puppies (a boy) he was nursing on the so called infected teet so I am hoping that he has used his sucking power to get the milk flowing again. I'm still going to put the hot flannel on her and do the massaging just incase. I'll keep an eye on it. The vet must be going mad with me because i have called them each and every time that I have worried about something, but better to do that than to have something happen eh.

Yes just encourage the greedy one to use that gland, and use the compresses to help the flow, and keep an eye on it. 

Don't be surprised if the bitch or pups get a bit loose on the AB's, some live yogurt will do no harm in Mums food.  Onken set one is usually pretty cheap and enjoyed.

Thanks Barbara for that, i'll pop up to the super market in the morning and get some. I know she does like yogurt anyway so it won't be a problem feeding her some. Thanks again.