My daughters 8 year old lab, was very ill this morning. She took her to vet immediately and was diagnosed with mastitis. She has been given intravenous antibiotics and is going back tonight for more. Her back left teat is very swollen and hot. I always thought that mastitis went with feeding. Has anyone else ever had it at this age, when not feeding.

It could be that she has had a false pregancy, which is when a bitch produces milk even with no pups.

My girl had it accompanied with a phantom, it was awful in three of the teats. I was told to bath her teats with a warm flannel and then massage the teats. The vet said to gently squeeze the teat to remove the brown bloody discharge. You obviously have to be careful not to spread the infection.
She was really quite low with it and unusually for her a bit snappy.

It took a long while to clear even with antibiotics, I also gave her garlic tablets which is meant to be good for infection.
She was spayed after it had cleared up, she was 7 and a half.

Hope your daughters girl is better soon.

I had a similar experience to Sawheaties with my terrier mongrel, mastitis caused by lactating during a phantom pregnancy. In the end she was spayed as she started to have a full blown phantom with every season which wasn't very nice for her or good for her health.

She is much better today. Vet said it is a phantom with milk.He is going to scan her tomorrow to make sure there is nothing else wrong.It helps just knowing someone else has been through it and in the end they are OK.