Nipples

[camille]

Several months ago I rescued a second Rottie girl. She was a rack of bones, so at our vet's suggestion, I waited awhile (6 weeks) before having her spayed, in order to get some weight on her so she would be a little stronger for the operation. Thankfully she didn't go into heat during this time. As far as we can tell, she is about 14 months old, so I will assume she had a heat prior to living with me. I had her spayed about 4 weeks ago, and I meant to ask the vet this question, but forgot last time I spoke to her. I was wondering if her nipples will shrink, now that she has been spayed, or if they will stay large?
I have another female who was spayed before her first heat, and she has such a nice, smooth belly. I was hoping the little one would end up the same way. This is probably a silly question, and it doesn't really matter, but I was just curious. Thanks as always for any feedback.

-Camille

[rottnelmo]

maybe she had a littler before you got her. My in-laws had a doberman bitch that they rescued and she had a litter before they got her (around 6 mo's of age or so). They had her spayed and her nipples were always a little larger and more visable.

[brunie's mom]

Her nipples should get smaller in the future, it does take awhile. What you should be worried about is having two female Rottweilers in the same house.

There is a thread in the Behavior Forums , Grrrlz in the House...please read it and be prepared .

Gina

[camille]

Thanks for the feedback. Brunies Mom, I have read the thread you are referring to as well as MANY others on this site that point out the dangers and potential problems of having two females of the same age sharing a household. We have taken every precaution. When I first brought the new one into the house, I was simply saving her life, and was planning on finding her a new home. The entire family has fallen in love with her, first dog included, and we now plan on keeping her as our own. I do realize that the pack order can be disturbed as the girls grow and change, and we are prepared to make any necessary decisions and/or changes to insure that everyone lives a long, healthy and peaceful life. We are prepared for the worst, yet hoping for the best. So far, so good. Thanks as always,

-Camille

[Matt322]

Originally Posted by rottnelmo

maybe she had a littler before you got her. My in-laws had a doberman bitch that they rescued and she had a litter before they got her (around 6 mo's of age or so). They had her spayed and her nipples were always a little larger and more visable.

I've got a rescue girl that had multiple litters (probably 5 or so) before we got her. I thought hers might shrink a little after we spayed her but that wasn't the case. Maggie is in serious need of a boob lift.

[Verbal]

It can take quite a while for those post-puppy nipples to shrink. I have an adopted female AmStaff that took about three years to tighten up. Her nipples are still a bit larger than a female that hasn't been bred, but she's no longer in danger of tripping over herself!

Factors that can affect the recovery rate include: how many times she's been bred; how big her litters were; how young she was when she had the litter(s); her body's unique response (like people, dogs vary in their recovery rates... some of us heal faster than others). It's definitely not an overnight process (for human moms either) but with time they will recede.

[camille]

From the replies, I feel as though my question wasn't totally clear. My dog has never had a litter. I was just wondering about the nipples that developed because she was allowed to mature before being spayed. I know all dogs are different, but my other girl has a belly that is almost as smooth as a male's. Thanks.

-Camille

[dmoniz]

I don't know about rotties, but I have a minpin that was spayed after her first heat and it took quite awhile before her nipples receeded - it;s been 9 months and we still think they are a little large, altough she also has no hair on her belly at all. My beagle had no problem with her nipples, but her vulva was swollen for about 3 or 4 years before I would have considered it normal, so every dog is definetly different.