Is it normal for a cat's nipples to bleed when nursing her young?

When puppies and kittens nurse, they sometimes get a little too vigorous! Especially those little healthy babies! Nipples may become sore and small raw areas may develop. The skin of the nipple may exude small amounts of blood or get scabby. Sometimes, the newborns scratch the mammary gland area with their sharp little nails and claws because during a vigorous nursing session they "knead". Kneading is not only normal, but helps to stimulate the mother to let her milk down, and so it is an important part of the nursing relationship. Scratch marks are often visible around the teat base.

If the gland is producing normal milk, and the mother is feeling well, eating well, and allowing the gland to be nursed, we usually think of this as normal nursing trauma. Keeping the environment very clean, and observing the area closely on a daily basis are helpful preventive and monitoring steps to implement.

In other cases, a mammary infection or inflammation may occur and this is termed mastitis. Mastitis is not normal, and signs of this condition may include lack of milk in the gland, watery, discoloured or bloody milk, and swollen, painful and sometimes quite hot mammary gland(s). The mammary gland may be discoloured, perhaps red or blue-purple. The mother is often dull, not eating well, and may not allow nursing of the affected glands. Nipples may be swollen. One or more of the kittens or puppies may also not be thriving. This condition requires prompt veterinary intervention and some of the treatments may include antibiotics, warm compresses with cleansing solutions, and early weaning.

If in doubt about what is causing bleeding nipples, a trip to the veterinarian for an evaluation and reassurance is important because if mastitis is present, continued nursing and progression of mastitis can be a problem for both the mother and the litter.