The difference between the female and male dogs can be highlighted by their reproductive organs. However, you are probably wondering why dogs have nipples just like their female counterpart.
Similar with the female dogs, the nipples of the male dogs will manifest on both side of their torso. They will develop on the chest area up to their groin area. The number of their nipples will also depend upon the size of the dog.
A smaller dog may have 8 nipples while the large ones will have 10 nipples. The dog’s nipples also carry different names.
The names will depend upon the location of the nipples. It can be called inguinal, caudal abdominal, cranial abdominal, caudal thoracic, and cranial thoracic.
The Purpose of Dog’s Nipples
The purpose of the female dog nipples is to secrete milk in order to feed their babies. However, the male dogs do not have the capacity to produce milk that will be used to nourish the small ones.
Due to this, the nipples of the dogs are in a rudimentary state. Since they are suspended, you are probably wondering if it serves any purpose.
Perhaps the most rational explanation on the nipples of the male dog can be traced during their fetal development. This can be understood by looking at the embryonic development of the human.
When the embryo of human first develops, they will begin with no individual characteristic. This will only be altered once the sex hormone of the fetus starts to develop that will lead to differentiation of the sexual features. The same process also occurs on our dogs.
According to the experts, the development of the nipples will occur even before the process of sexual differentiation. This means that determining if the nipples will become functional or not will happen during the latter period of the fetal development.
Remember that the nipples of women are not also functional upon their birth. You will notice that there are not a lot of distinctions between the nipples of both genders. The difference will only occur when the sexual hormone of the women starts to flow on different areas of its body.
This will lead to the enlargement of the breast and will cause them to produce and secrete milk.
The Male Dog Nipples Can Show Signs about Health Condition
As a dog owner, you should not just ignore the male nipples since it doesn’t serve any purpose. It can show some signs that something is not right with the health condition of your dog. In some cases, the sudden increase in the size of your dog nipples can be alarming.
This can possibly be a symptom of testicular cancer. In case you noticed that something is different with the nipples of your male dogs, you should also take a look at the other signs such as hair loss, anemia, and abdominal swelling.
In the event that you notice these signs, contact your veterinarian immediately. They can perform a series of examination to determine the condition of your dog.
