My dog has canker sore-like bumps on his gums. Is it from chewing?

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach! From the pictures you have provided and knowing that Ace is a young dog, I would suspect the bumps to be papillomas. These are benign masses of the skin that are caused by the papilloma virus. Most of the time these bumps resolve on their own with no secondary complications. Other times, these bumps need to be treated because they are bothering the dog. If Ace is not bothered by these bumps, I would monitor them for now and if they become much larger in size or begin to bother him, I would get him examined by a veterinarian. As these are viral, there is no one great treatment for resolving these. There has been research on an antibiotic called Azithromycin and its efficacy in treating papillomas. I have used Azithromycin before for treating this with mixed results. These bumps could also be acne or infected hair follicles that are inflamed (a condition called folliculitis). I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns! I am also available via phone or text based consultation.

It's not really common for dogs to get cold sores the way that people do, but there are lots of things that could cause a bump like this - it could be an insect bite or local inflammatory reaction, a papilloma or wart, a localized bacterial infection, or even a skin tumor of some kind. If the bump appeared recently and your dog is acting normal otherwise, you could monitor it for the next week or two to see if it goes away on its own. If it doesn't, or if it becomes painful or itchy it seems to be growing, then I would recommend having it checked by a vet - he/she can do a simple test called a fine needle aspirate to find out what it is.

These bumps could be epulis. It's a benign lump that commonly grows between the canine or incisor teeth, and are the same color as the gum. They are also typically smooth in appearance. Without seeing Otis in person, I can't say for certain but that would be my best guess. Definitely have him checked out by a vet. I hope this helps!

From your picture it looks like Cooper could have something irritating or rubbing his lip in this area - sometimes it is something he may ha e chewed on or it may be a tooth that is rubbing against the lip. If it seems painful it may be a reaction to some kind of caustic substance. I would recommend having your veterinarian examine his mouth in person to determine for certain what these bumps might be.

No need to worry too much yet. In such a young dog it is highly improbable that anything too terrible is wrong. In all honestly, it is very hard to make a diagnosis of dermatologic issues without actually feel the lesion, and / or collecting some diagnostic samples. At first glance, they look like eosinophilic plaques (otherwise known as rodent ulcers), which are actually much more commonly seen in cats. Since you are seeing these lesions on both sides of the mouth, it's also possible that this is something anomalous but normal in your dog. Another possibility is that your pup could have bit onto something that cause some irritation, and it is now causing something wrong symmetrically. If the areas aren't getting large and are not bothering your dog, my advise would be to leave things alone for the time being to see if there is any change. However, it wouldn't be wrong to take your dog to the vet now to have him checked over. Hope this makes sense!

While odds are good that Monty's lesion is likely a viral papilloma, the only definitive way to determine what's causing the lesion is through removal and biopsy. Viral papillomas are most common in young dogs (like Monty), as well as those that are immunosuppressed. While viral papillomas are contagious between dogs, in young dogs they typically resolve without treatment. That said, some do dramatically worsen or become infected, which is a bit more complicated to manage. Topical treatment won't do any good, particularly for any lesion in the mouth. It would be best to have this lesion evaluated by your vet, who may recommend diagnostic testing to confirm their diagnosis. With that said, it's also not wrong to continue monitoring it to see if more lesions develop or if this one changes at all before pursuing further investigation. Until you know for sure what is causing this lesion, keep Monty away from other dogs at doggy daycares, dog parks, or kennels. I hope that everything goes well!

Thank you for the picture of the growth in Tucker's mouth, it's really helpful. That appears to be an oral papilloma, which are small, benign tumors of the mouth caused by the papilloma virus. These usually affect dogs under two years of age, and are transmitted from other dogs by direct contact, such as eating and drinking out of the same water bowl or greeting each other. Since canine oral papillomas are usually asymptomatic, treatment is often not indicated unless they become infected or become symptomatic. Infected papillomas require a course of antibiotics, and if a dog ends up having a lot of oral papillomas in their mouth, they can be surgically excised or treated with cryotherapy (freezing). I do recommend having him checked out by a vet for this to make sure it is an oral papilloma, as I cannot make a definitive diagnosis without seeing him person, so give his vet a call to make him an appointment. I hope this helps!