My dog has a growing mouth lump. Vet said it's fine, but is it normal?

Hi, thanks for using Petcoach! Thanks for the picture, it really helps in this case! Those bumps in his mouth are viral papillomas. They are very contagious from dog to dog. They take 1-2 months to incubate so I do not think they are from yesterdays play session. I would warn that dog's owner that their dog may get them. They are benign and will go away on their own. When I see a dog with them on appointment I crush a few of them to make them bleed and place the dog on azithromycin for 10 days. That tends to stimulate the dogs immune system quicker to help fight the viral infection. Blue should not play with other dogs until all the lesions are gone. I hope this helps and I wish Blue a speedy recovery! http://www.pethealthnetwork.com/dog-health/dog-diseases-conditions-a-z/oral-papilloma-virus-dogs

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach! From the pictures you provided and knowing that Klaus is young, what you are seeing appears to be what we call a papilloma. These benign masses are caused by contact with the papilloma virus, usually picked up from another infected dog. The good news is that these masses typically resolve on their own and require no specific treatment. Sometimes these do not go away and need to be removed or are getting too large and become an eye sore or catch on objects and bleed. In these cases, sometimes we will prescribe an antibiotic such as Azithromycin which has been shown to reduce the size and even resolve some papillomas. Most of the time, however, these masses will turn gray or purple in color, shrink and then fall off. If you are concerned about the mass then I would get this examined by your vet. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns. I am also available via phone or text consultation if needed.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I agree! The growth has the classic look and location for CPV. It is contagious and dogs get it from playing with other dogs at dog parks, doggie day care or from playing with their normal dog friends. The immune system does clear it eventually though it can take several months sometimes. I usually crush them with my fingers or a hemostat to speed up the process. There is limited evidence that a 10 day course of azithromycin also speeds up regression. He shouldn't play with other dogs until it is completely gone. I hope this helps and I wish Ollie the very best!

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!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Based on your picture and Rio's age it looks like a papilloma. It is virally induce and contagious. Most dogs get it from doggie day care or other close interactions with other dogs. Usually they spontaneously regress. Sometimes I'll crush them in the office and put the dog on a 10 day course of Azithrimycin.

This is Papillomavirus. This is more common in young dogs and the majority of the time you just have to let the virus work itself out of the system. If they start getting really bad we can try to treat. I wouldn't be too concerned about your older dogs especially if you were just playing with the puppy. It is very contagious but when dogs have a good immune system it is harder to get the virus, although not impossible. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

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!