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Why does my puppy have lumps on its inner lip? Is it serious?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | neutered | 9 months and 19 days old | 75 lbs

I found two lumps on the inner lip of my puppies upper lips. I’m not sure if it’s normal or not (may be glands) but I thought I would check. One is bigger than the other.

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on July 31st, 2018

It's not normal. it is probably a viral tumor called papilloma, it is not considered to be life threatening and it usually takes several months to a year to resolve without treatment, a treatment with a special antibiotic called Zhitromax helps in some cases. i would recommend taking Langley to the vet ASAP in order to get it checked.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Christie Long, DVM
Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist
Published on December 18th, 2016
Certainly it could be due to play, and dogs like to play with their mouths, especially when they're young and they're trying to figure out appropriate play methods with other dogs. If it's a wart-like growth, it may be a canine papilloma. These often show up on the mouths and feet of young dogs, and they are contagious between dogs. You can go to Google and look up images of these, so that you can see if this is what you're seeing on your dog. Papillomas usually go away on their own in about 2 weeks. If the lesion is still there at that point, I would get it checked by your vet.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Published on August 30th, 2020
Thanka for the images. It could be a papilloma, but without a closer physical exam, it is difficult to determine definitively. Papillomas are caused by a virus. The good news is that they are typically benign, cannot be transmitted to humans and may resolve on their own in weeks to months. They can be transmitted to other dogs though so use separate bowls, toys, etc. if necessary.
You can either monitor Eddy at home and see your veterinarian if the lump grows or changes rapidly or you can schedule an appointment sooner to have it looked at. If it isn't a papilloma, your veterinarian can perform diagnostics to identify the lump/mass. Treatment options can be discussed once results are returned.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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My dog has a lip growth. Is it oral papilloma? What should I do?

Indeed it looks like oral papilloma, fortunately this is a benign tumor that in most cases resolve without treatment within several months. There is a specific antibiotic called zithromax that is believed to speed up the healing process, you can ask your vet to prescribe it for her.

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Puppy has hard bumps on lip. Are they dog warts? Will they go away?

Hi. These growths look like papillomas or warts. Typically, these are caused by a virus that he may have contracted by coming in contact with another dog's saliva that had the contagious virus. This may have been through a shared food or water bowl, toy, or through playing. This virus usually runs it course and the warts fall off, but it can take weeks. Sometimes, your vet may have to surgically remove them. Your dog is contagious as long as the warts are present.

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

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Since Tank is so young and based on how the growth appears, I think it is a viral papilloma. It is contagious amongst dogs and they get it from playing with each other. They do resolve on their own. When I see them on my patients I crush them so they bleed as that has been shown to cause the immune system to respond quicker to get rid of it. I also put them on 10 days of azithromycin. If the growth doesn't resolve in 1 month then consider having it removed. I hope this helps and I wish you and Tank the best!

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My 9-month-old dog has a gray lump on her lip. Is it serious?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. Even young dogs can develop growths. This can be a viral wart or another tumor type like a mast cell tumor, histiocytoma, among many others. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good night!

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It is hard to tell but this appears to be a possible growth. Growths in puppies ar usually either papillomas or histiocytomas, both benign masses. I would suggest monitoring this mass for the next week or so. If it starts to get bigger, then its best to have your vet examine it and perhaps test it to ensure it is only a benign mass and nothing to be concerned about. Sometimes an anti-inflammatory medication is needed to help with the irritation that these cause. Also if Loki begins to scratch at it, its best to place an e-collar to prevent her from irritating it further. I hope everything works out well for your pet Loki. Best wishes and take care.

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My old dog has a painless red lump on her lip. Is it serious?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. There is no way of knowing for sure without an examination though this represents a reason to seek veterinary care. This is usually determined with an examination and a fine needle aspirate (FNA) or a biopsy. Treatment depends on the findings up to that point. I recommend you have Panda evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good day!

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What's this growth on my 7-month-old puppy's gums? Is it serious?

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!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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