My dog has a mouth bump for months. Is it normal or concerning?

I'm not sure we can tell you for sure exactly what that is, but it looks like a papilloma or wart. These are usually a benign growth and are often caused by a virus. If Marci has been in contact with other dogs recently at the dog park, a boarding or daycare facility, etc.--these are common places to pick up the virus. If it is that, he may develop more. They typically disappear on their own over the course of a few weeks. If this doesn't sound like a possibility, that raised area may simply be a spot of inflammation or folliculitis. Monitor it for growth and it us shears a good idea for your veterinarian to check out any strange lump.

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!

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 thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It's hard to tell for sure from the picture but that small area does not look like a major concern to me. It is near impossible to diagnose a growth on just a picture alone so it's probably a good idea to have a veterinarian check out the bump area within the next few weeks (especially if it changes in size, shape or color). A veterinarian will be able to take a needle aspirate of the area and see what kind of cells are there to determine if anything needs to be done about the bump. At minimum I would closely monitor the area and if the shape, size or color changes, take Lucy to be examined. Regards to you and Lucy!

It's still a little hard to see these things well, but I did not say they look normal. They could be thickening from chronic inflammation, something like a wart or something more worrisome. A vet should take a look at those and check then further.

Although a pic would help to determine the underlying nature of the lump, This kind of lump/growth needs to be ideally assessed by your veterinarian to have a definitive and specific answer. Usually there are two ways your vet can do that a part from examining it directly during physical examination. A biopsy can be taken under local or general anesthetic, otherwise a smaller sample through a fine needle can be aspirated (this technique is called FNA= fine needle aspiration). Differentials include skin cysts, infections, benign or more sinister type of tumors. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

The photo is a little fuzzy so its hard to say. It may be an oral papilloma, which is due to canine papillomavirus. Typically these resolve on their own, but many more may pop up over the next few weeks on his lips and in his mouth. It could also be an inflamed hair follicle or a skin infection. If its not resolving over the next few days to weeks, or if it seems to be getting worse or causing him discomfort, please take him to your vet to be evaluated. Here is an article on canine papilloma virus. http://www.pethealthnetwork.com/dog-health/dog-diseases-conditions-a-z/oral-papilloma-virus-dogs Thanks for asking PetCoach!