My dog has a red spot on his mouth palate. Does he need a vet?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. There is no way of knowing what it is just based on its appearance. 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 him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good day!

Hi, this appears to be an ulcer or some kind of wound. I would check his mouth for other ulcerated areas. If there are none, he could have licked something that burned him like a chemical or something hot. Luckily, the mouth heals very fast and there should be no treatment required. If you find that it is not healing, he should go to the vet for antibiotics. Good luck I hope this helps!

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any scratching (if any). Hope this answer was helpful, but 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

It looks like an ulceration of some kind. Unfortunately the photo is not that clear. If she’s acting fine and eating and drinking OK I would not be overly worried about it at this stage. Just monitor it and if it looks worse or it doesn’t go away then she should see your vet.

That is faucitis (inflammation of the cavity at the back of the mouth – the fauces) and definitely not normal. That tissue should be biopsied and sent to a laboratory for analysis. There are many possible underlying causes. That biopsy will help to determine what is causing this.

Poor guy! Your can try this: It won’t hurt him if he licks it off. However, if it’s not improving in 5 days or so, I would recommend that you schedule a recheck with your vet. I’m worried he may need antibiotics, as he may have a deep skin infection. If it continues to be a problem , a skin biopsy may be recommended. Thanks for asking PetCoach!

Hello. This is a small growth. It may be a benign growth known as an epulus or it may be more serious and cancerous. Since we do not know how long it has been there or how quickly it has changed, I cannot give you my opinion on that. It is important to share this with your veterinarian. They can determine if it should be removed and biopsied or just monitored for growth and changes.