Why does my dog have small bumps on his upper gum line?

Hello and thank you for your post! While it is difficult to say what is wrong without pictures and seeing these bumps in person, there are several possibilities. I see that we do not have an age on Oscar. If he is young, it is possible that he has developed these small bumps due to exposure to the Papilloma virus causing benign growths. These will typically self resolve. The other possibility is that they are sores from chewing on something chronically. If Oscar drools quite a bit, then this could potentially cause irritation to the lower lip and lead to the development of these bumps...similar to acne. If Oscar is a young dog, I would suggest seeing your veterinarian in regards to these bumps to figure out what they are and receive the most appropriate course of treatment. I hope this helps and please do contact me if you have any other questions / concerns

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!

The thickening of her gum on the top lip is a granuloma or inflammatory response to any type of stimulus, including constant contact with a dog toy, dental disease, or rubbing on a tooth. I wouldn't expect a ball to cause this particular presentation, as this is only in 1 area that happens to overlay with the canine tooth. I would be more inclined to think that the tooth and dental tartar build-up are the likely causes for this granuloma. I would recommend a dental cleaning for Precious, which can then allow the vet to do a full oral assessment to ensure there is no more abnormal tissue there and to collect samples of the tissue if indicated. In the meantime, I would suggest using a water additive or brushing her teeth 3 times a week to reduce any additional tartar development and help cleanse her mouth from bacteria accumulation due to her dental disease. I hope that Precious turns out well. Best wishes and take care!

Thanks for attaching a picture. If it feels like normal gum tissue (soft, moveable) it is possibly due to contact from the k9 tooth above it (overgrowth of tissue from irritation). Do you see the same thing on the other side? If it is more firm, painful, red, or grew rapidly that would be more concerning and then it should be evaluated by your family vet. If you elect to monitor certainly have your vet take a look at his next annual visit. If the lesion changes (growth, etc.) certainly have your vet take a look at it sooner. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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!

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!

It may just be a little boil that formed due to a mild infection or even trauma from his tooth. If it isn't bothering him then I would just keep an eye on it for the next 2-7 days to see if it resolves on its own. Most of the time these do. If it doesn't then have your vet take a look to see if treatment is needed.