My dog has a white growth on his tongue. What is it? Is it contagious?

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

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

Hi there and thank you for using PetCoach to address your concern. What I am seeing in the photos appears to be what we call a papilloma. These are a result of the canine papilloma virus and it is likely that Georgia picked it up from another dog. It is possible that your other dog could get it but if your other dog is much older, it is less likely to happen. These bumps typically go away on their own but can take months to resolve. There are treatment options that may or may not work. Please follow the below link for more information on this viral infection. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=465

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!

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!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Rex! Without seeing a picture I can't tell you if you should be concerned. Possibilities could be a swollen salivary gland under his tongue, a growth on his tongue or in his mouth, something stuck in his mouth or trauma to his tongue. If it is an irregular looking grey or white growth it could be a papilloma. They are contagious and most dogs get them from playing with other dogs. They are common in young dogs that go to dog parks or doggie day care. They are benign and usually go away on their own. if you can gt a picture I'd be happy to look. I hope this helps!

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.