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

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 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

The most common growth looking like that is a viral pappiloma, it's a tumor caused by a virus, it tends to resolves itself without treatment with time. I would still recommend having it checked by your vet to make sure.

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!

This looks like an epulis, a fairly common benign tumor in dogs. It occurs more often in short faced dog breeds. I recommend getting it checked by your vet to determine what kind of growth it is and what needs to be done about it. Your vet will do an exam, lab work, possibly imaging depending on if you vet believes they need it. Based on these results your vet will be better able to tell you what is going on and the best course of treatment.

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach! From the pictures you provided and knowing that Klaus is young, what you are seeing appears to be what we call a papilloma. These benign masses are caused by contact with the papilloma virus, usually picked up from another infected dog. The good news is that these masses typically resolve on their own and require no specific treatment. Sometimes these do not go away and need to be removed or are getting too large and become an eye sore or catch on objects and bleed. In these cases, sometimes we will prescribe an antibiotic such as Azithromycin which has been shown to reduce the size and even resolve some papillomas. Most of the time, however, these masses will turn gray or purple in color, shrink and then fall off. If you are concerned about the mass then I would get this examined by your vet. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns. I am also available via phone or text consultation if needed.

Masses within the mouth, much like other parts of the body, have the potential to be troublesome or of little consequence. Typically, the older the animal the more likely we are looking at something concerning. The most common benign finding often found within the mouth on the gumlines are epulis, which is simply a benign gum tumor. In some instances they require removal in order to facilitate food consumption or provide generalized comfort, but in many cases particularly when they are not growing in size, they can be left alone and can even spontaneously resolve. In other instances, masses in the mouth can be malignant and show up in the form of melanomas or squamous cell carcinomas. If this is the case, complete removal of the mass and the surrounding tissue is always recommended, followed by potentially other ancillary treatments. The only way to know for sure however would be with cytology or removal / biopsy. At six years of age, there is a pretty good chance Phoenix would likely benefit from a dental cleaning and x-rays regardless of the presence of this mass. If placed under anesthesia for this procedure, you can talk with your veterinarian about how you'd like to proceeded regarding potentially removing / biopsying the area. Hope this makes sense.