Under-protective immunity may lead to wart-like masses forming on your dog’s skin, though they generally do not need removal unless they bleed, cause discomfort, or are negatively impacting quality of life.
Keep an eye on blemishes to chart their progression; most will resolve themselves over time without needing medical intervention or antibiotics.
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Viral Warts
As long as viral warts (or papillomas) do not interfere with your dog’s ability to eat or breathe, most are considered harmless and usually resolve within six to eight weeks as his immune system battles the papillomavirus.
Your pup could come into contact with a virus that causes growths through contact with other dogs at a dog park or groomer’s. Healthy skin protects against this virus while damaged skin allows its entrance.
Canine Papillomavirus often results in wart-like lesions on your dog’s skin or mucous membranes in and around its mouth. They resemble cauliflower-textured bumps on his surface, often growing individually. If they pose quality-of-life concerns, your veterinarian might surgically or freeze off them off; but, more likely than not, these warts disappear on their own over time once their immune system mounts an attack against it.
Canine Papilloma Virus (CPV) Warts
CPV warts can often be found in the mouth, though they can appear elsewhere on the body as well. Young dogs whose immune systems have yet to mature are particularly prone to developing them.
These wart-like growths, known as papillomas, typically appear flat or slightly raised on the surface and don’t cause discomfort or itching; most will typically fade within six to eight weeks and some cases may progress to oral squamous cell carcinoma – although this condition is very rare.
Due to rapid regression seen in most cases, treatment of CPV warts isn’t often necessary. If they become persistent and cause irritation to lips, tongue, palate or cause difficulty eating or breathing it’s essential that a checkup be scheduled with your veterinarian to ascertain the best course of treatment; your vet may suggest antiviral medication or cryosurgery/surgical excision as suitable options.
Non-Canine Papilloma Virus (NPV) Warts
If your senior dog develops wart-like growths, have them assessed by a vet immediately. Not all lumps are benign; some could even be potentially hazardous. Some forms, like sebaceous glands specific to dogs and diagnosed by biopsy alone; wart-like growths resembling cancer should be removed as soon as they appear or become inflamed.
Oral papilloma virus can be transmitted either directly from an infected animal, or through equipment sharing that has picked up viral particles. When infected dogs come in direct contact, multiple papillomas often form around their mouth and lips with cauliflower-like appearance. They typically do not cause discomfort or pain and will typically clear up on its own within two months to one year once your senior dog’s immune system has put forth adequate defenses against the virus; however, sometimes recurrence may occur and for that reason alone; your vet will likely use various methods to remove these by other methods of removal.
Cryosurgery
Cryosurgery involves freezing tissue with liquid nitrogen to produce low freezing temperatures and rapid cooling rates in contact with the probe, while further away, temperatures tend to remain higher due to airflow over larger surfaces. When the frozen tissue thaws out, its cells become damaged resulting in wart removal as well as around your pet’s eyes. This technique has proven highly successful.
A veterinarian can diagnose warts through physical examination and then send the lesion off for pathologic analysis, however if they become numerous or large enough that they cause quality-of-life issues like irritation or abrasions they may opt for surgical removal or freezing to get rid of them.
Home remedies may help to reduce the size of existing papillomas, but will not prevent future growths. A veterinarian may elect to excise a wart using electrocautery – this requires administering general anesthesia for only a short while to safely complete this procedure.
