Dog Community

Can dogs get warts?

Posted : 8/27/2007 1:39:18 PM

So Odie has this small wart thing on his head (near where his ear connects to his scalp). I decided to file part of it down since it was flaking off but it grew back. It doesn't hurt him and he lets me touch it but he is always rubbing his head on the ground so I know it has to be a little bothersome.

Should I call the vet? Is this something that I can treat on my own? Thanks in advance!

Jewlieee

Posted : 8/27/2007 2:31:26 PM

I wouldn't call them warts necessarily, but skin tags. My husky has had several in her life time. The only one that I had removed was one that she started biting at. Now that she's 14, I've noticed a lot more. I'm just leaving them alone as they don't seem to bother her (the vet found one and said the same thing)

calliecritturs

Posted : 8/27/2007 5:19:40 PM

The problem is if it's bothering the dog and the dog is rubbing at it, it WILL grow and grow bigger. I'd ask the vet to remove it, before it morphs into something 'bad' (they can). Do anything at the same time that you can -- like have his teeth cleaned, etc. My vet will do a local and freeze something like that usually.

Cocker Mom

Posted : 8/28/2007 1:17:35 AM

My two previous cockers, who lived to 15 and nearly 17 had them, more so as they got older. As long as they didn't change in size or texture, or weren't in a place that was easily irritated, my vet didn't remove them. If my guys developed a growth on their faces or around their eyes, they were generally removed immediately. I always closely monitored them for any changes or irritation, then off to the doctor we would go for further examination.

Tracy Senn

Posted : 8/28/2007 1:41:50 AM

Yes, to add to the currently popularly posted note, dogs do frequently get "warts" or skin tags. If they get large, or change in size or are on the site of a recent innoculation get them checked out quickly as well as if they are on a spot that rubs (such as between the toes). Most vets are using laser to remove them now quickly and fairly painlessly as it also cauterizes the area and minimizes the chance of excessive bleeding (depending on the location). Good luck!

Adi

Posted : 3/2/2010 6:45:13 PM

After taking my 1 year old dog Bella to see vet COPV was diagnosed. COPV is Canine Oral Papilloma Virus (aka Warts). An article was published (Turkey 2008) about the use of Azithromycin in dogs with the Papilloma virus. Azithromycin is not an antiviral drug and COPV is a virus so I was hesitant in using it to treat COPV, but after reading the study it seems that the drug may attack a bacterial infection that causes the virus to run rampant or it may actually have an effect on COPV. I decided to get a prescription filled and take that course. The dosage was as follows:- 5mg per pound in a suspension (suspension is water based formula the vet can explain this to you)- Bella is 3lbs so her dosage was 15mg per day orally using a syringe plunger (without the needle)I gave her the Azithromycin every morning at around 9am with food. The study I read indicated they gave the dogs 10 days of medicine but I extended the run to 14 days because the virus hit her hard as a smaller dog. As you can see by the pictures by the 10^th day I saw possible improvement and by the 12^th day the Papillomas inside her mouth were gone and the larger one outside her mouth crusted up and I gave them a little tug and they ripped off. It was like pulling a loose tooth. It didn’t seem painful to Bella. Pictures can be found here:
http://adihed.com/bella.htmlI wrote this article because a lot of people are dealing with this issue of COPV for months with their dogs and this is a great way to heal your dog quickly. I actually had my vet pull the study that I based this treatment so I could read it and ALL the dogs were cured within 15 days as Bella was. They also did the study using 17 breeds of dog so a wide spectrum was cured. The ones that were not on Azithromycin still had Papillomas after 2-3 months of follow up. As far as I can tell there is no reason not to use Azithromycin to cure your dog. I have read articles about the drug doing harm to livers but in this short term I don’t see that being an issue. I also read that it does a little havoc to the stomach. Bella being a 3lb dog did fine. On day 4 I noticed she didn’t want to eat in the morning but that could have been for other reasons. So she was not affected negatively by the drug. I also gave it to her in the morning so she would eat and drink right after to rid herself of the taste of the drug and digest it as well. I also got her daily Vitamins to take along with the drug every morning for the 14 days and I extended the run to 30 days. I did this to give a little boost to her immune system. The Vitamins were Pet Naturals Daily Best Soft Chews Dog Vitamins from PETCO.I hope this article helps anybody out there who is dealing with COPV. I did my research and I am glad I found the study that cured my dog and I wanted to share it with anyone out there is search of answers. Don’t bother with the holistic stuff they are peddling on the internet. Just talk to your vet and get a prescription filled so you can have a healthy happy dog! If you have any questions feel free to email me at adihed@hotmail.com.