Dog warts are normally shaped like a cauliflower and can grow up to 5cm
in size. The most common time that you will notice that your dog or
puppy has developed warts is when you are either stroking, bathing or
grooming your dog or puppy.
There color can vary but they are normally pale in color but they can
also be quite pigmented.
The cause of warts in dogs is normally due to a viral
infection -
Papillomavirus (PV).
Warts caused by this virus will normally clear up and regress but this
can take many months to happen and some vets will surgically remove the
wart.
There are normally two different ways that dogs and puppies will
contract the skin condition.:
- The lumps and warts
will either affect dogs of any age but more commonly in older dogs -
where they will appear on the face, feet and even on the eye lids.
- The second variety is
a highly contagious variety that normally affects puppies under the age
of 2 years of age - they normally affect specific areas including the
genitals, eye lids and the mouth. The warts will normally group in
specific area - even inside your dog's lip.
Another Cause of this condition is due to Vaccinosis - this is when
your dog or puppy has a negative reaction to a specific vaccination -
however if your dog or puppy has been over vaccinated this is thought
to be a cause.
Symptoms
of Dog Warts...
The obvious symptom of this condition is the warts themselves - the
color can vary depending on the individual wart - but their appearance
will normally be similar in appearance to that of a Cauliflower.
Although the condition is not normally painful to your dog or puppy
they can be very irritating - imagine if you had them in your mouth and
on your feet. Always get them checked out by your vet especially if
they change in color or change shape and grow bigger over a short
period of time.
As you can imagine - if your dog or puppy has developed the warts in
the mouth this may lead to a loss of appetite, have problems eating,
start drooling and even lose weight.
Treatment...
The
treatment for this condition depends on the symptoms that your dog or
puppy is showing. If the warts are not causing any immediate problems
then they will normally be left as they tend to regress and
disappear over a period of time. However, if they are causing problems
with your dog or puppy such as difficulty eating, weight loss and
generally making your dog's life a misery then your vet may surgically
remove the warts by freezing them also known as Cryosurgery.
The
vet will take a biopsy which will determine the cause of the warts -
and if it is the very contagious variety it is very important that you
don't let your puppy mix with other dogs or puppies otherwise they will
pass the condition on - this includes not allowing your puppy to share
water or dog food bowels with other dogs or puppies.
A home remedy should
always be checked with your vet first but below are some natural home
remedies that are sometime used to treat the skin condition including
Castor Oil and even Vitamin E.
