Facial Warts on a Dog

Finding growths and other bumps and lumps on your dog's face isn't necessarily cause for alarm. Facial warts occur in both grown dogs and puppies and are usually harmless. If you're afraid that a growth may be something other than a wart, such as a tumor, consult a veterinarian for advice. He can inspect your dog and provide an individualized course of treatment.

  1. Causes

    • Facial warts on a dog form because of an infection of the pavavirus. Two types typically occur: cutaneous papillomas, which affect the skin; and mucous membrane papillomas, which affect a dog's mouth, lips, eyelids and esophagus. A third type of viral wart, cutaneous inverted papillomas, does not affect a dog's face.

    Identification

    • Mucous membrane papillomas typically form on young dogs, while cutaneous papillomas appear on older dogs. When papillomas first begin to form on the dog, they have a small, pink appearance. As they grow, they turn a gray or white color and begin to resemble cauliflower, much like human warts. Regularly check your dog's tongue, lips, eyes, gums and throat for signs of growths since warts in these areas may lead to complications.

    Treatment

    • Warts typically resolve themselves within a matter of months, and no treatment is necessary. If your dog's facial warts don't go away on their own, a veterinarian can remove them through regular surgery or cryosurgery, which involves killing the tissue by freezing it. As the dead skin sloughs away, the wart comes off too.

    Considerations

    • Most warts are benign, but in rare cases they may turn into invasive squamous cell carcinomas. Because of this, it's always safer to have a veterinarian examine any unusual changes in your dog's skin. Warts that form on a dog's eyelid or mouth may become troublesome -- they can hamper vision and cause difficulty in swallowing. In these cases, and in cases in which warts bleed or seem to bother your dog, surgery is necessary.