If you discover a small lump on your dog's skin, it may be a wart. If that is the case, there is no cause for concern, because warts are usually completely harmless for dogs. Nevertheless, you should keep an eye on the skin change, because it is possible that it is not a wart, but a malignant tumour.
Warts are benign skin growths that are usually triggered by papillomaviruses. The viruses settle on the epithelial cells of the skin or the mucous membranes of the four-legged friend and cause growths.
There are several types of this virus, with the canine papillomavirus responsible for dog warts. Skin growths can occur on various parts of the body. The mucous membranes in the mouth and the face in particular are often affected by warts. Especially in old age, warts can also appear on the dog's genitals, paws or ears, which are often referred to as „old dog warts“.
Papillomaviruses are contagious. If a four-legged friend comes into contact with them, they can penetrate the skin through minor injuries and infect the dog. Since the viruses stimulate the division of the cells, the dog's skin grows particularly quickly in the affected area, so that eventually a visible overgrowth occurs. It usually takes about one to two months after infection for a noticeable wart to appear on the dog's skin.
Similar to humans, the appearance of warts can vary in dogs, too. They can have a stalk or resemble a cauliflower and can reach a size between a few millimetres or several centimetres, just to mention a few varieties.
The growths appear on the skin and on the mucous membranes on and in the mouth. Warts on the dog's face are of course particularly easy to spot. There are black warts, but their colour can also be dark grey, brown or white. Their shape can be either stem-shaped or flat, and their surface can be fringed or smooth.
If a large number of warts form on the head of your dog, your four-legged friend suffers from what is known as canine papillomatosis. This is a rare viral disease that usually heals on its own after a few weeks or months. However, the warts on the dog's mouth can severely impair food intake and therefore surgical removal might be necessary.
Although warts are generally harmless for dogs, it is still a good idea to take your four-legged friend to the vet to confirm that the lump is indeed a simple wart and not a lipoma or even a melanoma (skin cancer) instead. For you as a layperson, the differences are usually not easy to see with the naked eye.
A visit to the veterinarian will give you clarity in case of doubt and ensure that necessary treatment measures can be taken in good time if necessary.
For a reliable diagnosis, however, it is not enough for a veterinarian to just look at the growth. It is therefore common practice to take a sample and have it examined in the laboratory.
If the skin growth is really just a wart, treatment is usually not necessary. This is because warts usually disappear on their own after a few weeks. However, warts can occasionally form in places where they disturb the four-legged friend. If the growth is directly on the ball of the paw for example, it can hinder the dog when walking. If the wart on the eyelid, it can prevent the dog from closing its eye properly. As a result, the four-legged friend will inevitably suffer from dry and irritated eyes, for which eye drops can only offer temporary relief.
The procedure required to remove a wart is no big deal. The vet shaves the fur in the appropriate place, cuts the growth out of the skin and sutures the wound if necessary. Once your dog wakes up from anaesthesia, you can usually take it back home.
Instead of surgery, home remedies can sometimes effectively remove dog warts. Many dog owners use castor oil for this purpose, with which they rub the wart several times a day. With a little luck, the skin overgrowth will disappear in this way after about a week.
Thuja tincture is another home remedy to naturally treat warts in dogs. However, it is also poisonous. It must therefore never be applied to warts on the dog's mouth or in places that the four-legged friend can lick. In a dam this home remedy for warts can even lead to a miscarriage and should therefore never be used.
Papillomaviruses are contagious, so dogs can spread warts. However, only other dogs can become infected with the canine papillomavirus. You therefore do not have to worry that your four-legged friend will infect you with its wart.
Dogs are most susceptible to warts when their immune system is weakened. For this reason, particularly young animals and old dogs are often affected by them. Healthy adult dogs, on the other hand, are less likely to get warts, as their immune system usually copes quite well with the papillomaviruses.
A strong immune system is vital to your dog's health. It ensures that pathogens are warded off and diseases can easily be overcome.
In order to ensure a strong immune system, it is particularly important to avoid stress and offer a balanced diet. In addition, it can be useful to support the dog's immune system with the help of a suitable nutritional supplement.
For this purpose you will find two high-quality products, Bellfor Immun and Shiimun Immun, in our range. Both food supplements contain carefully selected, natural ingredients and provide your four-legged friend with numerous valuable nutrients that can contribute to a strong immune system. Bellfor Immun is also available as a variant especially for young dogs.
As you can see, warts are usually harmless to dogs. In many cases, the skin growths will disappear on their own after a few months. Veterinary treatment for warts in dogs is therefore often not necessary.
However, given that skin growths are not always simple warts, it is still a good idea to have your dog checked out by a veterinarian. If they disturb the four-legged friend and, for example, impair food intake or if the wart is on the dog's eye, it may be necessary to have it removed by the vet.
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