Dog warts are typically easy to spot. These lesions tend to resemble a small brain or head of cauliflower, are dark in color, and can be round, oval, or irregularly shaped. Directly attached to your dog’s skin, they appear suddenly and sometimes form in clusters. They tend to resemble skin tags!
Once the virus has entered its host (the dog), it has an incubation period of up to two months before any symptoms appear. When papillomas appear, they tend to rapidly increase in size over the course of several weeks.
Your veterinarian will likely diagnose your pup with warts based on their physical appearance. On the off chance that their diagnosis isn’t clear, they may order a fine needle aspiration. This is when a small amount of fluid or tissue is suctioned from the growth with a needle and syringe to be examined under a microscope
Most cases of dog warts don’t require a trip to the vet, but it’s still a good idea to keep an eye on them. Unless they become irritated, infected, or cause discomfort, dog warts typically don’t require medical treatment
It’s extremely important to prevent your dog from licking, scratching, itching, or biting the papillomas on their skin. Any sort of contact can cause inflammation, infection, bleeding, and further discomfort. If there was surgical intervention, the incision site should be kept clean – try to prevent your dog from picking at it, too.
Dogs contract canine warts through contact with another infected dog – whether that’s at the dog park, groomer’s, or even at home from their pet sibling. Ultimately, the only preventative measure against canine warts is keeping your dog away from infected dogs.
It’s normal for pet parents to worry when they spot a mysterious growth on their dog’s skin – but with dog warts, you can rest assured that your pup isn’t in any harm. Warts on dogs are extremely common and generally heal on their own. With proper recovery and care, your dog will be back to normal and running around the dog park again in no time.
Also known as papillomas, dog warts are small, benign growths that are very common in dogs. Unless they become inflamed or irritated in any way, they’re generally not harmful and don’t require a trip to the vet.
Dog warts develop when dogs are exposed to the canine papilloma virus through contact with another dog. The virus inserts its genetic information into the host’s DNA and disturbs the normal cell division process, causing the cells to divide abnormally and more frequently, while simultaneously suppressing genes that slow down cell growth.
Warts have a variety of appearances but are typically small and abnormally shaped. They can be pink or darker in color and often look like small brains or cauliflowers.
Dog warts are extremely contagious among dogs, but not between dogs and other animals or humans. It’s also important to note that while humans can develop warts, the viruses that cause human warts are different strains than the one that infects dogs