It is very common to see warts in dogs caused by viruses, which in most cases disappear on their own in a short time. However, if they cause pain, make it difficult for your dog to function, or appear more serious, treatments can be applied to eliminate them. Therefore, it is important to know its causes to avoid its recurrence. For this and much more, we invite you to read this article.
What are Warts in Dogs?
Warts in dogs are rashes on the inside and outside of the skin caused by a virus. Most are less than about 0,5 inches in diameter and have a rough surface, like a human wart. Sometimes they are elongated with a narrow binding base. Although they look alarming, they are generally harmless to your dog's overall health. Puppies will be affected around the mouth and eyes, while older dogs will even find it on the tongue.
Also, in most cases, they heal quickly, and as viral papillomatosis progresses, they can rarely develop various forms of skin cancer. These are common in young dogs that interact with others frequently, both inside and outside the home. Like warts in humans, they are caused by a viral infection that is highly contagious to other dogs but cannot be spread to other living things. However, they must be given due attention for their treatment as they can cause other complications and discomfort.
Causes of Warts in Dogs
This kind of infection is generally caused by a type of viral agents known by specialists as canine papilloma-1 (CPV-1), which first affect dogs under two years of age, which are the ones with the highest risk of infection. develop small, rough nodules on the lips, in the mouth, and sometimes on the eyelids or other parts of the face, because their immune system is not fully developed, but as their immune system matures they produce antibodies against the virus and will manifest fewer warts.
Secondly, there are older dogs that can develop warts as part of their aging process, although it is considered that most of the time, these are not warts when biopsied, but are usually sebaceous adenomas, and usually are removed through surgical procedures. Thirdly, another susceptible group has to be mentioned, such as dogs with weak immune systems, among which are those receiving immunosuppressive drugs such as glucocorticoids, they can experience an outbreak of papillomas.
It is rare for a dog to have only one wart, so it is advisable to look for more. CPV-1 is spread through close contact with infected dogs or objects they have touched. As the incubation period is one to two months, when the physical signs of infection manifest other dogs in the environment are also exposed, but this should not be alarmed as warts are not a problem for most dogs.
But sometimes there are so many warts that they interfere with chewing or swallowing and therefore your good nutrition could be compromised. Another cause related to the appearance of warts in these animals is attributed to the excessive use of vaccines, since there is evidence that they can contribute to the development of papillomatosis, so it is said that care must be taken not to administer unnecessary vaccines to your dog and for this, the respective consultation with the veterinarian is very important.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Any dog can get warts, but they are more common in young animals, immunosuppressed dogs, canines that spend a lot of time with other dogs, and in certain breeds such as Cocker Spaniels and Pugs. Warts on dogs start out as a rough patch of pink skin and as they develop, they can become darker and lumpier, they are round but tend to have an irregular surface that resembles a cauliflower stem.
But there are other, rarer types, including an inverted papilloma (usually a firm lump with a dot in the middle) and dark, scaly patches of skin that have an irregular surface. In many cases, a veterinarian can diagnose a dog with warts with just a physical exam. Most of the time they appear in groups rather than as a solitary growth. On the other hand, they are painless, although some can cause discomfort.
For example, papillomas in the mouth can interfere with a dog's ability to eat or chew normally and lead to drooling. Warts between the toes can bother the dog when he walks, so he may try to lick or bite the wart, resulting in pain, bleeding or a secondary infection. If you are unsure of a benign diagnosis, your vet may take a scraping or biopsy of the warts to examine under a microscope.
Home Treatment
The first thing to do when faced with this problem presented in the animal, is to monitor the progress of any treatment you choose. On the first day before treatment, document what you observed and photograph it to establish a baseline. Use a metric ruler to measure the wart in millimeters. Date the photo, circle the first day of treatment on the calendar, and record the measurements.
As long as you're sure your pet just has a wart that isn't a cause of cancer, you can try some of these holistic treatments. Remember, there is no scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of any of these methods. So if the wart darkens, rapidly increases in size, or becomes more irregular, take your pet to a licensed veterinarian for medical treatment.
The next thing is that the test with Thuja will surely be carried out. This is a homeopathic treatment made from a species of tree and is considered safe for most dogs. It is available in liquid and granule forms and should be given orally to your dog in a single dose. However, if you don't see any improvement after the first two weeks, you can give her a second dose. Thuja can cause abortions, so do not use in pregnant animals.
In turn, it is worth mentioning that Psorinoheel can be provided as an alternative medicine, which is a supplement that includes psorinum and sulfur, in addition to Thuja, which act as antiviral agents. Likewise, it is opportune to reinforce the entire immune system of your dog with vitamins. The wart can be a symptom of an extremely weakened body, so it may go away if you address your dog's immune system issues, which may be with vitamins and other supplements.
In this sense, it is advisable to give the dog L-lysine, which is a pill that is recommended to be administered in a dose of 500 mg twice a day until the warts disappear. Another treatment is to apply vitamin E to the affected area, taking care to keep your hands clean or if you prefer, use a cotton swab. Repeat this process three to four times a day for two to three weeks until you notice improvement.
Alternatively, you can apply castor oil to the wart. This product is available at most drug stores to relieve dog warts and greatly reduce irritation, thus preventing your dog from scratching the infected area. It is important to use previously disinfected utensils to apply the treatment directly on the wart. Use this treatment once or twice daily, or as needed.
In some cases, the infected area is cleaned with apple cider vinegar. This process is painless at first, however, around the middle of the treatment cycle, the subject will feel a slight tingling as the acid in the apple cider vinegar inhibits growth. Do not use this method on warts around the eyes or genitals. The best way to apply it is to pour it into a cup and then treat the skin area near the breakout with Vaseline to protect it.
After that, the animal is in a comfortable position, for example, lying down, so that the wart looks up. Use a dropper to apply two to three drops of apple cider vinegar to the wart and let it take effect. Any excess that comes off the wart can be wiped away with a clean paper towel. Keep dog occupied with a toy or pet to allow product interaction for up to 10 minutes; then let the dog mind its own business.
Continue treatment for three to four days, but if you notice the dog starting to itch as the top of the infection sheds, do not stop until you reach the bottom. Since eventually the wart will end up drying up and will fall off on its own. When the foundation dries, there will be a red spot or blister on the skin. Gently wipe it off with warm water and a clean cloth, and then apply coconut oil to the area once a day until the stain heals. Coconut oil has anti-fungal properties and will promote the healing and regeneration of healthy skin cells.
Medical treatment
Warts in dogs are treated with the administration of some drugs such as azithromycin, which is a very effective antibiotic if the wart is infected, but it must be indicated by a veterinarian, who will determine the correct dose according to the weight of your pet, with a frequency of once a day for a maximum of 10 days. Antivirals such as subcutaneous interferon are also prescribed, which contains a chemical derived from white blood cells that stimulates the immune system and can help a dog overcome viral warts.
This drug is indicated for warts that do not respond to other treatments or to combat serious growth of these, and the veterinarian will inject the drug into your dog several times a week, or can demonstrate how to do it at home. Other medications include imiquimod, which is an immune response modifier, which can help speed the regression of some types of viral warts. Similarly, the antacid cimetidine, which has been used to treat warts in humans, is recommended.
On the other hand, it can be seen that there is a tendency to avoid electrocautery, also called electrosurgery, which is only applied for cases in which there are serious warts, which is a procedure where the veterinarian, after applying local anesthesia, uses a instrument that allows you to apply a small concentrated amount of electricity to the wart to burn the contaminated tissue and remove the wart.
It is important to mention that one of the most traditional treatments applied by veterinarians is excision under local or general anesthesia, to cut the wart and the contaminated tissue with a medical scalpel. Another option that can be considered to eliminate papilloma in dogs is through laser removal for those cases of persistent or recurrent warts that do not respond to other treatments and you want to remove them from the root.
Additionally, it can be seen that this type of infection does not affect the quality of life of the animal, there are experts who consider that the virus should be allowed to advance without any treatment, so that the immune system of dogs is stronger and the virus is eliminated. on its own, and expect them to fall off. In some cases, the vet will choose to squeeze them to release the virus into the bloodstream in an effort to speed up the immune response.
On the other hand, it can be noted that it will be convenient to take from 1 to 6 months for a complete recovery, during which time the animal that was affected by this condition will have to be isolated from any other susceptible dog. Likewise, it is worth noting that this is one of the dog diseases that in most cases generates immunity once it has been cured, so it is very rare that they become infected a second time.
Tumors that look like warts
There are certain types of infections that in the vast majority of people consider it as a kind of warts in dogs, without actually being it. This is often seen when the animal suffers from a tumor that has cells that visually have scales, which are dark in color and can grow so large that they reach the main organs of the affected dog. Additionally, it can be noted that they are usually linked when the dog is constantly in contact with the sun and are very easy to diagnose for this reason.
In turn, it is also often thought that the so-called sebaceous adenomas can be considered another form of manifestation of this type of infection. Which are identified as some kinds of lumps that are produced in the gland that generates the type of fat that lubricates the skin to protect it when it does not work correctly. Generally, they are present on the eyelids and the leg, especially in older animals.
Effects of Papillomatosis in Dogs
Dogs that have papillomavirus warts can develop into a tumor. When dogs are older and have weak defenses, they can get certain diseases, so once the virus enters their body, it becomes active. Also, warts are very noticeable and for some reason they are injured, which causes an infection. That is why, in the presence of a wart or simply that the dog is already many years old, it is better to go to the veterinarian to treat it properly.
Prevention in the spread of Warts in Dogs
To minimize contagion, you can implement some preventive measures such as preventing your dog from playing with or coming into contact with others who have visible warts. If the protective nature of the animal's skin is compromised or if its immune system is not functioning normally, do not take it to areas where other dogs tend to congregate, i.e. dog parks, day care centers, etc. And if, despite your best efforts, your dog develops warts, remember what has been said in this article and keep him isolated as well as apply the indicated treatments.
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