Over this past weekend, I noticed Gambit had these weird growths right at the corner of his smile, except on the inside... I have pictures on my camera but can't upload til tonight so here's a very, very similar picture of what they look like:



After a little research, it could be CPV... but I was just wondering if any of you vet students (or vets) have seen growths like this that weren't CPV? Should I take him to the vet or let it go?* The one thing that worries me is if it is CPV, I don't want him passing it to the doggy we'll be living with soon...

They look like sea anemones and they're a little smaller than a pea. He only has two... They practically grew overnight because I didn't notice them on Saturday and he had them Sunday morning. :\

Thanks!

*I mainly ask if I should let it go because the info websites about CPV said it goes away on its own most of the time...

[Edited on June 15, 2010 at 9:00 AM. Reason : .]

6/15/2010 8:59:58 AM

ew.

6/15/2010 9:01:44 AM

inorite

the first time I noticed them I was all

6/15/2010 9:02:31 AM

IMO it's CPV. I'm not a vet or a vet student but my dog had the exact same thing about 3 yrs ago. He caught it from another dog (dunno which one) at the dog park I used to go to in NYC. I took him to the vet and she said it goes away over time and to just let it be.

6/15/2010 9:09:36 AM

canine parvovirus? are they not vaccinated?

i'm only reading the wiki article, but i'm not seeing anything about lip growths. our childhood dog had it when we got her and she puked and crapped everywhere. she came through, but it took lots and lots of trips to the vet for fluid boluses, electrolytes, etc. it's just an intestinal thing iirc. mortality rate is 91%.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canine_parvovirus


OHHHHHHHH NEVERMIND
canine viral papillomas. yeah you should have specified. parvo is what comes to mind first imo. i couldn't figure out for the life of me why anybody would think that was parvo...

[Edited on June 15, 2010 at 9:13 AM. Reason : ]

6/15/2010 9:10:37 AM

Hah, yeah, he has all his shots

My b: Canine Papilloma Virus is what I meant

I worked at an animal shelter for over a year so I guess I didn't even think about parvo... because I definitely know what the symptoms are



[Edited on June 15, 2010 at 9:17 AM. Reason : .]

6/15/2010 9:16:43 AM

when I told my friends my dog had something related to HPV they were all lol.

6/15/2010 9:25:04 AM

So you didn't do anything for your dog? How long did it take to go away? I'm moving in with my future roomie by the end of July and I don't want her dog getting it...

6/15/2010 9:28:47 AM

dogs can get the herp of the mouth by drinking out of the same water bowl or sharing the same toys (slobber getting on the toys). my best friend's roommate's dog got them SO bad the dog had to have them surgically removed! they were so big the dog looked like she was foaming at the mouth all the time.

6/15/2010 9:31:46 AM

^^my vet told me that they'd just go away naturally and that if she surgically cut them off there was a chance they'd regrow. They were gone 1-2 weeks after I'd seen the vet (though I'm PRETTY sure my dog bit off the biggest growth himself. One day it was there and the next it was gone. I'm pretty sure he swallowed it )

As far as how contagious they are, my dog developed them the same weekend we were staying at my aunt and uncle's summer house where my dog shared a water dish with a Yorkie. The Yorkie never got CPV so I dunno what to say. However, as a precaution I would definitely not let the two dogs share water/food dishes and toys for the time being.

6/15/2010 9:44:19 AM

Yeah, the good thing is right now he's just with me - no other dogs around. But he did come into contact with my sister's dog, parent's dog, and Eric's family's dog this weekend......... although, from what I've seen about CPV, young dogs get it because their immune systems aren't totally built up. All the other dogs were 3+ years old.

I guess I'll make an appointment with the vet, just in case it's something else. :\

6/15/2010 9:50:27 AM

here's a picture of Gambit's growths... sorry it's not the best, he won't stay still for very long :\

6/18/2010 10:06:30 PM

Can't see very well, but any chance its ginger hyperplasia?

6/18/2010 10:50:17 PM

I just tried googling and didn't find anything.. what is that?

6/18/2010 11:00:30 PM

Just realized it doesn't fit the physical description, but it is a side effect from......steroids maybe? that causes the gum to grow over the teeth. My dog had it really bad, we ended sedating her and having my dentist cut it off. It isn't cancerous or anything, but can be painful when the growths get big enough to affect eating, and food gets caught in it and makes the dog's breath smell HORRIBLE. Again, the only instance I've ever seen was growing directly from the gums over the teeth, so it doesn't seem likely.

6/18/2010 11:04:58 PM

His is on the inside of his lip, not near the teeth.. I don't think he's been on steroids either

I'm thinkin CPV is more likely since he's been to the dog park in the past month or so..

6/18/2010 11:06:20 PM

from what i can see...they definately look like papillomas. they'll go away in time....rarely do they need surgery unless they get so big that they interfere with eating.

as far as the other dog goes....try not to let them share things like bowls, toys, etc until they've gone away.

6/18/2010 11:12:47 PM