my dog has a lump that has come up on the top of his back paw He doesn't seem to be in pain with it (still wants to go walkies, & lets me touch it) but he's at it, (licking, & biting it regularly) at 1 point he made it look pretty sore. I,ve been bathing it etc & its lookng a bit better but its not gone down any & if he gets chance (ie its not covered or i'm not watching, he's at it again) Any ideas what it could be or what i could do? I only want to go vets if i really must as he was ill treated so needs to be muzzeled & pinned down (trust me he's a nightmare at the vets)
2007-06-18 23:54:56 · 21 answers · asked by sexy 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
Ask his maw
2007-06-18 23:57:41 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
I just noticed the same on my yorkie. I discovered three warts on his front paw and one on his back paw. Two are pea-sized and the rest are (still..?) small. He has been licking it non-stop as well, so I'm taking him to the vet tomorrow. I could let you know what they say about it.
However, I researched the topic a little and it looks like it's quite a common occurrance in dogs younger than 2 years old. The medical term for "dog warts" is "papillomatosis." It is a papilloma virus, which is usually contracted from other dogs. Humans cannot contract it. The virus may remain dormant - meaning that the warts may not show up - for 1 to 2 months. The reason why the warts appear is because the dog's immune system is not fully grown yet, due to his young age, and is, therefore, unable to battle with the virus for the time being - until the dog grows up. The warts are likely to disappear on their own after a few months or even a year or two. They are not dangerous per se, but because the dog may lick them and bite them, they may get infected, and that, in turn, may bring up other problems.
There are no medicinal ways of treating the warts, except for cryotherapy (basically, the ward is frozen - like with humans) or surgery (each ward is cut out). The problem with these is that you treat only the surface expression of the virus - in other words, you don't really take care of the virus itself, only of the warts. The virus may still remain in the body, and express itself as a wart somewhere else on the body of the dog, and then you have to take care of that wart too.
The only way there is to fight the virus (which may not always be successful) is with an autogenous vaccine. The way it works is the following: the vet takes a sample of the virus from the wart itself; then the virus is weakened and re-injected into the dog's body again. Since the newly-inserted virus is weaker than the one that the body is already used to, the immune system actually manages to build anti-bodies and tackle and kill the weaker virus. Once the immune system manages to defeat the weaker virus, it can develop in the right direction in order to beat the actual, stronger virus.
Some vets, depending on the diagnosis, may actually prescribe a treatment with antibiotics instead.
That's all I can say right now. I'm not a vet or a doctor, so I can't recommend anything, but I thought some info may be useful.
You should keep in mind that this may not be warts at all - it may be a tick or even some other parasite. I would strongly recommend taking your dog to the vet. You can also wait to see what my vet says (I'll post the answer here tomorrow afternoon).
By the way, when you're at the vets', try giving your dog some peanut butter while they're working on him -- it works miracles for my yorkie ;)
Good luck!
2007-06-21 05:05:20 · answer #2 · answered by v 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you truly care for your dog you have to go to the Vet! It needs a professional to have a look and diagnose the problem correctly.
Regarding your dog not liking the vet, make sure your vet understands this before you go. As the problem is on the hind foot you might get away with just the muzzle and the dog standing. Take some treats to offer the dog while the Vet is having a look.
Go to your local dog training classes who can help you get your dog used to being touched/handled. At our class we get the owners to do what we call a vet/groomer check every week. When the dogs are comfortable with their owner doing it we move on gradually to an instructor then another handler etc. Persevere it will help your dog in the long run.
One more thing, when the dog is scared or worried by a situation, try very hard not to 'feed' their fear. Just because a dog has been mistreated in the past it doesn't mean that they can't get over it later in life. It's very easy for owners to fall into the trap of continually feeling sorry for the dog but the sooner you can get over that yourself, the easier it is for the dog to move on.
2007-06-19 00:44:55 · answer #3 · answered by rolinol 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi, my German shepherd has a lump sounding similar on top of her back paw. She chewed at it at first but has had it several years now and it does not bother her any more. The vet advised just leaving it as it was a 'wart' type growth. It is the size of a small pea and the fur covers it now. For the moment you need to distract the dog whenever possible by play but, should he get fretful about it or if it starts to look too sore then probably better the vet take a look. A little bit of 'betadine' cream or spray is always handy, but watch not to get the betadine on the furniture 'cus it's orange!! Good luck and hope he's better soon.
2007-06-19 00:03:35 · answer #4 · answered by tufty.spain 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Check and make sure it's not bleeding/puss... Try and put some neosporin on it and maybe try and wrap it... I know that may be tough since he's biting/licking it... Could it be an enlarged tick? They get pretty big if left on their own. Also, it could be a beign tumor, but I would let the vet decide that... If it doesn't go away in a day or two it's best to go to the vet..
2007-06-19 00:00:12 · answer #5 · answered by pebblespro 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It could be a grass seed that has worked its way into the skin, then become irritated.
My dog had one of these and didn't like has paws being touched point blank but the best option is to go to the vet.
My other old dog as lumps on her paws and legs but they are due to her old age (growths) they don't irritate her and the vets is nt going to operate due to her old age.
2007-06-19 00:04:48 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If taking the dog to the Vet is a last resort then you could try HIBISCRUB which is like an antisceptic which you can get from the Vet. This stuff is handy to have as it is used to clean superficial wounds
2007-06-19 08:16:16 · answer #7 · answered by Scoundy 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Have checked his anal glands? I know it sounds strange but dog who have anal problems lick their feet, it could also be a grass seed burrowed in between his toes, if this is the case the dreaded visit to the Vets is the only thing. Good luck
2007-06-18 23:59:47 · answer #8 · answered by Fay S owned by dogs 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
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2017-03-01 02:12:15 · answer #9 · answered by Amelia 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2017-03-01 01:22:57 · answer #10 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
sounds like a bit of grass seed which is easily treated by the vet, but sounds like it has been there a while get the vet to remove it
2007-06-19 07:47:02 · answer #11 · answered by vampini 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋