What do Warts Look Like on a Dog?

• On a dog, warts will look like similar to chewing gum that has become entangled with the skin. These warts can appear anywhere on the skin and can even occur in the mouth, ears and the nose. Warts that appear in the ears, the nose or in the mouth should especially be examined by a veterinarian to rule out canine viral papillomas as the cause of the warts.
  
  

Canine Viral Papillomas

• Often referred to as a wart, viral papillomas cause small round growths of skin tumors. However, these warts are not as harmless as a standard benign wart and can be spread to other dogs. Viral papillomas are similar to cauliflower in appearance. Most often, these viral papillomas appear in the mouth and the nose of the dog, in some cases they can even occur on the eyelids or between toes. However these warts have the potential to occur anywhere on the body.
  
  

Important of Treatment

• Many pet owners will assume that warts will go away on their own. Dogs will often excessively lick or chew on warts in order to remove them. Once the warts bleed, an infection can occur. This can lead to additional problems because not only will the wart still need to be removed, but the infection will also need to be treated.
  
  

Treatments for Singular or Mild Cases of Warts

• The most common treatment for warts is done through your veterinarian. Your vet uses an electrocautery tool which burns the wart tissue away using electricity. This is called 'electrocautery wart treatment.' Dogs who undergo these treatment are given a local anesthetic for pain but some cases the dog will need to be sedated in order to hold him perfectly still for the treatment.
  
  

Treatment for Severe Warts or Multiple Warts

• In cases of severe warts or multiple warts on the body, dogs can be treated with an immune stimulant known as interferon. Interferon is an oral medication that is prescribed through your veterinarian that will aid in attacking the viral wart infections. Unfortunately, dogs who are undergoing medicated wart removal may suffer from fever, nausea, dizziness and pain in the joints.