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Warts

Poodle has Warts

Question: Hi there, I think that my Miniature Poodle has warts. She has 3 raised bumps that look like warts, 2 are on her tummy and 1 is between her toes, I can see it when I push her hair aside. Can dogs, particularly the Poodle get warts? If so, how should this be treated? And also, would these be contagious I touch them? I’d love some more information before I would spend money at the vet’s. Thanks in advance, Paula (and Pinky, my Poodle)
Answer:  Dear Paula,

Yes, dogs can get warts. 

First, let us describe what warts on a Poodle would look like so that you will have a better idea if this is indeed what you believe it to be. 

Warts on a Poodle are usually very small, about the size of a pencil eraser. Most of the time, they are not perfect circles, they more or less resemble a cauliflower shape. 

Canine warts are most often a white or a white/yellow color. While a wart on a Poodle is not a dangerous condition, one must be aware that they can quickly spread….Within a week, one can become ten.
Also, your Poodle may find them to be a bit irritating and if your dog keeps licking them or if she bites them, it can lead to an infection.

For those reasons, we do suggest having the warts removed from your Poodle. It will also be appropriate to have the vet look at these to make sure that they are indeed warts.

Warts are caused by the papilloma virus. Interestingly, all dogs are exposed to this virus but only some will develop warts and it can be an indication of a lowered immune system. 

Most of the time, an experienced vet can diagnose this just by looking at them, if there is any question, a biopsy may be done. We do recommend to have an experienced veterinarian, particularly one who has other Poodles as clients so that they are very familiar with the breed.

You may wish to try a Homeopath remedy before paying for a vet to remove them. Thuja has been shown to resolve this issue in some cases. When obtaining this, you would want to obtain Thuja occidentails in the 30th potency…this is the mixture that seems to work best, if it does indeed work for your Poodle.

If you choose to try this method, we recommend the ointment form. You would use this one time a day for 10 days. Then it is recommended to wait 1 week to see if they warts are shrinking or have gone away. If there is no response you then switch to 2 doses of Thuja 30c, given 12 hours apart for 10 days.

There is a chance that a wart(s) on a Poodle may go away on their own, but most of the time they stay or multiply. Treatment can vary depending on your vet.  Since removing one does not stop others from growing, it is important to discuss if removal should be done.  Some veterinarians prefer to remove all growths and check for cancer, to be extra cautious.  Others, if sure the growth is due to the papilloma virus, will surgically remove it but will let you know that others may develop at any rate.

The removal process is rather quickly.  Some veterinarians prefer to use anesthesia so that the Poodle is not able to move while they are being removed. Others may use localized anesthesia. The wart is essentially scooped out, and this is done deeply as to remove the 'roots'. 

Once that is complete, healing will take 3 to 5 days. The area will be wrapped so that a dog does not chew at or lick at the area.   You'll want to monitor your Poodle for the appearance of any others in the future. 

There are many case studies on the issue of whether or not a person can catch warts from a dog.  Some have shown that they are indeed contagious and can spread from dog to human….others show that they do not. To be safe, we do recommend wearing thin gloves, such as latex gloves when inspecting them.
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