# What is this growth on my young dog's lip?



## dmccarty (Jul 9, 2004)

This thing on his upper lip just cropped up about a week ago. It was small, flat and looked like ringworm, so I gave him an antifungal cream which did not work. This weekend it has grown into this ugly sore. The little bumps on his chin have been there since puppyhood. I was told that they were a skin reaction and to give him a bath in a special antifungal/antibacterial shampoo. Whenever they crop up on his chin I give him a bath with the shampoo and they dry up. But now there's this sore on his upper lip. I think a trip to the vet is in order. This thing is nasty looking and it has started to bother him just today. He does not like me to touch it which tells me it's sore. Has anyone seen anything like this before?

The bump on the lower left, under the nasty sore, is his bottom gum not a sore. He is a chocolate Lab, young just ready to FF.









He is still playful and eats well









We love him very much


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## badbullgator (Dec 20, 2004)

Wash his food and water bowls every day


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## luvalab (Oct 10, 2003)

...and if you use plastic bowls, get metal.


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## Billie (Sep 19, 2004)

Dawnyel, Looks like a possible Demodex. Take him in, get a skin scraping and see. Does he have any otherareas, possibly on his face, or front legs? Not contagious but it is a mange mite- if its Demodex.....


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## Labs R Us (Jun 25, 2010)

Awww...poor guy. Please keep us posted.


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## jenbrowndvm (Sep 25, 2011)

Since he is a young dog it also may be a histiocytoma - a benign tumor seen in young dogs. Often they will go away on their own or will respond to a intra-lesional steroid injection. Sometimes need surgery (hopefully not in this location). You should have your vet possibly do an FNA (fine needle aspirate) depending on what they think after the exam.


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## dmccarty (Jul 9, 2004)

Thanks everyone. He has an appointment at 4 today. It looked even worse this morning. Poor (big) little guy! 

I guess when it rains it pours... I went home today at lunch and looked at my fishtank while I ate, and one of my favorite fish has Ick. 

Maybe the debate tonight will cheer me up.


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## 2tall (Oct 11, 2006)

dmccarty said:


> Thanks everyone. He has an appointment at 4 today. It looked even worse this morning. Poor (big) little guy!
> 
> I guess when it rains it pours... I went home today at lunch and looked at my fishtank while I ate, and one of my favorite fish has Ick.
> 
> Maybe the debate tonight will cheer me up.


That may be the funniest, and definitely the most optimistic thing I have read on this forum in a long time. Go dmccarty!!!!
BTW, I hope your dog is fine. Looks like a sweet one.


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## kcrumpy9 (Sep 29, 2008)

dmccarty said:


> Thanks everyone. He has an appointment at 4 today. It looked even worse this morning. Poor (big) little guy!
> 
> * I guess when it rains it pours... I went home today at lunch and looked at my fishtank while I ate, and one of my favorite fish has Ick. *


Sorry to hear about your pup and I hope it's nothing serious.He's a good looking dog and seems to be quite the family guy. In regard to your fish. Add a Tbsp. of aquarium salt for every 5gal, raise the tank temp about 2-3 degrees and do a 25% water change daily and your ick problem should clear up after a week or so.


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## chesaka (Dec 13, 2007)

That looks like he has been rooting around in his food bowl. I can come up on both sides of a pup's muzzle and happens when the hair follicles get infected from rooting around in the food. I've seen this, or something very similar on very young pups when they start competing with the other pups for food. Your dog is older so it may be something different. My vet put the pup that had large raised red bumps on either side on antibiotics. There also is puppy acne. Just a thought.


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## dmccarty (Jul 9, 2004)

Had a good visit at the vet. The first thing he asked me was "Does he interact with any cats?" I said yes he plays with Train Wreck all the time and they play pretty rough. Train Wreck jumps on his head and they actually wrestle around like pups. The vet said he was pretty sure my dog had a staph infection from cat scratches/bites. He squeezed the sore and a little pus came out. The vet took a swab and a few hairs. He has an in house lab and is testing for staph and fungus. Results tomorrow on the staph. He put Jack on Cephalexin. The chin stuff he said was acne, probably from wearing a pink collar (joke). He took pictures of the sore to put in his file and also gave me a copy of his exam notes. 

fish question- will adding salt and raising the temp kill my baby fish? I have two "litters" of Endlers right now, one batch was just born less than a week ago. I also have ghost shrimp to consider. Thanks!


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## dmccarty (Jul 9, 2004)

Oh and the debate did cheer me up. I thought a couple of times there was going to be a fistfight.


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## Billie (Sep 19, 2004)

dmccarty said:


> Had a good visit at the vet. The first thing he asked me was "Does he interact with any cats?" I said yes he plays with Train Wreck all the time and they play pretty rough. Train Wreck jumps on his head and they actually wrestle around like pups. The vet said he was pretty sure my dog had a staph infection from cat scratches/bites. He squeezed the sore and a little pus came out. The vet took a swab and a few hairs. He has an in house lab and is testing for staph and fungus. Results tomorrow on the staph. He put Jack on Cephalexin. The chin stuff he said was acne, probably from wearing a pink collar (joke). He took pictures of the sore to put in his file and also gave me a copy of his exam notes.


Sounds like you saw Jerry! Hes the best! I also thought of something else, which could be a fungal infection like ringworm or something. It takes awhile to clear up but it does. Have had dogs get similar stuff to that, and it lives in the soil.


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## dmccarty (Jul 9, 2004)

Yup Karen, and I really like him! Very thorough and reasonably priced too. Doc Brownfield who is my boss now recommended him to me.

The test came back positive for staph aurelius (spelling may be wrong).


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## badbullgator (Dec 20, 2004)

dmccarty said:


> Had a good visit at the vet. The first thing he asked me was "Does he interact with any cats?" I said yes he plays with Train Wreck all the time and they play pretty rough. Train Wreck jumps on his head and they actually wrestle around like pups. The vet said he was pretty sure my dog had a staph infection from cat scratches/bites. He squeezed the sore and a little pus came out. The vet took a swab and a few hairs. He has an in house lab and is testing for staph and fungus. Results tomorrow on the staph. He put Jack on Cephalexin. The chin stuff he said was acne, probably from wearing a pink collar (joke). He took pictures of the sore to put in his file and also gave me a copy of his exam notes.
> 
> fish question- will adding salt and raising the temp kill my baby fish? I have two "litters" of Endlers right now, one batch was just born less than a week ago. I also have ghost shrimp to consider. Thanks!


stainless steel bowls and wash them all the time.


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## Billie (Sep 19, 2004)

Doc Brownfield---is he a vet too? younger...?


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## dmccarty (Jul 9, 2004)

Yes he's a vet, youngish I would say mid thirties. He worked for Dr. Neves for a bit.


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## dmccarty (Jul 9, 2004)

Update- this thing is still there and not looking like it's getting better or worse. The test for fungal came back positive. Vet sent out for a confirmation to an outside lab. He gave me some clotrimazole spray to put on it. But it's a real fight to spray that stuff on a dog's lip- I have to blindfold him to get it on there. I notice that ladies' yeast infection cream is clotrimazole... could I just use that instead of the spray? 

He finished up his cephalexin two days ago. I never really saw an improvement in the big lip sore, but the chin bumps are gone now.


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## Labs R Us (Jun 25, 2010)

Oh geez...sorry to hear it hasn't gone down in size and healed. I don't have any advice for you (sorry) but please keep us posted.


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## windycanyon (Dec 21, 2007)

That looks like the welt mine got a few years ago from a spider bite. Took a lot of benedryl to keep swelling down and I can't for the life of me remember what kinds of AB ointments/ etc I used on it. Bad spot since they want to lick any/everything off.


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## dmccarty (Jul 9, 2004)

Still waiting for the results from the "big" lab. I'm getting anxious. Maybe I will just put a piece of duct tape on it. Out of sight out of mind.

(just kidding)

I hate the not knowing.


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