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My dog has a pink bump on his lip. Is it a cold sore or what else?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered |

Hello! My dog, Rudy, has a small pink bump on his lip. What could this be? I was not sure if dogs can get cold sores or mouth ulcers.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on August 17th, 2016

It's not really common for dogs to get cold sores the way that people do, but there are lots of things that could cause a bump like this - it could be an insect bite or local inflammatory reaction, a papilloma or wart, a localized bacterial infection, or even a skin tumor of some kind. If the bump appeared recently and your dog is acting normal otherwise, you could monitor it for the next week or two to see if it goes away on its own. If it doesn't, or if it becomes painful or itchy it seems to be growing, then I would recommend having it checked by a vet - he/she can do a simple test called a fine needle aspirate to find out what it is.

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