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My dog has a pink growth on her lip. Is it an oral papilloma? Should I take her to the vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | spayed | 8 years and 5 months old | 45 lbs

Hello, as highlighted in the attached photo, I noticed a tiny papule on Olivia's top lip. It appears to be the same pink color as the rest of the surrounding skin. I checked her mouth carefully and there are no others, that's the only one. Any idea what this could be? Oral papilloma perhaps? Should I take her to the vet or just monitor it? Thank you.

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on June 12th, 2019

I think your suspicion is correct and this is very likely to be an oral papilloma. As few tumors that look clinically similar may be malignant cancers (squamous cell carcinoma) with invasion and destruction of the underlying bone, I would recommend to have it sampled (and removed) just to be on the safe side. Operation can be safely done under local anesthesia or quick sedation.

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