I just noticed a spot on my dog's gums. Should I be worried?

This could be normal pigmentation in the gums. You can keep an eye on it now that your are brushing Snoopy's teeth daily. If it begins to grow or change rapidly, then he should be seen by your veterinarian.

Hi, While I can’t say with certainty without an exam, I would strongly recommend having this gingival mass evaluated by a veterinarian. In many cases these are benign gingival hyperplasia (just meaning excessive tissue), but other times these masses can be malignant cancer. Therefore, catching it early will make a difference in the potential success of treatment. I hope Kosmo just has some hyper plastic gum tissue! Best of luck.

Masses within the mouth, much like other parts of the body, have the potential to be troublesome or of little consequence. Typically, the older the animal the more likely we are looking at something concerning. The most common benign finding often found within the mouth on the gumlines are epulis, which is simply a benign gum tumor. In some instances they require removal in order to facilitate food consumption or provide generalized comfort, but in many cases particularly when they are not growing in size, they can be left alone and can even spontaneously resolve. In other instances, masses in the mouth can be malignant and show up in the form of melanomas or squamous cell carcinomas. If this is the case, complete removal of the mass and the surrounding tissue is always recommended, followed by potentially other ancillary treatments. The only way to know for sure however would be with cytology or removal / biopsy. At six years of age, there is a pretty good chance Phoenix would

Hi and thanks for your request. This is likely to be due to an epulis, a benign tumor of the gums. The most common types are fibromatous and ossifying epulides (this is the technical name defining the benign tumor). Surgical removal of the epulis is the treatment most commonly recommended but not necessary if not impeding appetite and not bleeding. The mass can grow but at this stage I think it could be only monitored.

This could be an epulis are benign. It also could indicate an oral tumor such as the melanoma or even a squamous cell carcinoma. As it's getting noticeably bigger in a short period of time I recommend your veterinarian examine this mass. It may or may not require a biopsy to know exactly what it is.

This looks like an overgrowth of gingival tissue, or gingival epulis. These are generally benign and can be easily removed when the dog is under anesthesia for a dental cleaning. There is a small chance however that this could be a more serious mouth tumor, like an oral cancer like a melanoma. The only way to know for sure is to have the mass removed and sent off for histopathology. Because of your dog's advanced age I would probably recommend just keeping an eye on it for now. As long as it is not infected, irritating, or causing trouble when he eats it should be ok to leave alone. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Boop by Petco. Best of luck.

Thanks for attaching a picture. If it feels like normal gum tissue (soft, moveable) it is possibly due to contact from the k9 tooth above it (overgrowth of tissue from irritation). Do you see the same thing on the other side? If it is more firm, painful, red, or grew rapidly that would be more concerning and then it should be evaluated by your family vet. If you elect to monitor certainly have your vet take a look at his next annual visit. If the lesion changes (growth, etc.) certainly have your vet take a look at it sooner. I hope this helps and thank you for using Boop by Petco!

I would contact them again to see if they have any urgent appointment for biopsy as this does indeed look quite concerning and could be significantly worse in a month. Growths in the mouth are at high risk for being tumours and although treatment options are limited, early diagnosis improves the chance for succesful treatment - referral to an oral surgeon may be worthwhile

One of the most common masses that we see in the mouth is something called an epulis. An epulis is considered a benign mass, but some types will invade the surrounding bone if not removed. I am attaching a handout below with more information. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=3513 I would recommend having your veterinarian examine Duncan to see what they think about the mass and decide on what to do from there. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.

This called epulid and it is usually a benign form of tumor that would require removal in case it get chewed or infected. To confirm it 100% a biopsy or (complete removal) can be performed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.