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What are dog warts?

Canine papillomavirus

What are dog warts?

Warts tend to appear on a young dog's lips almost overnight, look alarming, and turn out to be one of the milder things a vet sees in a week. The catch is that they pass between dogs. This page covers what they are, how long they last, and how group days work around them.

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Last reviewed October 10, 2026 · by the Dogtown team

What they are

A dog wart is a papilloma, caused by a virus that only infects dogs

VCA describes papillomas as benign tumors caused by viruses, common in dogs and uncommon in cats, and explains that papillomaviruses are species-specific: each animal species has its own. The dog version does not infect people. Inside the mouth, the Merck Veterinary Manual describes the growths as finger-like or threadlike projections that can look like a cauliflower on the surface, found most often on the lining of the mouth, at the edges of the lips and on the skin around them.

They do not all look alike. VCA notes that some are inflamed, wart-like polyps, others are flat, scaly plaques, and some grow inward as hard masses; they can ulcerate and bleed. On the body they most often turn up around and inside the mouth or on the feet, with the eyelids and the genital area also possible. A dog may have one or a whole cluster, and Merck says they tend to appear suddenly and spread quickly in young dogs.

Inside the lips, on the gums and on the tongue
At the edges of the lips and on the muzzle
Between the toes and on the pads
On or near the eyelids

Who gets them

Puppies and young dogs catch them, mostly through play and shared things

Merck says oral papillomas are most common in juvenile and adolescent dogs, and VCA adds that puppies, whose immune systems are still developing, and dogs with weakened immunity are more prone. That describes the dogs who live mouth-first: tugging, wrestling and sharing one slobbery ball. The virus spreads by direct contact with an infected dog or through its environment, such as toys, bowls and bedding, and VCA says it gets in through moist skin, cuts and scrapes, or insect bites.

That is why warts travel through a puppy class or a circle of play-date friends in small waves. A pup that chews the same toy or drinks from the same bowl as an infected pup can pick it up without ever meeting it nose to nose. On Cape Ann, a young dog that spends its winter weekends on the Gloucester beaches, open to dogs from October 1 at the time of writing, meets a lot of other young dogs, so a mouth full of new bumps after a busy month has an obvious explanation.

How long

Most fade within one to two months; some need the vet's help

VCA says some papillomas regress within one to two months as the dog develops immunity, and Merck describes them regressing on their own within weeks to months. Some dogs, though, have warts that persist. Merck notes that when there are many in the mouth they can interfere with picking up, chewing or swallowing food, and that surgically removing one or more can prompt the rest to regress. Rarely, papillomaviruses have been linked with a skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma.

A vet visit is the right first step for any new growth, because a lump that looks like a wart is not always one. VCA describes a fine needle aspirate as the usual first test, with a biopsy if the result is unclear, and notes that single skin papillomas can appear in dogs of any age. Never cut, tie off or burn a wart at home. A growth that bleeds, becomes infected, stops your dog eating comfortably or has not shrunk after a couple of months goes back to the vet.

01
Book a vet check to confirm the lump is a papilloma and not something else
02
Tell your daycare, trainer and walker the same day
03
Keep your dog out of group play and away from shared bowls and toys
04
Wash your dog's bowls, toys and bedding often while the warts are present
05
Photograph the warts each week so you can see them shrink
06
Go back to the vet for bleeding, trouble eating, or warts that are not fading after a couple of months
07
Ask your vet to confirm the warts are gone before group play resumes

At Dogtown

Warts are a call to the front desk before the next group day

VCA's advice is plain: because papillomas pass between dogs, keep your dog away from other dogs until the papilloma is gone. A playgroup of 7 to 10 dogs sharing water stations, toys and turf is exactly the kind of contact it means. So if you spot warts, tell the front desk before the next daycare, Academy or overnight booking. We confirm with you when your dog can rejoin its group, rather than printing a rule here, and the date your vet gives carries the most weight.

The pause need not be a lost month. Our at-home walks are solo, one dog with one member of Dogtown staff, at $25 for 20 minutes, $35 for 30 or $55 for an hour, and they keep a young dog exercised while it stays out of groups; ask us whether we cover your address. If a groom falls due, mention the warts at booking so the groomer knows before the visit. Once your vet has cleared your dog, a half day at $33 is a gentle way back to the turf yard at 210 Eastern Ave.

Tell the front desk before the next daycare, Academy or overnight booking
Bring your vet's view on when the warts are gone
Solo at-home walks keep a young dog moving in the meantime
Mention the warts when you book a groom

At Dogtown

Solo while the warts fade, group play once they are gone

At-home walks keep a young dog moving during the pause; daycare picks up again once your vet clears it.

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Asked and answered

Questions people ask about this

Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.

Can people or cats catch dog warts?

No. VCA explains that papillomaviruses are species-specific, so each species has its own, and canine papillomavirus infects dogs. Ordinary hygiene is still sensible, and your vet should look at any new growth on your dog. If a person in your home has a skin growth, that is a question for their own doctor, not a sign it came from the dog.

Can my dog go to daycare with warts?

Call the front desk first. VCA advises keeping a dog with papillomas away from other dogs until the growths are gone, because the virus spreads by contact and on shared toys, bowls and bedding. We confirm with you when your dog can rejoin its group, and your vet's view on the warts carries the most weight in that decision.

How long are dog warts contagious?

Treat them as contagious for as long as they are visible. VCA says many regress within one to two months as the dog builds immunity, though some persist. Keep your dog out of group play and away from shared bowls and toys until your vet agrees they are gone, and wash the toys and bedding at home in the meantime.

Should I have my dog's warts removed?

Usually not straight away. Merck notes that papillomas often regress on their own within weeks to months, and that removal can help when they interfere with eating; VCA lists inflamed, infected or persistent warts as reasons to remove them. Your vet decides, often after a needle sample. Never try to cut, tie off or freeze a wart at home.

My older dog has a wart. Is it the same virus?

Not necessarily. VCA notes that single skin papillomas can occur in dogs of any age, but plenty of other lumps on older dogs look similar, and only a vet's examination, often with a needle sample or a biopsy, can tell them apart. Book a check for any new or changing lump on an adult or senior dog rather than assuming it is a wart.