Dog Warts Treatment

Dog Warts Treatment

In veterinary medicine we unfortunately do not have at our disposal the full spectrum of licensed, approved treatments used in human medicine. When it comes to products licensed for use only in people, great care must be taken when applied to animals. Our use of compounded or people-only licensed products is limited to circumstances where no effective licensed treatment exists for animals. For problem warts in dogs, surgical excision or freezing/heat ablation done under sterile surgical conditions at the veterinary hospital is the standard in veterinary care.

If veterinarians recommend any unlicensed treatments, they must advise the client that safety studies in the species have not been done and, as a result, adverse reactions cannot be foreseen. Most frequently, a veterinarian will have the client sign a release form if the drug is being used “off-label”, that is, not according to instructions on the product. This form outlines known risks, and puts forward acceptance of risk by the client for undertaking experimental treatment. There are some human drugs that have been widely prescribed in animals for decades, and have never been licensed in animals. The breadth and depth of experience with those no longer warrants such measures, but for newer human drugs that are not well studied, the prescribing veterinarian will help the client understand the risks, as much as is known.

For example, think of a species-specific aspect of treatment with a topical medication like Dr. Scholl’s® Freeze Away:
Though a person is pretty unlikely to consider licking the compound off the wart (ughh!), you can bet that if Fido gets a chance, he will thoroughly clean off the treatment, thus ingesting the compound. Because the wart-away compound is going to have an effect on tissue whether it is tongue or skin, damage to the tongue or gums could occur, especially if multiple warts are being treated at the same time, and the dog can reach and lick off the treatment.

Talk to your veterinarian about the wart treatment recommended for your pet. In many cases, a few simple warts that are not causing problems are best left alone. Warts are common and generally, benign in older dogs. If you see warts on your dog, bring them to the attention of your veterinarian so that they can be assessed, and their presence recorded in the pet’s medical record. If they are changing size, chronically irritated, attracting the dog to lick or chew the area, or if new ones develop, make sure to discuss treatment with your local veterinary professional