Does anyone out there know what is the cause of warts on dogs?
Is it to do with the immune system breaking down? Is to do with allergic reactions, which can be related to the immune system breaking down?
Or is there some other reason why dogs get them?
Also if they do have them is it possible to get rid of them longterm, without surgery or tying them off, as they only come back anyway after surgery.
There has to be a reason why dogs get them in the first place.
Any knowledgeable folk out there, please help me.
thanks
Anne

My elderly Golden has loads of them Anndee, though being so long haired you only feel them rather than see them in most cases.  I've been advised that they only recur if removed so I've left well alone.  No idea what causes them although they do seem to be prevalent in old age.  Be very interested to hear people's ideas though.

One of my borzois has a few of these, the vet said just to leave them. I've found however that if I notice a new one soon enough, when it's still tiny I can actually pull it off him, dab a bit of germolene on the spot and he doesn't mind. Sometimes they grow back but mostly they don't. He has one on his neck that is about 2 cms high now, they're horrible things :(

My old Pharaoh has two, one either side of her neck.  We're thinking of renaming her Frankenstein's Monster - she looks like she's got bolts :d  They're not worrying her in the slightest though :)

Debs

Funnily enough I was asked to look up a site for someone the other day on warts on dogs. 

I found the following information (can't remember which site it was from though - sorry)

There are three types of growths commonly called warts in dogs.

1) Viral warts. Young dogs in particular may be affected by a papilloma virus, which causes warts. These are usually not significant and will resolve on their own, just as in people.
2) Sebaceous adenomas. These are the commonest warts seen in dogs. They are not really warts, but are actually small benign tumours of the sebaceous glands in the skin. They appear as small pink warts often around the head and neck, though they can grow anywhere. They become very common as dogs grow older. Yorkies, Cocker spaniels and poodles are examples of breeds especially susceptible to these. If they are small, we will often leave them alone. Unlike viral warts they will not go of their own accord, and surgery is the only way to remove them. Because they involve the sebaceous glands, some can become swollen with secretion and get quite prominent and messy, in which case they could be surgically excised. If warts are affecting a dog cosmetically (e.g. one on a face) or they are irritating a dog, you can also remove them. A word of warning: it isn't uncommon for a dog owner to mistake a wart for a tick. Subsequent attempts to remove the 'tick' can be unpleasant for the dog.
3) Meibomium gland adenomas. These small growths are commonly called 'eyelid warts'. They are very common on the eyelid margins of older dogs. They are small tumours growing from glands which open on the edges of the eyelids. When tiny they may not irritate a dog, but as they grow they rub on the cornea, causing irritation, discharge and then ulceration. They need to be removed surgically. It is not sufficient to cut off the visible wart. The root of the tumour in the eyelid needs to be excised as well, so the vet will cut a triangular piece of tissue out of the eyelid. Cosmetically this looks very good, even for quite large tumours. However, as with all growths, the earlier they are dealt with the quicker the surgery and the less disruption to the patient, so if you see one on your dog, seek advice sooner rather than later.

HTH

Debs

Interesting, particularly the part about mistaking them for ticks. Ouch!

I would imagine it is the same as in people and is caused by a virus.