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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Papillomavirus causing a viral plaque in a dog's mouth

By Munday, John S et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2025·School of Veterinary Science·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: First report of a papillomavirus-induced viral plaque in the mouth of a dog.

Species:
dog

Plain-English summary

A dog was found to have a mass in its mouth that turned out to be a viral plaque caused by a type of papillomavirus. This plaque was pigmented and needed careful examination to distinguish it from a more serious condition like oral melanoma (a type of mouth cancer). This is the first time such a viral plaque has been reported in dogs. The dog’s treatment would depend on the specific diagnosis and further evaluation by a veterinarian.

People also search for: dog mouth mass · papillomavirus in dogs · oral melanoma in dogs · dog mouth plaque treatment

Abstract

Canis familiaris papillomavirus type 16 was amplified from a mass in the mouth of a dog. The mass was histologically consistent with a pigmented viral plaque. This is the first report of an oral viral plaque in a dog. Histological investigation is essential to allow differentiation from an oral melanoma.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40375433/