Help please....pink inflamed bumps on lip

Hi all,

Thoughts please......Quinn has developed a few pink bumps on her bottom lip with one main larger bump (can kinda see some white inflammation spots under skin). They do not bother/hurt her. I saw the vet last Thursday and she was a bit perplexed as well....no dietary changes etc. Vet prescribed cephalexin for 2 weeks and said it could be bacterial infection or viral and if not better in 2 weeks, we will do a biopsy. The only thing at all that Quinn has done differently is that she picked her own raspberries for a few days and I'm wondering if she got a tiny thorn stuck in her lip (its more than one bump though).

Any one have ideas, thoughts of what could cause this? Quinn is 10 weeks post op TPLO #2 and she is only just 2 yrs old so she has been through enough doctors and really needs to catch a break!!

Thanks,
Janet & Quinn

Hi!

My older by was plagued with mysterious bumps on his chin/muzzle through the first 2-3 years of life, usually responding to antibiotics, too. I was actually starting to think he had some sort of immune disorder but as he got older, those things seemed to show up much less often. My initial thoughts include, what are her food/water bowls made from? Some dogs have allergic reactions to plastic water or food bowls that can set up an irritation that leads to a minor bacterial infection. Stainless steel bowls that get washed often seem to help that problem, others like ceramic food and water bowls. Skin irritation from the raspberry bushes/canes could have turned into a bacterial infection. Maybe she got stung by some insect in the grass or in the bushes? Mine rub their faces on the ground, on furniture, etc, so sometimes something minor turns into something less minor from rubbing their chin against stuff because it itches. There was a time I was washing his chin once or twice a day with soap and water or Hibiclens to try to keep chin bumps from happening. At some point the issue just seemed to go away. I hope one course of antibiotics does the trick.

Thanks for your response. Contact allergy was my first thought too.....all of our bowls are stainless steel but I just realized that the dogs drink out of my plastic gardening jugs so I'll move those away just in case. The vet did give me some swabs/soap so I'm cleaning once a day. She is not rubbing, itching her face at all so I'm grateful for that. I think I've been so worried about her knees the last 2 years (and finally resolved) that I just want her to enjoy some health....momma stress lol. Fingers/paws crossed it will be resolved soon :-)

Dogs and people can get "contact irritant dermatitis" which can lead to bacterial infection. Were they wild raspberries? Was there poison ivy nearby? Seems to like the same growing conditions as many of the wild berries we pick. I've never had a reaction and neither have my dogs. IN my readings dogs don't have a problem with poison ivy like we do but there's always an exception. AT the very least making sure your Vet knows about the raspberries and any possible other irritating plant might help her figure this out and come up with a remedy. Hard to believe that's not sore, looks sore. Dogs are so stoic.

Thanks :-). Yes, I told the vet about the raspberries and she knows the dogs run around in the brush and that we live in the country.....I personally know that there are big thorns and a bunch of little hair-like prickles on the branches (ouch on MY finger!). They are wild black raspberries....I haven't seen any poison ivy about but still may be around I suppose. Quinn likes to poop in the brush (she's a lady ;-)) and she may have had contact with something at that time. She doesn't go far as I have about 2 acres, mostly grass, fenced off for the dogs. My concern is that we have had 4 full days of antibiotics and no improvement (maybe even a bit worse....I take pictures lol). I have 2 weeks of antibiotics so I'll try and be patient. Vet said she'll call mid week to see how its going