Multiple Dog Cysts / Warts on Head, Neck & Leg

Hi Geraldine,
From the photos you submitted of the growths on your dog, I would diagnose them as 'warts' not cysts. Organic Pet Digest has a large section that discusses dog warts. See our Dog Warts page for more details.

While it is not unusual for dogs to develop warts as they get older, it is not due to the aging process per se, but due to the accumulation of too many vaccinations. If she started to develop warts at 8 years of age, that is the time I would have advised you to stop ALL vaccinations. Consulting with a holistic veterinarian to decide whether you want use antibody titers in lieu of vaccines, or just writing an exemption form to 'excuse' your dog from her Rabies vaccination, would be your best plan at this time.

Holistically, 'bleeding' warts that are slow to heal, are fairly responsive to the homeopathic remedy Thuya. It is available in an oral form and also in an ointment.

For ORAL administration, I would advise guidance by a holistic veterinarian knowledgeable in homeopathy. For now, it would be ok to use the ointment:

1. Clip away the hair surrounding the larger warts.
2. Apply the one time daily for 3-6 weeks.

3. It will not hurt her if she licks it off, but it might be best to distract her for the first 5-10 minutes (give her a dental chew or tartar control treat for her to chew), after you have applied it so it will have some time to soak in.

4. Make sure she is on a HEALTHY diet. NO DRY DOG food! Try to gradually switch her to a more canned and/or raw diet. See our page on 10 Best Dog Food Options.

Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the 'click here to add your own comments' link below.

Take care,
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

DISCLAIMER: The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

Related Pages:
- Dog Warts,
- Ask a Vet Online Library - Dog Warts, Cysts and Strange Growths Section

Im so sorry that I haven't written sooner.

First of all thank you for your suggestion. Soon after my inquiry I left the country for 2 months and I just got back.

I left my dog in the hand of my mother so I haven't had the chance to "treat" her with the suggested cream. HOWEVER. The "cyst/wart" that I was initially concerned about has increased in size dramatically! From a peanut size to a silver dollar! My mother hadn't noticed (don't know how she didn't).

So I don't know what to do. That being said the other ones has dramatically decreased in size!! What to do?!

Hi Geraldine,
It is not unusual for the body to consolidate and 'exteriorize' a lesion into just one location, as the other lesions disappear. But as she is scratching this large one, and causing it to bleed, it may possibly become infected. You can still follow my instructions from my first posting.

To treat her homeopathically with ORAL administration of remedies, I would advise guidance by a holistic veterinarian knowledgeable in homeopathy. For now, it would be ok to use the topical ointment called (1x potency). And as mentioned previously...

1. Clip away the hair surrounding the larger wart.

2. Apply the Thuja 1x ointment one time daily for 3-6 weeks. You can use hydrogen peroxide to clean off the blood, before applying the ointment.

3. It will not hurt her if she licks the ointment, (although I do not think she can reach it below her ear), but it might be best to distract her for the first 5-10 minutes (give her a dental chew or tartar control treat for her to chew), after you have applied it so it will have some time to soak in.

4. Make sure she is on a HEALTHY diet. NO DRY DOG food! Try to gradually switch her to a more canned and/or raw diet. See our page on 10 Best Dog Food Options.

DO NOT GIVE HER ANY MORE VACCINATIONS!

If the ointment is not successful, then seeking the help of a holistic vet who can do a 'constitutional' work-up for your dog, would be the next step.

Another resource for vets knowledgeable in homeopathy is AVH.org.

Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the 'click here to add your own comments' link below.

Take care,
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

DISCLAIMER: This educational advice is based on the depth of your question and the picture you submitted. The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

So, I shouldn't go running to a Vet? even a holistic one?

I have to say reading up on this website scared me a little, reading that fast growing warts can be serious.

I will buy Thuja right of way regardless, but just a little weary again for how much it grew in the 6 weeks I was away.

Also, what worries me is that I can't exactly tell from the growth, what is wart, what is dried blood. I dont think she scratches it...but Im sure she rubs it when she does her little rubbing her face on the carpet post meals.

Can I send you another picture of its current state?

I thank you from the bottom of my heart or a least putting me at ease.

Hi Geraldine,
Certainly you can send another photo! A picture is worth 1,000 words.

You wrote,
"I can't exactly tell from the growth, what is wart, what is dried blood."

Try this: you can use hydrogen peroxide to clean off the blood. You should then use some hair clippers to trim the hair back. This will allow it to be 'open to the air', prevent hair from sticking to the wart, and this will make it easier to apply the ointment.

Certainly, consulting with a holistic veterinarian 'in person' who can trim the hair, and clean the warts, would be a great idea. The veterinarian could decide if a topical ointment would be warranted at this time, or if perhaps your dog would do better with a 'constitutional' homeopathic remedy to address any other issues INCLUDING the warts. This is difficult for me to determine over the internet!

Another resource for vets knowledgeable in homeopathy is AVH.org.

Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the 'click here to add your own comments' link below.

Take care,
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

DISCLAIMER: This educational advice is based on the depth of your question and the picture you submitted. The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

First of all I want to thank you Dr.Tillman for your advice and for keeping me from freaking out.

I went to buy the thuja as you suggested and had a hard time finding it. I went to whole foods and found a different one. More like an oil.

It has the following ingredients:

Active ingredients:
Thuja occidentalis* 8X HPUS
Phytolacca Americana* 8X HPUS
Calendula Officinalis* 8X HPUS

The brand is "Forces of nature" extra strength wart remedy.

So the good news.....I trimmed the fur from around the wart cleaned it as much as possible with hydrogen peroxide and applied a few drops of this wart treatment.

The next day I did the same and somehow my dog did something and I saw it hanging off her ear. So the good news is that it didn't triple in size. It's exactly the same. The dry thing on top was dried blood mixed with puss and hair.
The bad news....the wart is "raw". Kinda oozy....and bleeds.

My mother had this power that helps to stop bleeding. And so far so good.

But now I do t want to put on the wart solution on "irritated" skin.

Now what?

I'm just thrilled it didn't increase in size!
Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!!!!

Hi Geraldine,
Thank you for the update. The wart oil treatment, that you bought, is a 'combination' homeopathic remedy.

Instead of the single remedy that I suggested, Thuya 1X, which comes in an ointment form. It is not one that I would recommend, but it will not hurt her at all. It would be best to use the hydrogen peroxide to remove any fresh blood from the wart's surface.

Apply pressure with a gauze or cotton to 'dry' the raw surface, then apply the wart oil. Do this one time daily for the next 3 weeks.

If it seems to burn or sting, then I would discontinue use. Or, if the wart is continuing to grow, and there is NO improvement, please seek the help of a holistic veterinarian. One that is experienced in using homeopathic remedies, that are given by mouth.

Another resource for vets knowledgeable in homeopathy is AVH.org.

Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the 'click here to add your own comments' link below.

Take care,
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

DISCLAIMER: This educational advice is based on the depth of your question and the picture you submitted. The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

Dear Dr. Tillman,
So heres the update. Since It keeps on bleeding I felt the necesity to take Dulce to a vet. Now the first thing I did was to research about 3 different vets nearby, and only ONE of the 3 actually has a holistic vet and had said that it was too "complicated" and she should see a regular vet.

So we took her to her usual Vet.

He shaved some hair around the wart, and cauterized it. He said that's only temporary and would need to operate to remove it. he prescribed Amoxicillin for 5 days.
They say the cost is $1,000...the majority of the cost goes to the testing before the operation. ...sigh... if she wasn't that old i wouldn't think twice...but the idea of operating on my almost 14 year old is freaking me out. What do I do now?

I'm thinking about getting a second opinion.
What do you think?
THANK YOU DR. TILLMAN!

Hi Geraldine,
YES, I would definitely advise that you search for another holistic veterinarian. One of the groups to which I belong, that have the homeopathic veterinarians, is the Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy. There must be someone that is not too far from you in New York.

Also, instead of concentrating on just the warts/cysts on your dog, you need to improve his diet, NO DRY DOG FOOD. And consider adding in some raw meat to his diet. NO raw pork or raw fish. Improve his immune system, adding supplements such as:

1. Missing Link Canine Formula
2. Immuplex from Standard Process
3. OrthoMolecular Specialties, Mega C Powder

And, of course, NO MORE Vaccinations.

Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the 'click here to add your own comments' link below.

Take care,
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

DISCLAIMER: This educational advice is based on the depth of your question and the picture you submitted. The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

Once again, Thank you Dr. Tillman!
I made an appointment with a holistic Vet tomorrow! I feel better already! I agree with you that i should try to treat my dog inside out! Ive done so for myself (taking extra vitamins to help one issue or another) so why wouldnt i do that for my dog!!
I will see what the doctor says...I would like to give her that vitamin C you suggested.

As far as food, I will ask the vet her opinion as well. I want to ween her off the dry food, but as far as now I have to find an affordable option.

i will write more tomorrow or Thursday with the update of the holistic vet. THANK YOU FOR POINTING ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION!!!!!

Hello Dr. Tillman!
Its been over a month since I wrote last and wanted to give you an update.

I took your advice and found a Holistic Vet and couldn't be happier. She gave me a couple of options to help treat it before surgery being the last option.

She gave me Oral Thuja which I gave Dulce for 3 days and then a topical creme of Calendula. I put that on her for about 3 weeks. Then I left it alone for a few days. The "open" wart is so much smaller now. Barely bleeds anymore. I used to have to clean it a few times a day. And now just once or twice a day and not much is there.

It's pretty "watery" as opposed to bloody. a week ago I started to put real natural aloe vera on the open wart and just seems to get better. Its a slow recovery, but I guess that's the only downfall of natural remedies! However, I don't care, as long as she's comfortable and I don't have to put my oldie lady through unnecessary surgery!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving me peace of mind and GREAT advice!!!! I'm passing on this website to all I know that have pets!!!! Best $7 I ever spent!!!
THANK YOU!

Hi Geraldine,
Thank YOU for the update and progress report on Dolce! It takes a dedicated owner and a lot of patience, but it is so much healthier following a holistic route for our pets, and ourselves!

You are very welcome! Word of mouth is the best referral you can give.

Please keep us posted by coming back to this page and clicking the 'click here to add your own comments' link below.

Take care,
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

DISCLAIMER: This educational advice is based on the depth of your question and the picture you submitted. The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.