Dear Dr. Jackson,
I have an 11-year-old Schnauzer and he has several pink warts on his back. I was told to use Compound W or have them removed. Is there any other kind of treatment for them?
S.L.
P.S. I read your articles in the Corridor and you give out good advice. I don’t have a computer or e-mail, that’s why I’m writing to you.
Dear S.L.,
Skin issues are a very large part of veterinary medicine. So large, in fact, some veterinarians have become dermatology specialists and only treat skin conditions. I mention this to explain that the ‘pink warts’ on your dog’s back, may or may not be warts. I would hesitate to recommend a specific treatment like Compound W (which is meant for humans) until you have a firm diagnosis. That being said, if you are sure these bumps are warts and not tumors or follicular cysts (common on the backs of Schnauzers) then the only way to treat them is removal. In my practice, we remove warts and small tumors with a local anesthetic and a surgical laser. This is not at all painful and doesn’t require sutures. In summary, my best advice to you is to have your senior-citizen companion professionally diagnosed by a veterinarian and then removed as simply and pain-free as possible.
