My dog has flappy skin under her top lip. Is this a dental issue?

These look like areas of inflammation, if they persist longer than 3 weeks I would recommend getting them checked by your vet who may want to take scrapings or biopsies to rule out any sinister causes

Hello. I would not be too worried, I just would like to have this checked out as soon as possible. Oral lesions have a way of sneaking up on you, so I am glad you were so diligent in finding this. It is quite easy to determine if this is a bad situation by removing a small piece of tissue & having a pathologist examine the cells under a microscope. Some oral lesions can look quite benign but can turn out to be very worrisome, but lets not jump the gun. You are doing the right thing not waiting months to have it looked at. Fingers crossed that all will be fine. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

The thickening of her gum on the top lip is a granuloma or inflammatory response to any type of stimulus, including constant contact with a dog toy, dental disease, or rubbing on a tooth. I wouldn't expect a ball to cause this particular presentation, as this is only in 1 area that happens to overlay with the canine tooth. I would be more inclined to think that the tooth and dental tartar build-up are the likely causes for this granuloma. I would recommend a dental cleaning for Precious, which can then allow the vet to do a full oral assessment to ensure there is no more abnormal tissue there and to collect samples of the tissue if indicated. In the meantime, I would suggest using a water additive or brushing her teeth 3 times a week to reduce any additional tartar development and help cleanse her mouth from bacteria accumulation due to her dental disease. I hope that Precious turns out well. Best wishes and take care!

It's still a little hard to see these things well, but I did not say they look normal. They could be thickening from chronic inflammation, something like a wart or something more worrisome. A vet should take a look at those and check then further.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern! Based on the photos you provided, I would suspect this to be an allergy or dermatitis from some type or irritant. Lip fold dermatitis can occur where there is excess skin causing saliva to become trapped leading to inflammation / irritation of the skin. I would recommend using the below products, which can be found online quite easily. I hope this helps! If there is no improvement or the condition worsens, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Annie so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. 1. Douxo PS Chlorhexidine combination shampoo and bathe twice weekly until resolved 2. Malacetic conditioning spray and apply to the affected area twice daily until resolved 3. Zymox topical ointment and apply twice daily until resolved.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! None of this represents an indication of immune mediated disease and this cannot be diagnosed just based on appearance. This requires actually a biopsy of the tissue. I do not see an indication for a biopsy based on these pictures. This is likely just a normal change in pigmentation and monitoring would be fine. If at any point, he develops inflammation or wounds in that region have him evaluated by a veterinarian then. Best of luck!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. From the photo, this area does not looking concerning to me. However, if you are concerned and/or if this area bothers your pet, I recommend having him evaluated by your veterinarian. Your vet can examine this area and determine if it is a normal variation in his skin, or if it could possibly be a mass. You can also monitor this area for ~1 week to see if it changes in size/shape or feel. I hope this is helpful!