Pigment change on Cragar's lip

[cragarmom]

I may be freaking out over nothing, but I thought I'd ask...

I'm sitting on the floor last night, cuddling with Cragar (who happened to be on the chair - good life, huh - doggie on the chair, mommy on the floor... anyway)... and I saw something on his mouth. When I looked at it closer, it looks like in the center of his bottom "lip", the pigment has gone away. The area is usually black, but there's an area about the size of a chickpea that's pink/more fleshy toned - no black at all. I promptly freaked out (because that's what I do!! - not to mention, I've just been diagnosed with skin cancer myself, so I'm a little freaked about anamolyous skin issues). The area isn't raised like a bump - it's perfectly smooth and in line with the rest of his lip.

My BF looked at it and suggested that maybe we just didn't see it before. Ha! I would think we'd notice something that prominent on his mouth! It seemed to happen waaaaaay suddenly.

So I immediately was thinking of what could have caused something different. I came up with:
1. He has this thing on his butt that looks like a mosquito bite - it's entirely possible he got bit by a bug since he's been outside a lot lately. But he's been licking it - maybe it's not a bug bite, but poison ivy/sumac/oak that got transferred to his lip from all the licking? I kinda doubt it, but who knows?
2. The reason he's been outside a lot is because my BF is working on a fence for part of the yard. Cragar wants to come out, too, and "help"! LOL. Sunday, he ran off with a piece of sandpaper from the belt sander. When I realized he had it, I threw a hissy fit at Dave for letting him have it. We're sanding pressure treated lumber (which now contain copper salts instead of chromium and arsenic).
3. Again, he's been outside a lot lately. Maybe it's some kind of sunburn?

I know I'm kind of reaching and I should call the vet, but anyone have any ideas or maybe have seen something like this?

Thanks!
Joanne

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

If he has been licking alot then my guess would be that he's managed to lick the pigment off, in other words he's gone through a few layers of skin which contains the pigment.

My girls often to that when they have pups from all the extra licking to keep their babies clean and it returns after a few weeks. If it's just pinky colored, not red and inflamed or swollen and dicolored I wouldn't be concerned. If your worried though give a quick call to the vet and see what they have to say.

[cragarmom]

Thanks for the reply!

Wow - I never would have guessed a dog can lick enough layers of skin off to actually lick the pigment away! Huh - I learn something new every day!

It's not red or swollen - I ran my finger over it many times and it just feels like the rest of his lip!

My boyfriend did call the vet today, though - he went to the store and when he came home Cragar was on the chair, licking his butt, and there was a huge wet spot on the chair from all the licking. But what scared Dave was that Cragar was shaking, too. I'm afraid whatever he has on his butt may have gotten infected. He doesn't have a fever, but the area is quite red. Poor little guy, it's right above the, um, opening - right under his tail (which also makes it quite difficult to look at, as he plasters his tail against his butt as soon as someone bends to take a look).

So Dave got him an appointment for tomorrow morning, just to be safe.

Thanks so much for the info!
Joanne

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

No problem. If his little behind is that red then I'm glad he goes in tomorrow to the vet. Poor guy sounds like he needs a bit of a break. Let us know how it goes. **hugs to Crager**

[tommyjake]

I hope its nothing serious! Let us know how he gets on.

Jake has the lil pink pigment on his lip aswel, glad to hear its nothing to be worried about.
*hugs!*

[cragarmom]

I was feeling so much better about this last night...

But...

There's always a "but", isn't there?

Cragar was laying on the floor late last night - on his back with legs splayed all over the place, and I was scratching the inside of his leg (his favorite spot), and I was like "what the #%@! is that?" Now he's got a brown lump, probably a little bigger in diameter than the size of a pencil eraser right next to his penis. At first I thought he was laying on a remnant of a treat he had earlier that just got plastered to his skin, but nope, it's a bonafide dark brown lump right there on his skin. It's striking in contrast to his regular skin color.

Again, there is absolutely no way I couldn't have noticed that before. I mean, he lays on his back almost nightly to have his belly rubbed!

So he's all messed up, what with the butt lump, pee-pee lump, and pink lip... good news is there doesn't seem to be any other issues - he doesn't have a fever, he's not lethargic, he's eating ok... I dunno.

BF is taking him to his vet appt in 25 minutes, so I gave strict instructions to make sure he calls me (I'm at work) the minute he steps out of the vet's door.

It's just so hard not to think the worst when I see a spontaneously appearing, dark colored lump on his skin (in addition to the other stuff!)

Joanne

[cragarmom]

Dave and Cragar just got back from the vet and called...

I am so PO'd right now!

He couldn't get in to see the vet he normally sees, so he had to see someone else in their office. She checked his anal glands to make sure they didn't need to be emptied - that was ok, but she couldn't offer a decent explanation for anything !

She gave him cream for his butt (it's called Animax or something like that), and some pills called Tendril P - I can't even find any info on the pills on the internet. The cream and the pills are for the itching. No "that looks like a bug bite", or "that looks like an allergic reaction" or anything. Just - "here's stuff for the itching". How about what's causing the itching??? She did say something about hemmorhoids but said he was too young to get them.

As for his lip and the new mysterious lump, she said that in this weather, pigment changes can just happen. But that fast? I mean, seriously, that brown lump on his pee-pee, I swear to god that wasn't there even the day before yesterday. I mean, Cragar will lay on his back with his legs all splayed out all the time, I think I would notice something like that! She said it was just a mole and it was no big deal. Ok, who the heck gets a mole that big spontaneously? I'll post a picture of it when I get home if Cragar will be generous enough to let me take a picture (I can see it now... "let mommy take a picture of your pee-pee to show all the nice people on the internet!!!" OMG ). And even his lip, that was like overnight, too. But at least a good explanation for that was what Crossfire Bulldogs said with all the licking. That I can understand. The lump - no.

I guess we just have to watch and wait... If the lump sticks around for more than a week or so, I think I'll make an appointment with the guy Cragar normally sees at their office.

Hopefully at least the cream and pills will relieve all the butt-licking, though.

Thanks for all the help and hugs!

Joanne

[richnrissa]

LOL at picture comment, just close your windows so your neighbors dont get the wrong idea, lol

[cragarmom]

LOL richnrissa! Good thing we live in a secluded area!

Well, Cragar let me take some pictures of the brown lump:




It looks like maybe one of his nipples may be a little sore or scratched, too? Sometimes that happens after he gets groomed (which he did on Monday this week), so maybe the brown lumpy thing is just from that. Although I don't know why it would take 2-3 days to show up. I shined a flashlight on it, and the edges are smooth and not raised, although it seems like it's raised in the middle - it's hard to tell but it may be a little reddish in the center. The first thing I thought when I saw it was melanoma, which scared the living crap out of me. He's not even 3 yet!

He wasn't as agreeable about a picture of his lip! He's like "Get that camera out of my face and let me take a nap already!

Anyone have any advice on the brown spot?

Thanks again!
Joanne