Lab has a lump on his muzzle.

Dr. Marie replied:

Oh, I am sorry to hear that Pumpkin is having these problems.

The most common reason for a bump on the muzzle of a dog is a bacterial tooth root infection. Usually this will cause a swelling underneath one eye.

However, it is really uncommon for a "regular" bacterial infection to cause destruction of the jawbone.

Unfortunately the most common reasons would be fungal or tumor. I have more commonly see a tumor do something like this. However, a mouth tumor in a 2 year old dog would be quite uncommon.

It is also possible that there is some sort of foreign object in the lump that is causing a very nasty bacterial infection. However, if this were the case I would expect to see at least some improvement with Clavamox which is a very good antibiotic for mouth infections.

Whether or not to explore before the biopsy results come in really is a decision you will have to make with your vet. It really depends on how long it is expected to take before the results come in and also whether the disease process is progressing rapidly.

I really hope everything is ok!

Dr. Marie.

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