The Papilloma Chronicles

Warning: This post is not for the faint of heart.

Alex and I and Lucy's tongue have been through a lot over the past few months. It all started about six months ago, when we noticed a little white, raised bump on Lucy's tongue. As the weeks wore on, the bump started getting bigger. So then we got worried and took her to the vet for that and some unrelated issues. The vet gave us the diagnosis: PAPILLOMA. Does that word send shivers down your spine? Here is the tongue at about the time of the vet visit.

So I went back to my virology notes, because I had supposedly learned all about papillomas, and (re)learned that:
1) Papilloma viruses are small, double-stranded DNA viruses of the Papovaviridae family.
2) Dogs have 3 distinct papilloma viruses. (Humans win with >20 and cattle have 6. Rabbits have 2.)
3) The different papilloma viruses often have considerable species, site and histologic specificity (no worries of that ugly thing spreading to me!)
4) The virus is transmitted by direct contact, fomites, and possibly insects.
5) Good news: infectious papillomatosis is a self-limiting disease (she will fight it off on her own)
6) Bad news: it is infectious (Lola can get it)
7) Good news: If Lola hasn't gotten it by now, she probably won't.
8) Bad news: Infrequently, viral papillomas in dogs may progress to invasive squamous cell carcinomas (cancer).

So the vet prescribed Azithromycin, which is an antibiotic, so it shouldn't do anything against viruses, right? In the doctor's defense, there is some anecdotal evidence that this might be helpful in cases of papillomas. But not in our case. It continued to grow and grow... and then this happened:

First of all, to explain the color of Lucy's mouth: we took the picture because we got home one day and Lucy and Lola had both eaten a few of our red styrofoam apple Christmas tree decorations and their mouths were ridiculously pink. Since we are very observant animal owners, we didn't actually notice it until a while later, but LOOK:

 

WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!? That's right, folks, The Papilloma is taking over Lucy's mouth, threatening to occlude her airway and snuff out her last breath!!! Something had to be done and soon. So, we scheduled an appointment with the dermatologist. We would fight The Papilloma to the end. 

Dermatology didn't get the memo that this was obviously a life-threatening situation for poor Lucy and they were taking their two week Christmas break so we had to wait. About a week later, The Papilloma was gone, including his little friends in the back. Her immune system had finally stepped up to the plate and kicked out the invaders. Yay for immune systems! So now our life is much more boring, Lucy doesn't wonder what that weird bump on her tongue is, and we didn't have to pay the dermatologist. Life is good.