Skin Tags on Dogs, Eyes, Legs, Face, Growths, Pictures, Causes, Removal & Home Remedies

Skin tags on dogs are not unusual. If your dog has soft movable hanging growths on its skin, especially around the eyes, on legs or on face, they could be skin tags. But what exactly are skin tags on dogs and what causes them? There are many important facts about skin tags on dogs, including their pictures, and how to remove and prevent them.

Table of Contents

What Are Skin Tags on Dogs

Skin tags on dogs are extra fleshy tissues that hang off the skin. They are usually soft and flexible growths usually with an irregular shape. Often, they are attached to the skin by a narrower tissue part called the stalk of the skin tag. Skin tags on Dogs are made up of loose collagen tissues that have blood vessels for blood supply.

Areas Affected By Skin Tag on Dogs

Skin tags on dogs can appear on any part of the body. However, there are areas of the dog’s skin that tend to develop skin tags more often. Skin tags on dogs are common on the head, on the face, around eyes, around the mouth and on ears. They may also be found on the dog’s belly (stomach), on the chest, and on legs.

Facts About Skin Tags on Dogs

1. What Do skin tags on Dogs Look Like?

Generally, skin tags look like flappy extra pieces of skins that hang from the dog’s skin and are attached to it via a narrower part. They may look different on different dogs.

Ski tags on dogs vary in size. Whereas some are large others are small or tiny. Their colors also vary, although most of them take the color of the surrounding skin. Pink and dark brown are the other common colors of skin tags on dogs.

Skin tags may easily be confused with other skin growths such as warts on dogs, because they look similar. So, in case you are not sure about the growth on your dog’s skin, consult a veterinarian for clarifications. We have inserted descriptive pictures at various sections of this post to help you identify skin tags on dogs.

2. Are skin tags on dogs harmful?

Generally, skin tags are harmless extra growths on the dog’s skin. However, some skin tags may get infected and hence pose a health threat to your dog. Therefore, always let the skin tags be checked by a veterinary to ensure they are safe or have them treated if not.

3. Are Skin Tags on Dogs Cancerous?

Skin tags on dogs are simply extra skins hanging from the dog’s skin. However, in very rare cases, a growth like a skin tag on dogs may actually be a cancerous growth. In such cases, the skin tag or growth is usually accompanied by typical characteristics that point out to such a condition. These signs and symptoms are outlined in a later section of this post

4. Are Skin tags on Dogs the same as Warts on Dogs?

No. Whereas skin tags on dogs are simply extra skin growths that are not directly caused by any infection, warts on dogs are caused by infectious DNA viruses. Hence, skin tags cannot spread from one dog to another but warts can. Also, unlike warts, skin tags are not attached to the skin by a thin stalk and do not grow back once removed.

5. Are Skin tags on Dogs Contentious?

No, they are not contentious. Skin tags cannot be passed from one dog to another or to human beings. Many dogs in the same area may develop skin tags but the cause can be attributed to environmental factors but not infection from other dogs or animals. However, if the skin tags are infected, the infection can be spread to other dogs by contact but not the skin tags themselves.

6. Do Skin Tags Recur After Removal

No skin tags do not recur. There is a common misconception that if skin tags are removed, they may grow back or more may develop as a result. However, in case other skin tags develop, the cause should not be attributed to the removal of the previous ones but rather other factors.

What Causes Skin Tags on Dogs

According to veterinarians, the exact cause of skin tags in dogs is not known, just like in human beings. However, theoretical explanations indicate that skin tags in humans are caused by irritation due to friction or skin infections, diseases such as diabetes, and hormonal imbalance (especially during pregnancy).

According to the theories, skin tags basically develop in response to skin problems, when the body attempts to protect or repair the skin. Probably, the causes of skin tags in humans also play a role in animals, in this case dogs but they can’t be similar in every way. Experts of animal skin problems have tried to identify a number of the possible causes of skin tags on dogs. These include:

1. Environmental Factors

Environmental factors can lead to the development of skin tags on dogs. The environment of your dogs may contain chemical substances such as pesticides and detergents, which may be harmful to your dogs. The soil on which the dogs play may be naturally contain harmful substances, for example acidic soils.

As your dog plays, lies or strolls around the home, these chemicals may come into contact with its skin and penetrate it. As a result, the skin may become inflamed, irritating and itchy. The inflammation and the scratching from the dog may lead to the development of skin tags on the affected area.

2. Poor Hygiene

Poor hygiene may lead to diseases and conditions that may weaken the immune system of the dogs. A weakened immune make the dogs susceptible to skin infections. In case the dog develops skin infections, the skin may become itchy, irritated and inflamed. Skin tags may develop in the affected areas as the dog’s body respond to protect the affected skin areas.

3. Parasite Infestation

It is common for dogs to be infested with parasites that live on their bodies. The common parasites that may live on our dog include fleas, ticks, lice, and mites. Usually, these parasites attach themselves to the skin of the dog, causing irritation, itchy sensation or other discomforts.

Naturally, the dog will attempt to scratch it body either to remove the parasites or relieve the itchy skin. This causes the dogs skin to become inflamed. Consequently, the skin becomes susceptible infections like bacteria.

Now, the infections, inflammation and frequent friction due to the scratching by the dog usually leads to the development of skin tags dogs.

4. Hereditary Factors

Like many other skin conditions, skin tags on dogs may be a genetically inherited problem. When this is the case, skin tags will be on most of the dogs from the same breeding line.

Unfortunately, there is not much you can do to stop the skin tags from occurring. However, you can minimize this occurrence by taking the preventive measures that are discussed in a later section of this post.

Alternatively, you can have the skin tags removed by a veterinary officer once they appear on your dogs. This is to ensure that they do not cause any problem to your dog, for example becoming injured and causing bacterial infections.

5. Poor Nutrition

Poor nutrition in dogs is usually as a result of poor diet. However, your dog may feed in good diet but still end up with poor nutrition because of other factors such as diseases and internal parasites.

Like in any organism, poor nutrition in dogs normally leads to a weakened immune system. In turn, the weak immune system causes a breakout of skin conditions and diseases such as cracks and rashes.

Some of these skin problems may lead to many other conditions including inflation, irritation, and growth of skin tags.

6. Tight fitting Collar

In case your dog has a collar around its neck, it could be the cause of skin tags on the neck of the dog. Collars on dogs do not usually cause skin tags if they are properly fitting and in good condition.

However, if the collars are close-fitting or are worn out, they may cause development of skin tags on dogs. Usually, close-fitting collars continually rub against the dog’s skin, making it become inflamed. Similarly, a worn out collar which may be properly fitting may have irregular edges that may rub or rip the dog’s skin as it moves.

The inflammation and injuries caused by a bad collar may lead to the development of skin tags as the skin cells attempt to repair and protect the skin.

7. Skin Care Products

Some of the skin care products applied on the dog’s skin may be the cause for the development of skin tags on dogs. In addition, the soaps and shampoos that are used to bathe the dogs may, too, trigger skin tags to grow. Bad skin products either carry away the natural protective oil on the dog’s skin or cause the skin to get chafed.

Some of these skin care products may have harmful chemicals that may irritate the dog’s skin. Others inhibit the natural production of oils that help keep the skin healthy. As a result, the skin becomes dry and may also crack. This may lead to infections or inflammation that may, in turn, lead to the development of skin tags on the dogs’ skin.

8. Poor Bathing Practices

Naturally, dogs need to be bathed to keep them clean and to prevent infection. However, the bathing should be done at proper intervals to avoid infections or irritation of the dog’s skin. But how often should dogs be bathed?

If you keep washing your dog from time to time or as soon as it becomes dirty, the dog’s skin may become irritated. In addition, the regular washing is likely to wash away the oils that keep the dog’s skin moisturized and healthy. As a result, the skin becomes dry and may crack, leading to either infections or inflammation on the dog’s skin.

Similarly, if you take too long to bath your dogs, they may develop skin infections or be infested with parasites, besides being smelly and repulsive. The infections or parasites may lead to the inflammation of the skin and hence the possible development of skin tags.

Experts suggest that dogs need to be bathed once per month. However, the frequency of washing and grooming your dog actually depends on the breed and how active your dog is. But if you have to wash your dogs more frequently, then be even more cautious about the soaps and shampoos you use to mitigate the effects that may result in the development of skin tags.

9. Old Age

Just like in human beings, skin tags on dogs can develop due to aging. Usually, skin tags that result from aging develop in older dogs, especially in the eye, muzzle or underarms. As the dog ages, there are several physiological changes that take place, including having a weaker immune system. These changes could be the cause of skin tags in aged dogs.

Diagnosis of Skin Tags in Dogs

Usually, flappy growths on the skin of dogs are harmless skin tags. However, you should not assume that any such growth on the skin of your dog is a harmless skin tag. In some cases, growths on dog’s skin may be an indication of a more serious skin problem like cancer.

If you are not sure about the growth on your dog’s skin, call a veterinarian to come and investigate it and even carry out tests to determine what it is. Growths on dogs that indicate a more serious problem usually have some unusual characteristics. The signs and symptoms that a growth on dog’s skin may be cancerous include:

The growth causes itching sensation
The growth becomes irritated and inflamed without physical injury
There are ulcer-like lesions on the growth
The skin tag is rapidly growing bigger.
The growth has a different pigment color than the skin
The growth starts changing colors, especially turning black
There is thickening around the base of the of the growth
The growth or the skin around the growth becomes painful
The growth has a rough and different texture from the skin around it
A growth that is bleeding even without any physical injury

In case one or more of the signs and symptoms feature on a growth on your dog, it may not be just a skin tag. Therefore, get the growth checked by a veterinarian, even if it has the typical characteristics of a skin tag.

Should You Remove Skin Tags on Dogs

Usually, it is not necessary to remove skin tags on dogs. However, there are cases when the skin tags have to be removed because they are a nuisance or they are posing health problems to the dog. Some of the reasons why you might have to remove skin tags on dogs include:

The skin tags have cancerous characteristics such as bleeding, being painful of itchy
The skin tags are too big and hence cause discomfort to the dog and the owner, for example during grooming and bathing.
They get nudged by objects or the washing cloth or the collar if the dog has it. When this happens, the skin tag may become painful. Worse still, the injured skin tag may get infected and affect your dog
The skin looks ugly or makes the dog look unsightly. In this case, you may need to remove the skin tag just to make your dog appear appealing to you and other people. Human beings naturally value the good appearance of everything in general.

How to Remove Skin Tags on Dogs

The method used to remove skin tags depends on the size and shape of the skin tag. Preferably, removal of skin tags on dogs should be conducted by a qualified veterinarian.

As an expert, a veterinarian will be better placed to carry out the procedure professionally and avoid mistakes and accidents that may harm your dog. Besides, the veterinarian may discover other issues that may be associated with the skin tags, including infection and proper identification. The common methods used to remove skin tags by veterinarians include:

Cutting off skin tags on Dogs

Cutting of skin tags is a minor surgical procedure that involves excision of the skin tags. The skin tags may be shaved using a pair of scissors or a scalpel. Whichever tool is used, it should be sterilized before the procedure.

To minimize pain, you may need to use a local anesthesia, which may be applied topically by injection before the procedure. It is highly recommended that this procedure is carried out by a veterinarian to avoid any problem.

The skin tag removal site should be kept clean covered with a bandage until it heals to avoid infection. Usually, the dog is fitted with a collar cone to prevent it from licking the wound.

Tying off skin tags on Dogs

Tying off skin tags is also known as ligation. As the name suggests, this procedure involves tying the base of the skin tag with an appropriate string. Usually, the dog is then fitted with a collar cone to prevent it from licking the site.

When tied, the skin tag will begin receiving insufficient blood to keep it alive. As a result, it will gradually shrivel and fall off after some time.

Freezing off Skin Tags on Dogs

Also known as cryosurgery, freezing off skin tags involves subjecting the skin tags to extremely cold conditions to destroy them. Usually, liquid nitrogen gas is used as the freezing substance in the procedure.

After the treatment, the skin tag will gradually shrink and later fall off. Proper aftercare is necessary to avoid the infection of the skin tag site. In addition, the dog should be fitted with a collar cone to stop it from licking the lesion.

Burning off skin tags on Dogs

Burning off skin tags is a procedure that involves subjecting the skin tag to heat in order to destroy it. To reduce pain, you may need to use an anesthesia which may be applied topically or by injection.

Burning off the skin tags damages the tissues and blood vessels leading to the skin tags. As a result, the skin tag will turn black, shrink and eventually fall off in about two weeks after the treatment. In some cases, burning off skin tags may involve removing them completely during the procedure.

After the procedure, the area is covered with a bandage and it is then fitted with a collar cone prevent it from leaking the wound left after the skin tag removal.

This procedure may cause irritation and inflammation to the site of skin tags and the surrounding area. Therefore, this method of removing skin tags from dogs is not recommended, unless there is proper aftercare to avoid infections after removal.

Home Remedies for Skin Tags

In case you want to remove the skin tags a home, you will have to use some of the methods already mentioned earlier in this post. However, make sure you have positively identified the growths on your dog as skin tags.

1. Cutting off the Skin Tag with Scissors

This a fast but a bit painful procedure for removing skin tags on dogs at home. You need the following items for this procedure:

A sterilized scissors
Disposable razor.
Surgical tape
Cotton balls
Rubbing alcohol
Some bandages
Some baking flour
Antiseptic cream or iodine solution

Procedure

Shave the area around the skin tag and then using a disposable razor
Clean area with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol
Using a pair of tweezers, hold the skin tag to the side.
Now cut the skin tag at the base of the stem and close to the skin level with a pair of
Apply some antiseptic cream or iodine over the wound and the area around it
Apply some flour to the wound to reduce the bleeding
Now wrap a bandage over the wound and secure it with a tape

Monitor the healing process of the wound, ensuring that it is always kept clean. You may need to replace the bandage with a fresh once a day to prevent infections.

2. Tying off the Skin Tags with a Dental Floss.

This is a safer and less painful procedure of removing skin tag o dogs at home. You need the following items for this procedure:

Disposable Razor
Dental Floss
Rubbing Alcohol
Cotton Balls
Cone Collar

Procedure

Shave the area around the skin tag and then using a disposable razor
Clean area with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol
Tie the base of skin tag with the dental floss, ensuring it is very tight. The dog might experience some pain as you tighten but this will subside and stop shortly after tying.
Now place the cone collar over your pet to stop it from licking or the skin tag as it as this may cause irritation or infection

Monitor the progress of this procedure to just ensure nothing goes wrong. Keep the skin tag are clean. As time goes by, the skin tag will gradually shrink, die and eventually fall off.

How to Prevent Skin Tags on Dogs

You can prevent them by managing the factors that cause them, apart from factors that cannot be controlled such as old age and genetic inheritance. Without prevention measures, other skin tags may grow even after removing the existing ones. Some of the measures that you may take to prevent the development or recurrence of skin tags on your dogs include:

Proper skin care products: Use only recommended good quality skincare products to avoid irritation and inflammation of your dog’s skin
Good bathing Practices: Avoid bathing your dogs too often or too scarcely. Develop a regular plan for bathing your dog which should be about once per month.
Good hygiene: Maintain proper hygiene for your dogs, especially the food, their body and the environment in which the dogs stay or play.
Appropriate collar: In case your use collars on your dogs, ensure that the collars are properly fitting and not worn out. This prevents irritating the skin around the collar.
Healthy Environment: Ensure that your dog stays or plays in a good environment without harmful substances and products. You decide to limit the movement of the dogs to keep it away from an environment that may pose health threats to them
Proper nutrition: Make sure that your dog gets proper nutrition. Feed it with a good quality balanced diet. In case the dog suffers from ailments such as stomach problems, which may hinder proper absorption of nutrients, have it treated immediately.
Protection against parasites: Consistently and periodically spray your dogs to kill and prevent external parasites on its skin. It is also good practice to regularly monitor the skin of your dogs, just in case there are parasites on it. Since external parasites like fleas, ticks, and mites can be easily spread by other dogs and animals, limit the interaction of your dogs with other dogs and animals, especially wild animals.