# Pink spot in lips



## SyncMaster (Mar 12, 2017)

I accidentally found a pink spot on Bourbon's lips.









https://ibb.co/npB7ga









https://ibb.co/ki6JnF

Is it normal for puppies to get such pink spot in their lips? Could this be Lip Fold Pyoderma? He eats from a stainless steel bowl. Recently we started using a muzzle, as he tries to eat grass and other things when we take him to park. Could that be the reason for the pink spot? 

Thanks for your suggestions!


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## Nate83 (Jul 13, 2017)

It could be she is just licking that spot to much. Athena had the same thing from licking to much. A puppy should never have to be muzzled, eating grass is normal, if there is one thing i have noticed with Angel is she needs something in her mouth.


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## aesthetic (Apr 23, 2015)

Nate83 said:


> It could be she is just licking that spot to much. Athena had the same thing from licking to much. A puppy should never have to be muzzled, eating grass is normal, if there is one thing i have noticed with Angel is she needs something in her mouth.


It's a good thing to get them accustomed to a muzzle if anything else. A muzzle does not always mean that a dog is aggressive or dangerous.

OP - I don't know what that is, it could just be loss of pigment from rubbing on something. But I'd get it checked at a vet if you are concerned.


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## Eclipse (Apr 21, 2014)

Could just be cosmetic. Penny had a slight bit of pink on her nose as a puppy and little bits of pink on her paw pads (side affect of white markings in her case). The pink faded as she aged.


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## SyncMaster (Mar 12, 2017)

Thanks for your replies. I will keep a watch on the pink spot!

Yeah the reason for the muzzle is to get him accustomed to it. He recently got sick and was in ICU for a day because of some intestinal infection (don't know why). We have a school park close by and we take him there everyday. He plays fetch and runs chasing us. As it is a public park where lot of folks come, I have occasionally seen things like Chicken bone, water bottle caps etc. So want to be safe than sorry.


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## SyncMaster (Mar 12, 2017)

I was able to get a better picture of his Pink spot.










https://ibb.co/jY92Ev

I haven't seen him licking his pink spot excessively. Could this be some kind of infection? I have a vet appointment in three days. Is there some ointment / preventive measure that I should take so that it doesn't spread.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

This looks really frazzled if not infected.

I'd see a vet regarding the irritation and leave the muzzle off. No golden retriever should wear a muzzle. It's normal for dogs to eat grass. If you don't want your dog to eat grass - keep the leash on and keep him moving. 

When I see dogs with muzzles on, I assume they are aggressive.


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

Looks like it could be chafing/ abrasion from the muzzle. What type of muzzle are you using? You may need to consider one that is a better/different fit?

I know there is a lot of stigma attached to a dog wearing a muzzle, but there is no harm in teaching a dog to wear one. There may come a time a dog will need to be muzzled for the safety of others, such as to medical treatment for injury at the vet, a dog that is injured and/or scared is at an increased risk of biting out of 'reflex' due to the pain or fear.

Hopefully you are also working on teaching him the skills - recall, 'take it', 'leave it', 'drop it' he needs so that in the future he will no longer need one.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Just gotta say - my goldens will never need to be muzzled. Mine will not bite. I can trust them. 

The type of dogs golden retrievers are... one of my prior dogs had an eyelid nicked while playfighting with another dog. He was scared and in pain and came crying and yelping to me and got in my lap for comfort. This is the type of dog that golden retrievers are. They should not be hard dogs who are prone to aggressive or fear defensive behavior towards people. 

And if they bite - it is not their fault. It is mine. 

That was the case with the golden who bit me when he was on death's door. I'd handled him in such a way that he snapped. As soon as I got home from the hospital where I'd gotten my mouth stitched up, I tracked him down and hugged him just to make sure my family knew that they were not to blame him. And he did not bite me that time or ever again. 

You might need to muzzle other breeds, yes. Mixed breeds - yes.

But not golden retrievers. 

Again any dog I see wearing muzzles - I think they are aggressive and should NOT be off leash.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

I also don't really believe a Golden should be muzzled to make up for your lack of training. Teach your dog not to pick up stuff off the street (yes, it takes about six months to a year of consistent training while on walks). Muzzling is the easy way out for you, but not very nice for him. Eating grass is also totally normal, not something he should be muzzled for.


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

It is a FACT: all dogs CAN bite regardless of breed. We can pretend that just because we have X breed of dog it will _never _bite, but we shouldn't turn a blind eye to the fact that they 'can' and 'may' under the 'right' circumstance. Most dogs, regardless of breed, never feel the need to bite under normal circumstances, in day to day life, but for those that are injured, in pain, sick, anxious or scared, in distress, realistically, statistically, there is an increased possibility. 

Muzzling Debate: What?s the Problem with Keeping Pets and People Safer at the Vet?s? - VetzInsight - VIN

My dogs are muzzle trained, yes, even my golden, not 'because' they have bitten or 'because' I think they 'will', but because I understand that they _can _and _may _under extreme circumstances. An ounce of 'prevention'....

Apologies to the OP for taking your thread off track, I hope you are able to resolve your concerns about Bourbon.


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## SyncMaster (Mar 12, 2017)

Thanks for all the replies!



> What type of muzzle are you using? You may need to consider one that is a better/different fit?


We have this one.  Baskerville 5-Inch Rubber Ultra Muzzle. Do you have any suggestions on it?



> Teach your dog not to pick up stuff off the street (yes, it takes about six months to a year of consistent training while on walks). Muzzling is the easy way out for you, but not very nice for him. Eating grass is also totally normal, not something he should be muzzled for


Yeah muzzle is an easy way out and I totally get your point. We are in the process of teaching him "leave it" and "drop it". Today morning when I took him to park, I did not put muzzle on him. He was off-leash playing fetch for some time. Here are few things he grabbed today. 

A piece of plastic pipe
Cap of a water bottle
Grass with root / mud
Someone had thrown left over food in the park  and he went for it

I wonder how he exactly goes to things that are not good for him (except grass). In most cases I was close to him. So I was able to ask him to drop by giving a treat / take it out from his mouth. 

Some reasons why I take him to this park. It is very close to my home. This park is a fenced one and I don't have to worry about him running to the road. It is not a dog park. So not many dogs come here. The park has kids play area and he can explore different things. 

Here is my understanding of using a muzzle. As he is a puppy, he likes to explore and grab various things. By using a muzzle for a couple of months he will get over it. Is this not true?

I honestly don't want to put a muzzle on him. Please let me know how I can correct myself and train him better.

Here are some videos of him.
Playing fetch 1
Basic Commands
Playing fetch 2


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Keep him on leash until he understands "leave it".

If he goes to grab stuff - pull him away and tell him "no". 

Before he gets to be off leash - you need to be able to tell him "no, leave it" and have him immediately avoid the item on the ground.

Don't be mean, but be firm.

Freedom off leash is earned.

***If you keep putting junk on your dog's face, you'll probably have scarring if not a severe staph infection going on there.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

SyncMaster said:


> Yeah muzzle is an easy way out and I totally get your point. We are in the process of teaching him "leave it" and "drop it". Today morning when I took him to park, I did not put muzzle on him. He was off-leash playing fetch for some time. Here are few things he grabbed today.
> 
> A piece of plastic pipe
> Cap of a water bottle
> ...


No, not true. Because you're not teaching him anything. I would stick to what you are doing without the muzzle. Definitely watch the ground like a hawk with him - and keep him on leash. Trading for treats is great - but be prepared to sometimes grab stuff out of his mouth (gently, but firmly). Be prepared for some grossness. I once pulled POO out of my dog's mouth (didn't realize what it was til it was too late). It really is worth the work. Leave it and Drop it can save their lives. You can do it - many of us have. As I said, it won't come easy - it will take patience, time, and consistency.

PS All the stuff he grabbed is totally normal for a Golden puppy!!


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