Boxer Dog Skin worries

stueyc

Hello to all.My boxer dog has developed some sort of skin condition that someone here might be able to explain to me.It started off with jagged black lines down both sides of his body but has now kinda formed a jagged rectangle on both sides of his body with smaller ones closer to his rear.I searched the internet but i cant find anything that closely describes his condition.
Im out of work at the moment so i cant afford to bring him to a vet at present but im worried that this might be a sign of something seriously wrong with him.He doesnt seem bothered with the marks but im sure they are there for some bad reason.Any help at all would be appreciated.
Picture of Robbie attached.

helimachoptor

Get the dog to a vet, if your out of work i'm sure they can arrange a payment plan, it is not fair letting your dog suffer.

star-pants

Perhaps you could try contacting http://bluecross.ie/ as they can sometimes be cheaper or might be able to give advice. Checking with a vet would be a good idea.

dave1982

A friend of mine Boxer got something similar to that only it went black after a while is this new ?.They took him to the vet he put it down to excessive shed.However i can't stress this enough the dog still needs to be seen by a vet just incase it is something different

Dubdude

It sounds like it could be Cyclic follicular dysplasia is also known as seasonal alopecia have a look at this link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canine_follicular_dysplasia

morganafay

Could you ring the vet and ask them? They might say that it doesn't sound serious or they might say he needs whatever treatment. You could try to explain that you are out of work and they might be nice and sell you the treatment but not charge a consultation fee, maybe? I know my vet would do that, but she's really nice and I go to her loads . . .

Dorothy Roxy

My 2yr old boxer developed this in the last month, i brought her to the Blue Cross Mobile Pet Clinic and there was 3 other Boxers there with the same condition. Its called Seasonal Alopecia and according to the vet is very common this time of year particularly in Boxer dogs. Nothing to worry about and the vet said the hair will eventually grow back although it may get worse before it gets better.

stueyc

Seasonal Alopecia is exactly what it is.Thankyou all so much for this info.Im so relieved.My local vet is not the most friendliest of vets so explaining my current financial situation would defo be a no go with her if you get me.
Both myself and my wife were let go from the same company as it closed its doors and fecked off abroad.We have 3 small kids so money is tight.Its not as if i was neglecting my dog for those of you who thought i was.
Thanks again for all the help.

Peter Banks

You can get a product called Phytobalm from Hilton Herbs - small pot is about £12. You massage a small amount into the bald areas every day. It can take up to 3 months for the stubborn bald bits to hair over but it does work.

Contact their advice line and explain the problem - they are very helpful and reply on receipt of your email.

http://www.hiltonherbs.co.uk

P.S. I neither work for the company nor "endorse" their product range. But they are all natural products and I have used them with great effect on my dogs in the past.

Good luck ...

boxercreations

My boxer had this for years and it I spent a fortune and tried every lotion, potion, diet etc to try and find a cure - the local vet had no answer apart from anti-bac shampoos and anti - histamines as he would also scratch himself raw on his belly and I'd end up showering him at 4 am to try and let us all get some sleep.
They did routine diabetes tests as well but it was never an issue.
After a couple of years the actual itching and rawness abated but he always had hair loss - I tried a herbalist once but it caused nothing but huge bouts of vomiting and temporary leg paralysis.
Eventually I gave up and let him be. He also shed all year round but he was an indoor dog.
Parallel hair loss can be a sign of diabetes - which was my initial worry.

Wisco

Hair loss can also be a sign of hypothyroidism in dogs- boxers seem to be a bit predisposed to this so keep in mind extra blood tests might be needed if it doesn't turn out to be seasonal alopecia. If there are any changes in energy levels or heat seeking behaviour (eg, loves the fire, radiators, etc) I'd go to the vet.