My 7 year old boxer has developed bald patches mostly on her back. They are not itchy or sore. Has anyone else ever had this problem? Its not causing her any distress just looks a mess.

Thyroid problems?

hi there i also own a boxer cassey is 11 now she has thyroid problems since she was about 6/7 years old she also suffers from seasonal alepecia, sometimes the fur grows in and sometimes it does'nt but this last year it has stayed out and not grown back in also the fur has changed from a  nice bridle to a very dark all over chocolate colourthe area that no longer has fur on it is really tough and leathery feeling i hope this help's sandra

Would that make her put on weight as well?

Yes hypothyroidism can make them gain weight,
but not all have all of the classic symptoms for hypothyroidism.

Typically it can cause hairloss, weight gain, lethargy, feels the cold etc.

well she's got the hair loss, weight gain and lethargy so sounds like thats what it is. Would she need medication from the vet or can i give her anything myself?

She'd have to go back to the vet, there they will take a blood test to see the levels (TSH & T4)
and this will indicate what doseage that she will need.

It's important that if you suspect this (Hypo-T) that you don't delay seeing the vet as I have known someone
lose their dog as hypo-t wasn't diagnosed and they lost her because it eventually affected her heart.
(The Thyroid gland plays an important role within the body and affects more things than you realise)

Once diagnosed they will prescribe medication which are prescription only medications (eg Soloxine).
It might take a little while to get the doseage right so expect a couple more blood tests to be taken.
But one they are on the right dose they bounce back, more energy, no hair loss and get their waistlines back.
Once levels are stablised then it's only a blood test once a year unless symptoms change i.e. symptoms coming back
change in skin/coat condition  - can indicate that they need a higher dose
or going too thin - going lots thinner than normal can indicate the medication levels are too high.
But once diagnosed as having hypothyroidism they need medication for the rest of their lives.
Having it shouldn't mean that they don't have longevity - had a friend whose Boxer had hypo-t and they got to double figures.
I also had a hypo-t Boxer which got to double figures too.

My Friend had two unrelated dobes with it, and they both lived to 13 plus, in fact longer than her healthy ones.

Neutered animals are more prone to developing Hypo T.

thanks everybody for your help will book her in at vets asap

hair loss problems? try to use Leimo Products...its proven safe and effective..

Reported!

My friends Boxer had the same thing loss of hair. Turned out to be thyroid as well, now she's on steriods to help and her fur is slowly growing back in- she's 7yrs old I believe.

Hi wiganlass, what was the out come for your girl? was it Hypo-t?

Our old boxer had bald "stripes" on her sides ... later on she developed cushings. Good luck x

Sorry not been on for a while. Took her to the vet and she had the blood tests for thyroid. Rang vet a week later and was told that the thyroid test had shown no problems so they still don't know what it is. Vet advised us not to put her through loads of tests at the moment but if we had any concerns in the future to take her back.