i have a 3 yr old boxer that has had a skin problem since we got her. we took her the vets an they prescribed her wit steroids now we have found out that she can not have pups. does any 1 know any other suggestions ?

What skin problem has been diagnosed?

Hi what are the skin problems ....

How have you found out that she can't have pups?

OK I don't know the person or the dog....

But a couple of scenarios spring to mind:-

Demodex mange (mite) can cause skin problems and
once dog is diagnosed with them the vet advise not to breed from
your affected dog as they feel that the mite is hereditary.

Thyroid trouble can cause skin problems and again it's not advised
to breed from any affected animal.

well if it is any of them problems do u know any ways of curing them?

The vet has to do tests:-

For thyroid they have to do a blood test and send it away for analysis.
Once the results come back if they are positive then the dog will be on
medication for the rest of it's life.
Even though medication will sort the condition the dog will not be able to
have puppies as this medical condition is considered hereditary (which means
that it can be passed to puppies).

For Demodex mites they do skin scrapings again they look at the microscopic slides
to see if the mites are present if they are they treat with strong medication over
a prolonged period (some can take 3 months or more).
With this mite as soon as the dog is put under any stress it can get demodex again.
This problem can also be passed to puppies which is why the vets advise not to breed.
Also if it is a bitch then just the pregnancy could cause the demodex to come back again.

the vet said that she can have pups but she may not survive through the pregnancy and the skin problem will be passed on to the pups and sum of the pups may not survive. do u know if that is true?

It all depends what medical condition she has.
Without knowing what the vet has diagnosed as the problem/told you what the problem is
we really don't know.

we dont really know but we know that the vet told we must pay £300 - £600 to take her off the steroids and it still may not be successful. she bites her foot and has gone quite baldy on her back do u know if they are any symptoms of any problems?

Nat why would you wish to breed from a dog with such problems?  ONly the best, most typical healthy specimins shoudl even be considered for breeding.  any time a probeom is found a breeder will rethink their future breeding plans and weed out the problem, not continue with it by breedign from those affected.

The breeding issue shoudl not be something you should or need to consider other than warning the owne5rs of her sire and dam of her problems so they can take appropriate action, and monitor other reltaives to ensure as far is humanly possible that more dogs aren't affected as yours has been.

You shuld be only interested in ensurring the quality of life of your dog.

Hi nat!
Did the vet not give you a Diagnosis?
either way, I know its hard sometimes to take it all in, sometimes you forget to ask questions or dont know the questions to ask then kick yourself later!
   But really you have to get this info 'from the horses mouth' as he/she has seen your dog!
   I wouldnt rely on an 'internet' diagnosis ;)
Perhaps you can simply just phone your vet, and dont feel stupid or a pest doing that, your perfectly entitled and you should if your still left a little confused!
   Once youve done that then of course come back here and your in a better position to work out whats best for your dog, as you have the correct diagnosis and people here who have had the same can give you their experiences :D (no one can (or should!) really diagnose over a computer)
screen.
Best of luck :D

What about going back to your vet, discussing this dog and problems in detail, and requesting to be refered to one of the vet universities/hospitals for furthur tests/advice? I think it would be well worth it for this dog. Its ok asking for opinions here, but at the end of the day this sounds like a medical condition for which you need qualified advice and treatment, and you need to be able to rely on your vet. if you find you have little confidence in the vet you are with now, got to another practice and have a second opinion. You need to trust your vet, and to be honest I feel perhaps you don't have much confidence there. Just remember, whatever the vet gives you to treat the dog, it will take lots of time to work, it won't get right overnight, in some cases with skin conditions it will never be 'right' simply maintained to the comfort of the dog. if you feel the consultation  was difficult to understand , a good vet will be more than happy to talk to you again, explain it all, be that face to face or on the phone. vet nurses are also very good when it comes to giving advice about treating, and would be more than happy to go through how to use the medication with you, and also to explain the condition, and what you can expect the medication to do.

I'm sorry to hear of the problems with your dog, Natalie - if necessary, print out this thread, and take it to your vet, and get the answers.

Personally, if I had a dog that had had problems for three years, I would consider her health to be most important, and breeding from her would be out of the question.

Margot