boxer dog: coat discolouration

Question
QUESTION: I have a small reddish coloured male boxer, at his flank (waist) both sides there are patches that are becomming discoloured-darker than the rest-there is no hair loss to date- this has been going on for a few months ?

ANSWER: Ian,
It is not unusual for boxers coat color to be uneven or different color tones. Rarely will the color be the same color throughout the coat. The older the boxer gets the more noticeable it will become. You will see more of this in the springtime as they will shed more and reveal the uneven coat colors. If no hair loss, lumps or bumps are present you shouldn't worry about it.Thank you for your question,
Sincerely,
Angela Donald
40 Year Veteran Boxer Owner,Breeder & Exhibitor
http://www.hitowerboxers.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: sincere thanks for the encouraging reply, however this discolouration is recent he's about 4.5 years old and it's only just begun -looks like ''water stains''except darker - he's been neutered on the advice of our vet due to the bumps n lumps issue with boxers and there are no signs of anything sinister and he's in good health otherwise- takes great pleasure in attacking my feet if I'm not wearing shoes- in a playful way of course

Answer
Ian,
Your boxer is at the right age to start showing the uneven coat color or discoloration spots.The older the boxer gets the more noticeable or you will notice it for the first time. Does it look like its on the skin and not the coat ? Boxers do have black spots on their skin similar looking to a dalmatian's spots and the spots become more noticeable as the dog ages.  You will start to notice graying or more white in the boxers muzzle as well if the black mask is fairly predominant on your dog. One way to look at it is like humans who get age spots so does your boxer. Are you sure he hasn't gotten into anything ? Maybe a trip to the vet could ease your mind as well. Since I can't see exactly what your talking about, feel free to send me a picture of this and I'll be glad to tell you what I think it is or isn't based on the picture. But at this point I do not think it is anything serious.  
Sincerely,
Angela