Mothers boxer has skin problem

Question
Hello, My mother just recently went in to the hospital and I'm in charge of her boxer. He's 7-8 years old and seems to have a skin/hair problem. My mother takes him to the vet but all they seem to do is give him cortisone shots to prevent him from biting/scratching the area. It looks as though he's loosing his fur in different spots along his back. My concern is that this might be a mild form of mange and the vet she takes him to is doing nothing to help the poor dog. He also has a really dry nose but I already found out how to take care of it thanks to this site. Any advice you can give would be really helpful, thanks in advance.

Answer
Hi Patricia,

I'm sorry about your mother.

There are many things that could cause hair loss.  Hypothyroidism is a very common condition in a Boxer of that age, mange is a possibility, a nutritional problem, stress, allergies, the winter weather (if you're in an area where the furnace is running more often than not these days) could all be factors, as well.  

Without knowing the vet's diagnosis, it's hard to say if the cortisone shots are the best approach.  If you think the vet is simply treating the symptoms rather than trying to get to the root of the problem, then a second opinion from an unassociated vet is probably the best option.  

In the interim, some things you can try to ease his itching are a cool (not cold) bath with natural dog-specific oatmeal shampoo - don't bathe too frequently, though, as this dries out the skin which will just exacerbate the problem - once a month at most; a rinse of 50% water/50% apple cider vinegar (unpasteurized, with the "mother" floating in it - you can get this at health food stores); fish oil supplements (about 1,000 mg per day - you need to give Vitamin E, 400 IU per day, concurrently); or switch him to a grain-free diet (which has, in my experience, given the consistently best results for itchy dogs).

You could also try giving Benadryl rather than the cortisone injections; typical dosage is 1 mg/lb, but check with the vet in case of underlying issues or interactions.  While long-term Benadryl use is not desirable, it can be less problematic than long-term steroid use.

Good luck!

~Jennifer