Is this breed related?

Question
Hello Jennifer,

I just moved in with a new roommate who has a Boxer puppy. This question is not directly medically related, but are skin problems common in Boxers? Just curious because her dog has red patches with fur missing. It doesn't have open sores and isn't itching at all thougha. The dog doesn't seem to be suffering or in dire need of any kind of medical attention, it just looks horrible. She does plan on taking the dog to the vet, but I am curious about your thoughts on this. Any information you can give will be helpful.

Thank you,
Sheila  

Answer
No, it's not just Boxers.  Skin problems might have a genetic link in any breed, to the bloodlines the dog is from, the parents have bad skin, gets mange, or allergies, offspring might too.  Most breeders won't breed a dog that has skin problems, so it won't be passed on.

She should take him to the vet for a diagnosis.  I don't know, from what you said my guess is most likely Demodectic mange, usually older puppies is a common time to develop this, you see hair missing around the eyes, the corners of the mouth, and in a generalized case patches all over the body.  If Demodex is the case, it won't hurt you, but usually needs a vets prescription.  It may be a fungus like ringworm, who knows, but those patches are usually scaly and red.  Maybe it could also be allergies, in which case you'd want to find an all-natural food that is good for allergies, check ratings on www.dogfoodanalysis.com Feeding a dog junk food won't help anything.