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Whats up with Bub??

3K views 19 replies 10 participants last post by  Mallory 
#1 ·
Well, yesterday I took the dogs in for their yearly boosters...everything went great, Har did great, Bub did great, they both just did great. Harlie didnt growl at anyone in the waiting room, it was nice to see some progress with her...we did muzzle her though before the vet gave her her shots though, just to be safe. She didnt growl though, she just looked nervous when she had to go on the table...but like I said, she did great! :angel:

But then I asked the vet a question about some thinning hair that Max had on his sides...just two small patches...which I thought was probably just from shedding from the hot weather...he has just turned 1, so I didnt think it would be much to worry about since he is still a baby...well turns out I was wrong...the vet said it can be one of two things...one being Seasonal Flank Alopecia...which is a type of skin/hair disease I guess that will eventually have him bald in those spots...which really sucks if it is that, because there is nothing that they can do for him if it is...really sucks...If it is that, I might ask Vicki (my homeopathic doc.) if she can give him anything, because I know she works with one little girl that has Alopecia and she is really helping her I guess...who knows, maybe it will be safe for dogs. Then the other thing that it could be is a thyroid disorder...:down: All I know is that the doctor said that could be treated with medication. But it just makes me sad...you know, like I try to think "I hope he has this one, its less concerning, or I hope he has this one, he can fix it with medicine..." But I hate thinking that he has either one of these things! So yeah, it really sucks...we made an appointment for him on July 17th to get some tests done, he has to go back then anyways to get his Rabies shot, he cant get his boosters and his Rabies at the same time because he has really bad reactions from shots...he gets hives really really bad...Ok, well I will definatley update you around the 17th on Bubba...I dont know what I hope it will be...I hope its nothing and the vet is wrong...but I doubt I would get that lucky...:bawl:

Has anyone else ever dealt with either of these problems?? Just wondered...I kinda want to know what to expect...will either of these things eventually kill him?? I just really want to know that especially so I can get that thought out of my mind. He is just way too young for me to be worrying about that...ya know? I just love him too much to have to already be worried about losing him. :down:

Thanks guys.

~Melissa
 
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#2 ·
I've seen what you're talking about - on a doberman that comes to where I work to be boarded, and on my friend's doby. The one that comes to where I work has a thyroid condition, since she's been on meds it's actually gotten a bit better. My friend's dobe has been checked twice for thyroid and nothing has shown up yet. So they're at a bit of a loss as to what it is.
We have a boxer at work that's almost 7, she's started to show signs of it now, and we never noticed it before. Figures, she was retired after her last litter (8 months ago) and now she looks terrible because of this skin condition. Everyone that's interested in adopting her asks about it first thing, and so far, no one's taken her home. It's frustrating. We all love her dearly, but it's time for her to live in a house with a bed in front of the fireplace - ya know ?
Anyway -
Sounds like Bub has some other skin issues too, huh ?? Maybe it'll be something simple that'll clear up without too much fuss ? Let's hope.
 
#3 ·
Yeah, Im definatley hoping its nothing, but the vet seemed sure it was one or the other. I dont know, I was talking to Jackie and she said that with the thyroid it should be pretty easy to treat...so thats helpful...

We never thought Max had skin issues...he has never had a flake in his life! I mean, I could sooo see this being Harlie since she flakes like mad, but Max?? I never would have guessed he would be the one to have health problems. Im going to call my doctor (homeopathic) tonite and see what she thinks about the Alopecia, if she knows if she can treat it, or try to...I guess I just get sick even thinking about it, because ever since we learned so much about how to care for these guys the right way, we have tried our best to do it, like with feeding them the healthiest foods and making sure they are getting supplements that they need...Im just bummed. Ya know?

Thanks Sharon...

I hope someone takes the poor Boxer at your work...thats so sad...If Josh would allow me another dog, I would take her...then if Bub did have this, then they would be best buds and be bald together if Bub goes bald. Poor kid!
 
#5 ·
Yeah, Max got hives really bad when he got his shots last year...he has reactions to them. With his last set of puppy shots he got a benedryl shot with it, and it seemed to help a lot...same like yesterday with his boosters, he got a benedryl shot, he had about 3 hives, but nothing to worry about...he goes back on the 17th for testing and his Rabies shot...he will get another Benedryl shot then too. To lessen the chance of him having a bad reaction.

Yeah...Max has never had any problems with flaking...he has always had a gorgeous coat, until he started losing it a little...I mean, its not really that bad, the thinning, but knowing what it is makes it worse. I'll try to get some pictures of it this weekend and post them. It just looks a little darker...his skin is dark where the thinning is. Weird...

Poor Blackie too...that just sucks with the skin problems!
 
#7 ·
I noticed my Doberman losing hair on her sides and back legs this spring too! They cleared up on their own within a week. I thought maybe she had an allergy to something. Today I noticed she's losing hair in those areas again so it looks like we're off to the vet to have a check up.
 
#8 ·
My aunt had a GSD that had a SEVERE thyroid problem. Poor Biegnet (pronounced "BEN-yay" for all people not familiar with the food. ;) ) lost almost all her hair before the vet properly diagnosed it and got her on a medication. Over time, though, her hair grew back and things stayed relatively normal as long as she took her medication.

I hope everything works out for him! :( Keep us posted on his progress (and I'll keep him in my thoughts).

Good luck.
 
#10 ·
One of my dobermans has low thyroid. We give her a little pill morning and night. It is really no big deal. It is much, much worse to let a dog with a low thryoid go on without meds. Since being on meds my dobe lost weight, regained her hair and is a much happier dog.

My other doberman suffers from seasonal alopeica (he's a blue). Funny thing though he tends to go bald in the winter and grow his hair back in the spring. Since we put him on flax seed/borage/fish oil supplements though the alopecia is much less noticeable.
 
#11 ·
I was so shocked when Melissa told me about this. I was with her when thinking that it was just shedding since it's gotten hot. And if not that, then I figured maybe it was just because he always flops down on those spots when he lays down and maybe it was rubbing off hair... But even that wasn't really reasonable because its farther up then his hips are, which is where he'd lay.

I hope that the vet is wrong too Melissa. And if not, I hope that whatever it is, it'll be easy to deal with. Hopefully Vicki will be able to give you some meds to help ease the effects or even reverse them.

Much love to you and my man Max, hugs to both of you as well. :hugg2:
 
#12 ·
Thanks guys. I have been trying to just forget about it until the 17th when we go in for testing. He is a happy dog, so Im not gonna make a big deal about it until I know whats up for sure...though it can be hard sometimes when we are talking to his "grama"...Joshs mom...she loves these guys so much too, and worries about them like crazy, so everytime we get together we are always automatically talking about it. Today we went out to her house with the pooches and played by the pool for a few hours and just had a ton of fun with them...then after dinner we went on an hour walk with them. They loved every second of it. They are now both zonked out on the couch and I think they are out for the nite. Ha ha...I will update all of you when he gets his tests done, and thanks for easing some of my fears. I appreciate it.
~Melissa
 
#15 ·
Just so everyone knows, the vet is supposed to call me tonite after five for the results of Bubs tests.

I did talk to my homeopathic doc and she sells maletonin (sp. ?) that sometimes works in dogs with alopecia, so there is at least a hope for that one. :)

And like many said here before, if its the thyroid, medication will do the trick. So my hopes are up and now its just figuring out which one he has.

I'll post some info as soon as I know.

Thanks guys!
 
#17 ·
Ok, I just got the call this morning, finally...Bubs thyroid is just fine, so thats good. So the vet says it is Alopecia. Its sad that he even has anything, but at the same time, at least he doesnt have a lower quality of life, ya know...I doubt he even knows his hair is a little thinner on the sides...haha. Since it isnt really all that noticable except to me, I am going to wait it out for a bit to see if the hair starts to fall out more, supposedly with Alopecia it hits harder in the fall...and if his hair starts to fall out more and if it gets more noticable, then I will try the maletonin, from my homeopathic doc. but for now, like I said we are just gonna wait and see before we put him on unneeded medicines. So yeah, even though he does have something wrong with him, Im glad it isnt the thyroid, just because its more serious than Alopecia. And plus I think it would be easier to deal with just because it can never be life threatening...just goofy looking, and ya know, he is a goofy dog, so maybe being a hairless Boxer wont be that bad on him. :lol: So there ya go guys. Thanks for all the tips and thoughts when I posted my first paranoid mommy post. I appreciate it!
~Melis & the Bubber
 
#18 ·
I have a blue doberman and it is very common for them to lose their hair. I had him on Walmart brand fish oil capsules (it was a combo of fish oil, borage and flax, $10 or so for 100 capsules) and his coat was looking beautiful and fairly filled in. To see if it was seasonal or the supplement, I took him off the the oils temporarily. He is looking balder now so needless to say I'll be putting him back on the supplement as soon as I can get to Walmart. I was giving him one capsule a day. It is cheap and well worth a try :)
 
#20 ·
Glad to hear it's not life threatening, Melis. :hugg2: I can't imagine your place without crazy Max running around bonkers...

Hope everything goes well with either taking meds or not taking them. Keep me updated, and the rest of PT, we're all rootin' for you and Max. ;)

Love ya.
 
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