Dark/black dry bumps on back

[rockymiller]

My boxer has about a dozen dry dark/black bumps on his back. About the size of a dime at most. He has had them for about 1 week. He has allergies and get frequent yeast infections in his ears. They don't seem to bother him and he doesn't have visible bald spots even after I brushed him but since it is dry he probably has less hair on those spots.

Anyone have any ideas? I love my dog to death and would do anything for him but I do not believe in going to the Vet every time he has a problem. Not only will I have to pay about $50 to see the vet, they usually won't tell me anything until they run a bunch of overly priced tests. Then they will prescribe me some expensive meds. The vet will charge you $50 to look at a lizard???? Don't get me started here.

It doesn't seem to bother him that much but I don't want it to lead to something more serious or be contagious to us.

 

[Caney Creek]

Creek has also always gotten ear infections, and in the past 6 months I've also noticed spots on her back where the skin is dark and flaky, and her skin is dry all over. We've got it cleared up now though -- a trip to the vet last month for bloodwork (T4 test) showed that her thyroid was low, and so the vet increased the dose of her thyroid meds. Her coat has improved so much and her energy level is great after just a few weeks of the higher dose.

I also give her fish oil and vitamin E daily, and that also seems to help with her dry skin.

I also hate going to the vet for every little thing, especially if it's something with an easy solution that you can treat at home, but sometimes you need those expensive tests The chronic ear infections and dry patches you've described are both symptoms of low thyroid, so it would be best to at least rule that out before you start treating it as if it were something else. It's not good to let things like that go untreated. T4 tests aren't always that expensive (at my vet they're $50). Ask your vet for a T4 test and ask to see the results of it. If your dog falls within the "normal" range but is on the low side, ask for thyroid replacement. Some vets will not prescribe anything if the T4 levels fall on the low side of the normal range (really they should be normal to high-normal).

Also ask for a FULL, THOROUGH physical exam. You technically pay for this every time you see the vet (most places it's part of the "office visit") but rarely do you actually get what you pay for It takes a little bit of time, but if you're paying for it anyways you should have them look over every inch of your dog to make sure he's in good condition.