Hi
“Skin tags” are common growths in dogs but this is a descriptive term based purely on the appearance of the growths. Whereas the majority are benign and rarely cause a dog any problem they can occasionally be more serious skin tumours. Very often we cannot be sure what the implications of these growths are without doing a biopsy and in most cased we do an “excisional biopsy” where the whole growth is removed at the same time.
It’s important at this stage to make mention of the fact that Boxers have a high predisposition to tumours of all types. That includes malignant and benign growths. We certainly see a lot of skin tag growths on Boxers and the vast majority are benign. So the “underlying issue” here is not necessarily a more serious problem, just that he is a Boxer.
If the growths aren’t causing any problem (getting caught on things, being chewed, etc) we will often opt to just leave them alone. Of course some may give us some reason that they should be removed and it’s usually a reasonably simple exercise to do so.
His worn teeth will most probably not be a problem. He’s obviously led a “rough” life. But he has a good nature and that’s the most important issue.
I hope I’ve been of reassurance. Please contact me back if I can assist further.
Kindest regards, XXXXX
Dog Veterinarian
Bachelor of Veterinary Science (University of Melbourne, Australia)