Health Issues

Heath Issues in Boxers

Boxers suffer from several health issues. For the most part, these health issues can be treated if caught early enough. The breeders test for most of these on the parents of the puppies. There are health tests for these health issues, you should visit your veterinarian to perform yearly tests and talk over health issues of your boxer. Studies on these health issues are being performed by certain Universities and funded by the American Boxer Charitable Foundation and the AKC Canine Health Foundation.

Cancer

Boxers are at risk of various cancers. They are brain, thyroid, mammary glands, testes, heart, spleen, blood, lymph system (lymphoma), and other organs. Benign skin tumors usually respond to surgical removal under local anesthesia. Malignant forms of cancer need specific treatment. Being observant to any unusual worth on your boxer goes a long way to prevention and treatment on time.

Heart Disease

Aortic Stenosis (AS) is a narrowing at the aortic valve of the heart. The aortic valve is the valve through which blood leaves the heart, traveling to the rest of the body. When this valve is narrowed, the heart (and specifically the left ventricle, which is the chamber that pumps blood through the aorta) must work harder to force blood out through the valve. In many cases, affected dogs do not show any signs. AS is detected on a routine physical examination, when the veterinarian notices a heart murmur. The boxers with severe AS show the following signs lethargy, exercise intolerance, shortness of breath, and fainting. The tests used to confirm a diagnosis of AS are electrocardiography (ECG), and echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart).

CARDIOMYOPATHY

Cardiomyopathy is mostly an irregular heartbeat. Fainting or even sudden heart failure can occur, and some patients can develop congestive heart failure. It could show up as soon as 6 months or as late as 10 years of age. Symptoms of Cardiomyopathy are an irregular heartbeat in a routine exam, fainting, coughing, rapid breathing, accumulation of fluid in the abdomen and sudden death. A 24 hours holter recording the heart's activity for this period of time, an electrocardiography (ECG), and echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart).

Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is often a progressive and fatal disease in dogs. In Boxer it appears to have a predisposition for development of CKD, suggesting that kidney disease in this breed might be heritable.

Degenerative Myelopathy (DM)

Boxers after middle age have been reported to develop Degenerative Myelopathy (DM). DM is a neurological disease that affects the spinal column and nerves that coordinate the movement of the rear legs. Eventually boxers lose their ability to walk, incontinent and are euthanized. There is now a test that detects DM.

Spondylosis

Spondylosis is a degenerative spinal condition that affects older dogs, but can also happen due to an injury. Some show no symptoms a boxer knows how to hide his ills, however some of the symptoms are motion issues or inflexibility, lameness or limping. Treatment for mild symptoms may be prescribed pain medication or anti inflammatory drugs. Physical therapy and an exercise program can help also monitoring weight and a weight loss program if the boxer is overweight.

Hip Dysplasia (HD)

Hip dysplasia is an abnormal development of the ball and socket joint that makes up the hip. The ball and the socket don’t fit together correctly, resulting in painful and damaging friction between the two parts. Some of the symptoms are the dog does not want to play vigorously, pain and lameness, hip dysplasia shows in ages between 4 months to a year. Dog should be tested for hip dysplasia at 2 years of age.

Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism happens when the dog’s thyroid glands malfunction. These hormones that are released by the thyroid glands affect the dog’s growth and metabolism and when it malfunctions there are different health issues. Symptoms will show between the ages of 4-6 years old, but it can be diagnosed at any age. Some of the symptoms are: sleepiness, lethargy, weakness, increased appetite, weight gain, sensitivity to cold, the coat can become dull and dry, loss of fur, itchy skin, skin sores or infections, and ear inflammation.

Diabetes

Diabetes is when the pancreas fails to produce insulin properly. Treatment usually requires insulin shots for life. Some of the symptoms are frequent urination, hunger, weight loss, vomiting and weakness.