5 Things To Think About Before Buying A Boxer Dog

If you're looking for Boxer information, you've come to the right place...

Because there's some things you need to know about Boxers before making an investment into having one as a pet. Here's 5 health disorders that are prevalent in Boxers...

--Cardiac conduction

This is a serious heart disease that affects a Boxer’s longevity. It was previously known as Boxer cardiomyopathy.

Cardiac conduction is difficult to deal with due to 3 factors.

-Many Boxers will not show any symptom (asymptotic) but will just drop dead suddenly from it.

-The Boxers develop this disease later in life, often after they have been bred.

-There are few reliable screening methods for it.

Many breeders and Boxer experts are now working to refine the test procedures, expand the database and come up with a guideline to select only, for breeding purposes, those Boxers with high probability of being free of the disease.

There are also concerns that elimination of too many dogs from the gene pool would be bad for the breed diversity and could cause more problems in the future. Some opinions hold that extensive culling should only get done after more studies on genetic diversity in Boxers.

--Hip dysplasia

This is a bone disorder whereby there is an improper fit of the large femur bone with the hip socket, causing lots of pain and lameness.

It occurs more in male than in the female of primarily large breed dogs like Boxer. It can show up as early as when the Boxer is four months old. Or it could shows up much later when he is an old dog, and the hip weakens and becomes arthritic.

Hip dysplasia is genetic and can be passed on. If you think your Boxer may have hip problem, take him for x-ray when he is 24 months old for a proper diagnosis. And then, if he is tested positive, do not breed him or her.

--Hyperadrenocorticism

When the adrenal gland is hyperactive and starts producing too much cortisol into the blood, your Boxer may become sick.

He will then exhibit what is known as the Cushing’s syndrome - he drinks more water (polydipsia), urinates more (polyuria) and has bigger appetite (polyphagia).

The stomach or abdomen may become distended or potbelly and he starts losing hair on the trunk. Other symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome are chronic skin infection, chronic urinary tract infection, excessive panting, lethargy, muscle weakness, and calcium deposits in the skin (calcinosis cutis).

--Hypothyroidism

This disease concerns the thyroid gland that does not produce enough thyroid hormone, which can cause illness in the Boxer.

He becomes lethargic, sleeps a lot more, is not interested to play, tires easily and experiences depression or mental dullness.

He may gain weight and become obese without having to eat more than the usual.

There are so many symptoms that vary and are non-specific and they all develop slowly. This is because not enough thyroid hormone produced affects the metabolic function of many organ systems.

Other signs of thyroid disorder are slow heart rate (bradycardia), infertility, constipation, diarrhea and if your Boxer suddenly cannot stand cold, always seeking a warm place to lie down.

It may also results in chronic skin disorders like dry skin and excessive hair loss, as well as other neurological and hormonal abnormalities.

A single symptom may not point to thyroid deficiency but a combination of them should make your veterinarian more suspicious of it.

--Intervertebral disk disease

The disease causes back pain and makes your Boxer clumsy and walk like a drunkard. He might not want to climb stairs or play and would yelp when he is handled, petted or lifted. The disease affects his spinal disks and could end in paralysis.

Hopefully this Boxer information will aid you in your search for the perfect pet. But if you currently have a Boxer and he or she is experiencing any of the symptoms above, contact your vet immediately.