Boxer Health
Boxtrinity Boxers undertake health testing of all
breeding dogs.
Hip dysplasia: is a hereditary disease that, in its more severe form, can eventually cause crippling lameness and painful arthritis of the joints. It is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Diagnosis is made by X-Rays of the hip joint by specialist Veterinary Radiologists and does require general Anaesthesia.
Cardiomyopathy: is a serious inherited disease in which the heart muscle becomes inflamed and doesn't work as well as it should. The best tool for screening for BCM is via a Holter Monitor examination, which records the dog's heart activity over at least 24 hours. The monitor is strapped to the dog and electrodes are placed on the chest while the dog goes about its normal activities. The Holter Monitor results are only as good as the day the test was taken, and as such should be completed periodically to pick up any problems. Here is a link by Boxberry Boxers showing you how to attach the monitor to a Boxer - www.youtube.com/watch
Cardiomyopathy: is a serious inherited disease in which the heart muscle becomes inflamed and doesn't work as well as it should. The best tool for screening for BCM is via a Holter Monitor examination, which records the dog's heart activity over at least 24 hours. The monitor is strapped to the dog and electrodes are placed on the chest while the dog goes about its normal activities. The Holter Monitor results are only as good as the day the test was taken, and as such should be completed periodically to pick up any problems. Here is a link by Boxberry Boxers showing you how to attach the monitor to a Boxer - www.youtube.com/watch
Aortic Stenosis: is a developmental defect where there is a narrowing under the Aortic Valve in the Heart, this means the blood flow is disturbed and the heart has to work harder to get the results. The reduced blood flow can produce symptoms of fainting and even sudden death. The defect results in a Murmur that can be heard with a Stethoscope. The degree of severity of the defect will affect the strength of the Murmur. Aortic Stenosis develops as the dog’s heart grows, assessing a young dog may be misleading. Many puppies have ‘Puppy or Flow Murmurs’ - most disappear by about 4 months of age. Even if the Puppy Murmur persists there may be no cause for alarm so long as they are quiet - genuine "Flow" Murmurs are not associated with heart disease in the adult. A pup that is free of Murmurs at 8 weeks of age may develop a serious Murmur by the time it is 18 months old.The best way to diagnose AS is to have an adult dog’s (over 1 year) heart listened to by a specialist Veterinary Cardiologist. The murmurs are graded on a scale from 0-5 - with 0 being a clear heart free of any murmur (HT0), and 5 being the worst. For a more accurate grading Doppler examination is advisable.
Pyloric stenosis: is a narrowing of the outlet from the stomach to the small intestine (called the pylorus). This condition is caused by a thickening of the muscles of the pylorus. This prevents the stomach from emptying into the small intestine. The cause of the thickening is unknown, although genetic factors may play a role.
Cancer: Boxers are particularly prone to the development of Mast Cell Tumours, Lymphoma and Brain Tumours. White boxers and coloured boxers with white markings should be protected from the sun as they are more susceptible to skin cancer.
Gastric torsion (bloat): Torsion of the stomach in the dog is characterized by life-endangering distension of the stomach with gas; the stomach is usually found to be severely dilated and congested, and often to have rotated about an axis in the plane of the esophagus.
There armany unknown features of this disease. Even the correct mane for the disease is not known. It is commonly called torsion of the stomach; however, many veterinarians, including the author, believe the primary condition is not torsion, but distension or dilation of the stomach with gas. This distension may or may not be followed by torsion or twisting of the stomach.e
There armany unknown features of this disease. Even the correct mane for the disease is not known. It is commonly called torsion of the stomach; however, many veterinarians, including the author, believe the primary condition is not torsion, but distension or dilation of the stomach with gas. This distension may or may not be followed by torsion or twisting of the stomach.e
Allergies: Boxers can be prone to allergies, which can be environmental or food related. Some Symptoms are itchy, scaly and sometimes infected skin. For food related allergies the best treatment is to feed the dog a BARF (Bones and Raw Food).
Resources:
Boxberry Boxers:
Shadow ridge Boxer: https://shadowridgeboxers.com/boxer101.aspx
Boxer Gopetsamerica:https://www.gopetsamerica.com/boxer/boxer-health-problems.aspx
The American Boxer Club - Health resources:
https://www.americanboxerclub.org/genetic_diseases.html & https://www.americanboxerclub.org/health/healthfr.htm