If you want a boxer dog, you should know the health problems that they can suffer from. This breed of dogs can last up to 10 years of age but they can have a shorter life if they are afflicted with a major health problems. There are three particular ones that can be quite devastating. These are: cardiomyopathy, SAS and CHD. Since you care for your pet like a member of the family, it is important for him/her to be checked out once a year.
Should your boxer be suffering from a disease, the best thing you can do for him/her is catch the problem early. Your vet can do very detailed exams for cardiac problems, hip dysphasia and thyroid issues. They can also tell you if your boxer is suffering from uncommon health problems including degenerative myelopathy or a brain tumor.
Boxer dogs can suffer from five very frequent genetic conditions. They are aortic stenosis or sub-aortic stenosis (AS, SAS), hyperthyroidism, hip dysplasia, boxer cardiomyopathy and corneal dystrophy.
AS or SAS
If your boxer dog seems to get tired easily or you notice faint heart murmurs, then he/she could be suffering from aortic stenosis or sub-aortic stenosis. This condition occurs when the aorta tightens, lessening the blood flow throughout the body including the heart. When there is a restriction of blood flowing through the body, the heart has to work even harder. The vet can diagnose this condition for you and your pet.
Hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism is a genetic condition that can alter the way your pet looks and acts. Some of the more common symptoms include: the loss of the hair, persistent skin conditions, stunted growth and a lifestyle that is slow. Hyperthyroidism can be treated with medications so that the thyroid begins functioning correctly.
Hip dysplasia
Among many other common ailments boxer dogs suffer from is hip dysplasia. When the boxer’s hip joints seem to wear out, he/she is likely to be in a fair amount of pain and have severe rigidity. This situation is compounded worse as the dog matures until old age. There is no cure for hip dysplasia and if the problem is too severe, a hip replacement may be necessary.
Boxer cardiomyopathy
It can be very scary to learn that your pet as boxer cardiomyopathy. Only when you learn it, it is likely you’ll be burying your dog. Cardiomyopathy is deadly because it causes the heart to beat unusually. Usually noticed in dogs of mature age, a vet’s routine exam is likely to overlook this fatal condition. As a pet owner, you should ask your vet to do an exam explicitly looking for this problem.
Corneal dystrophy
When your boxer dog has been diagnosed with corneal dystrophy, do you know what that means? It is a condition that causes the corneas of the eyes to be uneven. If there is unevenness, ulcers can appear, causing complete blindness or have vision loss. You can do pain management techniques or even have surgery to correct the condition.