Diseases Common to Boxer Dogs

If you are a boxer owner or thinking of becoming one, the American Boxer Club has identified four diseases or health conditions specific to boxers that you should be aware of and has outlined diagnoses and treatments for them. For some of these maladies, tests exists that can either determine if a boxer has the disease or is liable to get it. In others, there is no way to know in advance if your dog is susceptible. Of the four heath issues, one is hip-related, one is a thyroid condition, and two are heart problems.

  1. Hip Dysplasia

    • Hip dysplasia is a looseness in the muscles that hold the ball and socket joint of the hip in place. Due to this looseness, arthritic symptoms that will debilitate the dog can occur. Hip dysplasia is believed to be largely congenital, though the genetic links have not been established. One study estimates that about 3 percent of boxers may develop the condition. There are tests that are conducted at the ages of four months and two years that can help determine if a boxer is prone to the problem.

    Thyroid Disease

    • Boxers are vulnerable to thyroid problems, usually expressed as hypothyroidism, or a poor functioning thyroid gland. The disease often appears to be autoimmune in nature, with the dog's own immune system impairing the function of the organ, resulting in listlessness, hair loss and other problems. A sophisticated test known as a Total T4 (which is different from a regular T4, which sometimes returns false positives) will help determine if the boxer is suffering from this condition.

    Boxer Cardiomyopathy

    • Boxer cardiomyopathy is a sometimes-serious heart condition that results from an electrical misfiring in the heart muscle, resulting in extra contraction. A premature ventricular contraction (PVC) is the result, where the ventricle fires just before the normal heart contraction. Boxers can get many PVCs in a row, disrupting blood flow and causing seizure or heart failure, if the contractions come at a rapid rate. A genetic test is under development but is not available to the public. Current testing involves monitoring the boxer's heart with a portable device that records heart activity over a 24-hour period.

    Aortic and Subaortic Valvular Stenosis

    • Aortic and Subaortic Valvular Stenosis (AS and SAS) occur in many dogs. Boxers exhibit a special vulnerability. According to veterinarian Denise Mankin, it is the second most-common heart problem in dogs and results from a narrowness or obstruction in the aortic valve, which causes a thickening of it, making the heart work harder to pump the blood. This in turn can cause fainting or, in extreme cases, death. The condition creates a heart murmur that can be detected in some cases but not all. A veterinarian can test with an ultrasound to determine if the boxer has this condition.