Dogs have more genetic disorders than any other non-human species. Certain breeds are more susceptible to certain disorders, and the boxer is no exception. The average lifespan of a boxer is only nine years, but with proper preventative and daily care, this can be extended.
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Hip Dysplasia
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Like many large breeds, boxers are susceptible to hip dysplasia, a disorder in which the femur (thigh) bone doesn't fit right into the hip socket. Hip dysplasia is degenerative, painful and progressive with the ability to cause severe lameness. Fortunately, there are surgeries that may be able to help or correct the defect.
Eye and Ear Issues
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Boxers are prone to deafness, though this usually occurs in boxers with atypical white coloring. They also have a tendency to develop eye ulcers, which can happen with harderian gland prolapse, or cherry eye. In cherry eye, a gland of an eyelid producing about one-third of the tear film prolapses. What is seen is a pink, fleshy mass protruding from an eyelid, which can become inflamed and/or ulcerated.
Other conditions affecting boxers' eyes include corneal dystrophy and progressive retinal atrophy, or PRA. Corneal dystrophy happens when one or more parts of the cornea become cloudy and PRA is a term used to describe several hereditary degenerative types of eye lesions.
Heart Disease
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One of the most prevalent health problems in boxers is heart disease. The three most common suffered by this breed are bradycardia, cardiomyopathy, and cardiac conduction disease. Bradycardia is a relatively slow-acting heart; cardiomyopathy is a general term for any of several diseases of the heart characterized by structural or functional problems; and cardiac conduction disease is a disorder that slows the heart rhythm.
Gastric Torsion, or GDV
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Boxers may suffer gastric torsion (GDV), a potentially deadly twisting of a dog's stomach, which cuts off blood supply to vital organs. The condition requires emergency medical care to prevent death, and symptoms include abdominal swelling and pain, rapid breathing and excessive salivation.
Cancer
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Boxers are prone to cancer. The Vetinfo website recommends brushing your boxer regularly while looking for any unusual bumps or lumps that don't disappear after a few days and contacting a veterinarian immediately if there is a problem. There may be treatments.
Seizures and Rashes
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Between two and five years, boxers may begin to have seizures. If you witness a seizure, the Vetinfo website recommends the following: watch your dog during the seizure, record the duration of it and exactly what your dog is doing. Write down what happened prior to the seizure and call your vet right away.
Allergic rashes are common problems in boxers, according to the Vetinfo website. Boxers are also prone to other skin problems, including dermodicosis, a non-contagious form of mange.
Other Disorders
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Other disorders boxers are know for are cryptorchidism, hypothyroidism, atopy dermatitis, pyloric stenosis, invertebral disc disease, cutaneous asthenia, demoid sinus and histiocytic ulcerative colitis.
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