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11-12-2008Keeping Your Boxer Healthy
As Boxer owners, we want to protect our little buddies as much as possible. Just like humans, there is a list of top deadly diseases that can claim the life of dogs and serious conditions that can severely affect dogs.
Providing proper dog food, daily exercise, a safe home environment, good dental care and regular veterinarian checkups will help keep you Boxer safe. But what can you do for the most serious canine illnesses?
Not all diseases can be prevented; however there are some actions you, as a loving Boxer owner can take to help stop the most common and deadly ones. These are suggestions by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and top veterinarian clinics are in agreement.
You can make some changes to keep your Boxer safe, healthy and happy.
Therefore we will discuss:
- The top common serious medical conditions to affects dogs
- What steps you can take to help prevent them
1. IVDD, the acronym for Intervertebral Disc Disease is one that strikes all breeds of canine. Some breeds are more prone, such as the Dachshund and other small breed dogs. A dog of any breed may fall prey to this due to genetics. This is a disease of the discs in the spine of the dog and can lead to limping and then paralysis. What can you do to help your dog? Smaller breeds can give their back quite a jolt when jumping off beds and furniture. The best way that you can help your Boxer is to provide steps or a ramp for them to leave their favorite resting spots. Portable steps or ramps can be purchased at many online pet supply stores and can easily blend into your furniture. You will find as your Boxer approaches senior years, these are needed as joints become stiff and any breed dog will need assistance.
2. Lung Cancer; yes this strikes dogs as well! Many do not think about that possibility. Studies have shown that a dog that is exposed to second hand smoke is 1.7 times more likely to die from lung cancer than a dog that lives in a smoke-free house. Dogs that are exposed also have a higher risk of developing nasal cancer. What can you do? You can protect your Boxer. If you or any other family members smoke, protect your Boxer the same way that you would keep a baby out of harm’s way. If visitors come over with cigarettes in their pockets, ask that they smoke outside or at the very least, remove your Boxer from the room; do keep in mind that tobacco can linger in a room for a very long time depending on ventilation.
3. Small Intestine, Foreign Body Ingestion. This condition is essential when a Boxer ingests something, other than food, that blocks the small intestine and is deadly. This is akin to a poisoning and can be prevented by taking time to “proof” your home. No matter what the age of your Boxer, you must eliminate the biggest threats of your dog accidentally swallowing certain objects. A dog explores the world through their mouth, biting and chewing on things to find out what they are. Therefore they can swallow many objects that can lead to emergency surgery and at worst, a painful death. Remove or place in a high out-of-reach area the following objects:
Provide your Boxer with plenty of dog toys to withstand teething and chewing so that they are not tempted to chew on non-toys.
4. Cruciate Rupture, a fancy term meaning that the ligament of the knee is severely torn. While not fatal, this type of injury can be long lasting, preventing your Boxer from living a carefree life. Your Boxer will need care, perhaps physical therapy and could end up with a limp that will affect them for their lifetime. What can you do? While this can occur at any time, to any breed, you can help protect your Boxer by making sure undue pressure and strain is not put on their knees. This will mean knowing the boundaries of exercise and allowing your Boxer to rest when they indicate they need a break.
5. Broken limbs. Currently 75% of dogs who have sustained broken limbs have done so due to being hit by a car. The remaining 20% are due to accidental falls from heights that a dog can not handle without injury. 5% are due to dogs being stepped on accidentally by loving owners. Dogs currently in shelters and rescues with broken limbs are not taken into this study, as sadly with most, the origin of their injuries are unknown. What can you do? This is certainly preventable. When you have a well trained Boxer, it is easy to forget that all it takes is 1 second for you to open the door and your Boxer to run outside without a leash.
Even the most trained dogs can do this: male, un-neutered dogs can smell a female dog in heat for up to 3 miles away, just that scent can send them running out or trying to break free from your grasp. Dogs can also randomly have strong urges to chase after what appears interesting to them: other dogs, butterflies, insects, noises and people. Be careful when you open doors and never allow your Boxer to roam without a leash, even in your front lawn.
Training your Boxer to become used to having a leash from early on will teach them to consider the leash completely normal and you should not receive resistance. Always be aware that your Boxer can be taking a nap or resting on any floor of your home; warn small children and visitors to keep this in mind as well.
2. Lung Cancer; yes this strikes dogs as well! Many do not think about that possibility. Studies have shown that a dog that is exposed to second hand smoke is 1.7 times more likely to die from lung cancer than a dog that lives in a smoke-free house. Dogs that are exposed also have a higher risk of developing nasal cancer. What can you do? You can protect your Boxer. If you or any other family members smoke, protect your Boxer the same way that you would keep a baby out of harm’s way. If visitors come over with cigarettes in their pockets, ask that they smoke outside or at the very least, remove your Boxer from the room; do keep in mind that tobacco can linger in a room for a very long time depending on ventilation.
3. Small Intestine, Foreign Body Ingestion. This condition is essential when a Boxer ingests something, other than food, that blocks the small intestine and is deadly. This is akin to a poisoning and can be prevented by taking time to “proof” your home. No matter what the age of your Boxer, you must eliminate the biggest threats of your dog accidentally swallowing certain objects. A dog explores the world through their mouth, biting and chewing on things to find out what they are. Therefore they can swallow many objects that can lead to emergency surgery and at worst, a painful death. Remove or place in a high out-of-reach area the following objects:
- Coins
- Small baby/children toys such as small toy soldiers
- Pantyhose/ nylons
- Socks
- Underwear
Provide your Boxer with plenty of dog toys to withstand teething and chewing so that they are not tempted to chew on non-toys.
4. Cruciate Rupture, a fancy term meaning that the ligament of the knee is severely torn. While not fatal, this type of injury can be long lasting, preventing your Boxer from living a carefree life. Your Boxer will need care, perhaps physical therapy and could end up with a limp that will affect them for their lifetime. What can you do? While this can occur at any time, to any breed, you can help protect your Boxer by making sure undue pressure and strain is not put on their knees. This will mean knowing the boundaries of exercise and allowing your Boxer to rest when they indicate they need a break.
5. Broken limbs. Currently 75% of dogs who have sustained broken limbs have done so due to being hit by a car. The remaining 20% are due to accidental falls from heights that a dog can not handle without injury. 5% are due to dogs being stepped on accidentally by loving owners. Dogs currently in shelters and rescues with broken limbs are not taken into this study, as sadly with most, the origin of their injuries are unknown. What can you do? This is certainly preventable. When you have a well trained Boxer, it is easy to forget that all it takes is 1 second for you to open the door and your Boxer to run outside without a leash.
Even the most trained dogs can do this: male, un-neutered dogs can smell a female dog in heat for up to 3 miles away, just that scent can send them running out or trying to break free from your grasp. Dogs can also randomly have strong urges to chase after what appears interesting to them: other dogs, butterflies, insects, noises and people. Be careful when you open doors and never allow your Boxer to roam without a leash, even in your front lawn.
Training your Boxer to become used to having a leash from early on will teach them to consider the leash completely normal and you should not receive resistance. Always be aware that your Boxer can be taking a nap or resting on any floor of your home; warn small children and visitors to keep this in mind as well.
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