HI-TOWER BOXERS

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ABOUT HEALTH 

I do feel that health plays a big difference in the American and European boxers, European boxers in general are healthier because of a number of factors but mainly because most all countries in Europe have their dogs used for breeding mandatory pre-screened for disorders like heart disease, hip dysplasia, etc, unfortunately in America most breeders do not and are not required to do the health screenings prior to breeding. After my years of research on American Boxer lines and including my own American dogs have found that there are health issues that can and do crop up even years later. I have now chosen American and European boxer lines which I feel are less likely to have these health problems passed down thru the generations and I know I will not be able to predict or irradicate all health issues but I will make an effort to bred healthy dogs and have my dogs health screened under the supervision and direction of my vet and using the lastest advances in canine medicine when they reach the appropriate ages. Please read the following medical conditions most commonly affecting the boxer breed:

MEDICAL CONDITIONS AFFECTING THE BOXER
Despite a breeder’s best efforts, Boxers do sometimes suffer from conditions to which the breed seems to be predisposed. In many instances, diagnosis and treatment will effect a cure or symptomatic relief.

HEART DISEASE
Like many breeds of dogs, Boxers are subject to heart ailments. These include congenital anomalies as well as acquired disease later in life. Boxer heart disease usually falls into two important categories: aortic stenosis and cardiomyopathy.

Aortic Stenosis
This is a congenital condition, a narrowing or constriction of the outflow tract from the left ventricle to the aorta. It can be detected as a systolic murmur by your veterinarian in young puppies and older dogs. Sometimes the murmur will not show up until the dog reaches enough physical size for the constriction to become evident.

This murmur must be distinguished from other types of murmurs, often so-called innocent flow murmurs that disappear as the puppy grows. There is no practical surgical treatment, and if the condition results in arrhythmias, antiarrhythmic therapy is usually instituted. Mild forms of the anomaly may go undetected and are not incompatible with a normal life span.

Cardiomyopathy
 is an electrical-conduction disturbance (sometimes referred to as ARVC--Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy), a condition of the heart muscle itself causing abnormal electrical impulses to disrupt the heart’s normal rhythm. This arrhythmia may lead to sudden death or heart failure. Symptoms include weakness and/or collapse. Arrhythmias can be brought on by certain poisons, infections (notably parvovirus), severe uremia, diabetes, and heatstroke. However, in Boxers they most often occur due to no known cause. Heredity undoubtedly plays a key role. Boxer breeders around the world are frustrated that there is at present no way to diagnose the propensity for this condition in asymptomatic dogs. A 24 hour Holter monitor, recording the heart’s activity for this period of time, may be needed to diagnose potentially life threatening arrhythmias.

CANCERS
Boxers are at risk for a variety of cancers. These include benign and malignant skin lesions as well as cancers affecting the brain,,thyroid, mammary glands, testes, heart, spleen, blood, lymph system (lymphoma), and other organs. Benign skin tumors usually respond to simple surgical excision under local anesthesia.

Malignancies require treatment specific to the cancer itself, and vary widely. As in humans with cancers, dogs are treated with surgery, chemotherapy, and sometimes radiation. Great advancements have been made in treatment protocols and survival times, but there is no way to predict whether your Boxer will develop cancer in his lifetime. It is prudent to be alert to any unusual growths or medical developments, especially as your Boxer ages. Consult with your veterinarian immediately if you notice anything suspicious. Early detection is important to long term survival.

DEGENERATIVE MYELOPATHY
Of recent years, incidences of Degenerative Myelopathy have been widely reported in Boxers of middle and advanced age. DM is a neurological disease affecting the spinal cord and nerves coordinating the rear quarters. Over time, dogs lose the ability to walk, become incontinent, and are most often euthanized at this point. DM is a sad disease in that the patient remains mentally alert; there is no pain; and yet, keeping such an animal happy poses special challenges There are custom carts designed to allow some patients to regain a degree of mobility. Research suggests that certain medications and herbal supplements may retard the progression of the disease.

HIP DYSPLASIA
Hip Dysplasia is a developmental disease of the hip joint that affects many breeds of dogs. The head of the femur (thigh bone) and the acetabulum (hip socket) become incompatible; the joint weakens and loses proper function. Reluctance to engage in strenuous physical activity, lameness and pain are all possible signs of dysplasia, usually manifested between the ages of 4 months to 1 year.

X-rays are definitively diagnostic and will show evidence of abnormal joint laxity. Treatment is aimed at relieving symptoms of pain and includes drug therapy and/or surgery. Hip dysplasia is thought to be hereditary, but other factors such as diet and conditioning cannot be ruled out. Dogs older than 2 years can have their x-rays evaluated and may be voluntarily registered free of the disease by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) in Columbia, Missouri (www.offa.org) to help further the OFA's studies and is used widely as a selling point for many breeders. Any licensed veterinarian can evaluate an x-ray and provide you with conclusive results.

THYROID DEFICIENCY
This condition may be caused by thyroid tumors or a primary malfunction of the thyroid itself. The deficient thyroid may have an effect on many organ systems, including the heart. Symptoms may include excessive hair thinning, obesity, anemia, infertility, and lethargy. Diagnosis is confirmed by a complete thyroid panel blood test. Oral doses of thyroid hormones will alleviate most symptoms and will probably need to be given for the duration of the dog’s life. Luckily, thyroid therapy is relatively inexpensive and effective. Research suggests that this condition is a major concern for the boxer breed and if left untreated can lead to early death of the boxer.

Remember, many Boxers can and do live long and healthy lives. Nonetheless, it is important for owners to be alert to ills that may befall their beloved pets, so as to institute treatment as soon as possible or to be wise to their possibilities. Your veterinarian is your best ally, and it is important to choose a practitioner that has a good knowledge of any breed-specific ailments that may be encountered. WARNING: ASK YOUR VET NOT TO USE ACE ( Acepromazine, a tranquilizer, which is often used as a preanesthetic agent in surgeries ) ON YOUR BOXER, AS BOXERS HAVE DIED FROM THE USE OF IT. Have your vet mark your dog's chart as a reminder.

UPDATES : 2010  

TESTING FOR BOXERS

WHAT DOES IT MEAN ?

I have noticed over time that the testing for boxers for certain health conditions is being used by breeders as a selling tool, when in fact most all of these advances in canine medicine are not an absolute per the experts in these fields of study. It is important to understand that just because a boxer has been certified by the OFA it doesn't mean that the dog is not affected, just that at this time the dog is not affected or showing signs of the disease. Most genetic diseases in canines do not manifest signs until the dog reaches advance age. The screening procedures are a way to pre-screen at the present time before breeding with the hopes of the dog to remain unaffected throughout its life. There is no guarantees even with current testing. The following information should clear up the misinformation circulating around the internet by many boxer breeders.

New genetic testing is now available for DM ,  Degenerative Myelopathy , DNA is collected and tested for the genes known at present time to be a contributing factor to the disease. To learn more go to http://www.caninegeneticdiseases.net/DM/ancmntDM.htm

New DNA testing for ARVC is now being conducted at Washington State University for more information go to

http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/deptsVCGL/Boxer/index.aspx this is the lastest information and explainations.

For a better understanding of BCM, Boxer Cardiomyopathy, and what is considered the best testing at this time see the following

http://americanboxerclub.org/purina2.html  you'll be surprised that it isn't OFA certified by echocardigram also known as ECHO or Doppler , an ultrasound of the heart, as some breeders are using for selling tools to sell puppies or stud service. ECG,  electrocardiogram  is not the best testing either at this time, a three-minute test conducted when a dog is resting and is designed to measure electrical activity in the heart. While an ECG can be very useful in detecting most arrhythmias, it is not helpful at finding PVCs ,ventricular premature complexes, in boxers. A 24 hour holter monitor (portable ECG) is the current recommended practice along with the NEW ARVC DNA testing per experts in this field. It is important to note that at the present time most boxers considered to be affected will have hundreds or thousands of VPC's or runs in a 24 hour period. A normal holter test is considered 50 VPC's or less at present time. To say that a boxer is clear or certified is not reasonable and misleading. An example of a boxer holter test result that is normal at present time might  read :

VPC's = 1, Singles = 1 Runs = 0 Pairs = 0 or VPC's = 0, Singles = 0 Runs = 0 Pairs = 0.

Important fact : Just because a dog is DNA'd with the AKC doesn't mean it has been tested for these diseases and cleared. This means the dog has his DNA on file with AKC for breeding purposes, to make sure he is in fact the sire of  a litter should questions or doubts arise, and any dog that has sired more than 3 litters must have his DNA on file with AKC.

For a more in depth look at health issues visit the American Boxer Club.org website.