How long do boxers live, what affects their lifespan, and what you can do are all going to be the main topics here? We will reveal the most common health-related issues and also what owners can do in order to help their dogs live much longer.
How Long Do Boxers Live?
Most boxers will live between 9 and 12 years. This is considered to be short and not impressive. For comparison, some dog breeds can live almost twice as long.
Main Causes of Death
How long do boxers live? This simple question cannot be answered with a single sentence. You need to know that there are many factors and issues that affect the lifespan of each dog. But, we can also see that some health issues are more common in this breed than in others. Boxers have three main health issues that significantly affect their lifespan. We know this thanks to a study conducted by the University of Georgia. It lasted 20 years and involved over 100 dogs for each breed! There were over 70.000 dogs participating.
1. Cancer
Over 44.3% of all boxers will be affected by cancer. The most common types include skin cancer, bone cancer, breast cancer, lymphoma, and a few other types. This is 5th dog breed most commonly affected by cancer of them all. There are certain precautions you can do in order to decrease the risk.
2. Neurological
All the diseases that affect the brain and the spinal cord will be members here. On average, boxers are affected by neurological diseases more commonly than other dog breeds. The number is around 18.2%. The most common diseases are intervertebral disc disease, encephalitis, degenerative myelopathy, and many more.
3. Trauma
7% of boxers will be affected by trauma. These can include car accidents, being stepped on by a puppy, etc. An interesting fact is that the rate of dogs of this breed affected by trauma is very high, compared to similar breeds.
How Can Your Boxer Live Longer?
Yes, there are a lot of things you can do in order for your pet to live much longer. All of these will be discussed below and all of these should be things you will apply to the life of your pet. These are more than just essential and needed.
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Nutrition must be proper and healthy
Boxers are extremely sensitive when it comes to healthy food. The thing is that not all dog food is safe to use. Some can even include meat from dead animals! Others will use artificial coloring, additives and so much more than all can contribute to cancer. Keep in mind that boxers are very prone to cancer. That’s why you will want to feed your pet with 100% healthy and natural food. In some cases making food for him is the best option.
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Neutering or spaying
Boxers are prone to cancer. Neutering or spaying will significantly decrease the risk of this issue. For instance, when performed on a male, the risk of testicular cancer is significantly decreased. In female boxers, this action decreases the risk of breast cancer. If you don’t want puppies, this is definitely something you should do.
Yes, this sounds like a complicated and severe step to take but it will have a positive effect on the lifespan of your boxer, hence it is one of the best things you should do.
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Regular exercising
Boxers do need physical activity. On average they will need 20 minutes of it a few times per week. Most experts recommend walking and cardio exercise 2 times per week. It is crucial to make your pet have the ability to run and use its energy. This will significantly affect the lifespan.
When it comes to boxers, too much exercising can have a negative effect on the lifespan as well. Always make sure you are providing your pet with a needed amount of mild and easy exercising.
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Eliminate exposure to toxins
Toxins can be lethal for dogs including boxers. On the other hand, they can contribute to cancer and we all know that this issue is common in the breed. What you should do is to protect your dog from all possible toxins. Avoid pesticides or any chemicals used in the backyard where your pet spends a lot of time. The same thing applies to food and water.
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Dental care
All dogs deserve and need proper dental care. This is mandatory due to one major reason. Plaque can and will build on the teeth and it will start weakening and damaging the teeth. This will lead to an infection that can affect the lifespan.
Boxers need complicated teeth cleaning once every year (you can do it once every 2 years) and need regular checks which include x-ray and proper control. Only then you can be certain that your pet won’t develop severe teeth-related issues that may cause tooth loss.
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Stress
Boxers do not like to live in homes where stress is common. If you like telling and you don’t have the time to spend with your pet, the boxer is not an ideal breed. They will live much shorter in these environments. This dog breed requires love from owners and they need peace and quiet at all times.
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Adopt a healthy dog
Boxers who come from unhealthy parents or parents with certain ‘’bad’’ genes are more likely to develop severe health issues. That’s why you need to make sure your puppy doesn’t have parents like this.
When adopting a boxer, make sure you have a complete health history of his parents and that there are no genes which can cause severe health issues. In addition, you will also want to check how long siblings of your new dog lived and are there any health issues in the extended family.
Conclusion
How long do boxers live and what can you do about it? You need to learn all the things we have mentioned above and apply these to the life of your pet. These are essential, actual facts that were obtained from experts so you can use them and expect success. In general, boxers are healthy dogs who can live long.
