by:Daniel Lesser

Some dogs like Boxers unfortunately, are prone to several potential health problems such as:

- Skin allergy

- Food allergy

- Cancer

- Hip dysphasia

- Bloat

- Heart ailments

- Hypothyroidism

- Fleas

- Worms

Knowing what they are will help you to better monitor your pet's health and to gather the pertinent information, in case of an illness, that would assist your veterinarian to administer the correct diagnosis and treatment.

Below are some common afflictions of Boxers.

Alapechia (Lost of hair on the trunk)Seems to be more common in male Boxers. One, which died at the age of 12 years and 4 months, was diagnosed with seasonal alopecia. "He used to go bald once a year but the hair always grew back on," said its owner.

Bloat Gastric torsion or GDV or bloat in your Boxer can be life threatening so bring him to the veterinarian immediately. The stomach gets filled with air and twisting and this can happen suddenly. The symptoms include restlessness, drooling and nausea and the stomach is bloated (distended abdomen).

Your Boxer may vomit and continue to retch but nothing would come out.

Cancerous and benign tumors Boxers are highly prone to cancer. So any time you see a bump on your Boxer, you should check it out. About 20 out of 100 cases are cancerous.

Watch out for both external and internal lumps, eye ulcers or cherry eye as they called it, as well as dermodicosis or skin sores. Mast cell tumors are malignant and they do not occur very often but can form either in the skin or within the body.

The related disorders reported along such tumors are round raised masses in the skin of your Boxer, lack of appetite, vomiting and abdominal pain. Check for tarry stools due to bleeding in the upper intestinal tract.

Boxers of any age can develop mast cell tumor but older ones, above 8 years, are more prone to it. Never take tumors in your Boxers lightly, even a small one! The veterinarian would usually have them removed immediately because of their high susceptibility to cancer.

One owner noticed her Boxer had a bump the size of a mosquito bite that did not go away even after 10 days. The vet diagnosed it a malignant tumor and removed it the very next day. The owner felt so relieved that the tumor was removed before the cancer had a chance to spread.

Another owner found both his Boxer girls had lumps and had it checked out immediately. The vet removed the lumps due to their breed and the Boxers were all fine now!

Yet another owner was not so lucky. "I have had the pleasure of raising two great Boxers but both passed away much too young of cancer. The last one, Nick, died one week after being diagnosed with anal cancer. It spread rapidly and he was only 7 years old!"

article url: http://www.thingsfordogs.com/dog-health.php

July 21, 2004 — More than 65 million U.S. households have pets, and maintaining a pet's health is among the greatest challenges to ownership. Pet owners spend upwards of $12 billion per year on veterinary care.

Now pet owners are going back to basics and checking label ingredients for harmful chemicals, fillers, antibiotics and steroids on the products they give their pets. A 2003 survey revealed 52% of pet owners are switching to all natural products for their pets.

The makers of Pawmax brand pet supplements hope to ease the burden of unexpected pet healthcare costs by announcing the launch of new products designed to promote a lifetime of health and wellness for your pet.

One recent survey reported that 84 percent of pet owners in the US consider their pets to be their "children". And, nearly 75 percent say they would be willing to spend whatever it takes to protect their pet's well being.

Michael Rizzo, President and CEO Of Pawmax. Inc said: "Our mission is to help pets lead the healthiest and fullest life possible. A truly balanced and comprehensive health - wellness pet supplement did not exist, so Pawmax products were born.

"Pawmax brand supplements contain only the highest quality non-toxic UPS human-grade ingredients, no fillers, antibiotics, steroids or fat. Before their release, Pawmax products were tested and endorsed by pet professionals as well as veterinarians and contain over 50 nutrients and ingredients essential to proper pet health and nutrition. A product such as Pawmax has the ability to offer both, pet owners and Pet Professionals peace of mind."

What is Pawmax? Pawmax is a chewable nutritional multi-vitamin and performance supplement for dogs of all ages, sizes and breeds. Pawmax is the most complete dog health care supplement ever developed and is 100% safe and natural.

Pawmax formula is Vet recommended for daily pet health and post surgical recovery support. Mr Rizzo goes on to say: "When you give your dog Pawmax you will notice immediate results in their energy levels, mood enhancement and a general overall healthy glow".

The Pawmax formula is a high quality performance supplement for Competition and show dogs, racing dogs, breeding dogs, as well as geriatric dogs and puppies. So whether your dog is working or a household pet, Pawmax is essential for their health, wellness and happiness.

In conclusion Mr Rizzo Said: "Pawmax supplements are a win-win situation for Pet Professional's, for the public and for the pet. The pet can receive a lifetime nutritional support he needs for health and wellness, pet professionals can do their job and feel good about it, and the people who own the pet can save the animal considerable pain and suffering by treating the cause of degenerative conditions not the problems that arise from them.

"You can start your pet on the Pawmax daily program as young as 6 weeks of age. Pawmax brand supplements offer pet owners a considerable advantage against unanticipated vet costs that arise from poor health due to improper nutritional support".

For product information:Visit our website, http://www.pawmax.comCall toll free in the US 1-888-417-0994Or Write To:Pawmax133 Railroad Avenue #65Hamlin NY 14464

It seems the only way to make sure your dog is getting a good diet is to make the food yourself. One of my doctors makes his dog a mixture of ground beef and rice with a few other things thrown in for added vitamins and minerals.

I don't know if it would cost more to feed our dogs ground beef or not, since we are paying quite a bit for a top-quality dog food. But when you consider the money you could save in vet bills and the money spent on a so-called top-quality dog food, you might end up spending less.

Read this article and then decide.

Your dog's health is being compromised by the commercial petfood industry. Dog health should be of significant concern to those involved in the commercial petfood industry. But it's not.

Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of petfood manufacturers are keen to use the cheapest ingredients possible in order to keep consumer prices down and profits up. And dog health is suffering enormously as a result.

Cheap ingredients include large quantities of grain and small quantities of meat and meat byproducts. Most dogfood manufacturers have no qualms about using the meat of diseased carcasses, and parts of animals that the human meat processing plants would otherwise throw out.

Then it's processed and overcooked in such a way that no nutrients remain. And to try to fool the buying public that it's good for your pet, the package will boldly advise you of all the added vitamins and antioxidants.

Dogs need vitamins, minerals and antioxidants just as much as you and I. And as with humans, the vitamins which do the most good are the ones that occur naturally in your dog's diet.

A dietary supplement is a good thing for pets and humans alike, but the primary nutrition should come from the diet. Most commercial petfood contains very little nutrition and a lot of worthless and even damaging fillers.

Even the brands which market themselves as "premium" dogfood leave much to be desired. They may contain a slightly higher proportion of meat than their lower priced counterparts, but very few contain anything faintly resembling human grade meat, very few contain any vegetable matter, and almost all are made up primarily of grains.

Take a look at the ingredients list on your pet's food. Take a careful look. A favorite tactic of petfood manufacturers is to list a meat product first, and then list two, three, four or even five grain ingredients.

It makes you think the main ingredient is meat or chicken. But if you add up the quantity of all the grains, you'll realise that there's barely any meat or chicken at all.

For the full story on what's really in your pet's food, see http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com/DogFood

Your dog's natural diet is raw meat including bones, with some raw vegetables, herbs and fruit. A dog's natural life span, depending upon the size and breed, should be 20 to 25 years.

How many dogs do you know in that age bracket? Neither do I. Why? The number one reason why your dog's life is shorter than it should be is commercial petfood.

There are other reasons, too - the drugs we give our dogs every year in vaccinations, and every time they're sick - cortisone and antibiotics can cause significant unwanted side effects.

The chemicals we give our dogs and put on their skin to keep worms and fleas and other parasites at bay. And even pollutants such as chemical weedkillers, and petrol fumes play a part. But the number one early killer of our dogs is commercial pet food.

For further information see http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com/DogFood

If your dog gets ahold of any items sweetened with xylitol they could experience a sudden drop in blood sugar resulting in depression, loss of coordination and seizures. These signs can develop in less than half and hour after eating the items.

Xylitol is a sweetener found in many sugar-free products including gum and candy.

In 2004 the Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) handled about 70 cases of xyloitol poisoning in dogs. In the first half of 2006 there have already been  114 cases.
It is necessary to keep any foods containing xylitol out of your animals’ reach.

If you suspect that your pet has ingested products sweetened with xylitol—or any other potentially dangerous substance—call your vet or the APCC's emergency hotline at (888) 426-4435 for round-the-clock telephone assistance. For more pet poison prevention tips, please visit APCC online