There is more than three hundred inherited diseases known to trouble dogs. No dog breed or is exempt from this deficit, although some dog breeds are less exempt than others. The Boxer breed may be heir to the following:
Hip dysplasia: is a hereditary disease that, in its more severe form, can eventually cause crippling lameness and painful arthritis of the joints. It is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. It can be found in many animals and occasionally in humans, but is most commonly associated with dogs, and is common in many dog breeds, particularly the larger breeds.
Hip dysplasia is one of the most studied veterinary conditions in dogs, and the most common single cause of arthritis of the hips. In humans it occurs at a rate of about 1 births per thousand (0.1%)
Monorchidism: is the state of having only one testicle within the scrotum.
Ulcerative keratitis: Any scratch or injury to a dog's eye can result in an ulcer. Ulcers must be treated by a veterinarian immediately or there will be some loss of sight. Only a veterinarian can determine the best treatment or combination of treatments for your dog. Some lines of Boxers appear to have more eye problems than others.
Distichiatis: A condition in which small eyelashes abnormally grow on the inner surface or very edge of the eyelids. Both upper and lower lids may be involved. Some breeds are affected more commonly than others, suggesting that it is an inherited trait.
Hyperplasis of the gingiva: An abnormal multiplication of cells in the gums that can bother boxers in mid-to-late life. The fibrous tissue that results from abnormal cell growth is sometimes mistake for an oral tumor. When a dog's ability to chew is impaired, the fibrous tissue should be surgically removed.
Tumors: The incidence of tumors is high and manifold in boxers, which are subject to tumors of the breast, tissues, thyroid, bone, lung, and testicles.
Gastric torsion (bloat): Torsion of the stomach in the dog is characterized by life-endangering distension of the stomach with gas; the stomach is usually found to be severely dilated and congested, and often to have rotated about an axis in the plane of the esophagus.
There are many unknown features of this disease. Even the correct mane for the disease is not known. It is commonly called torsion of the stomach; however, many veterinarians, including the author, believe the primary condition is not torsion, but distension or dilation of the stomach with gas. This distension may or may not be followed by torsion or twisting of the stomach.
Granulomatous colitis: Affects dogs between the ages of two months and two years. This condition, whose cause is unknown, although an immunologic basis is most likely the culprit, is characterized by soft, bloody stools. As the disease progresses, which it does slowly, it is accompanied by increasing debilitation and sometimes resists even persistent treatment.
Cardiomyopathy: A weakening and eventual degeneration of the heart muscle that results in sluggish blood flow and generalized congestive heart failure. Can be held in abeyance for a short time by drugs, but cannot be reversed.