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Boxer Medical News
Cancer & Growths
 
 Vicks Menthol Rub applied several times daily will eliminate many of the growths
that boxers get on their toes.
Heartworm Treatment (less costly)
My friend
treated her heartworm positive dog with HWF which cost half what the
shots cost. After treatment, the dog tested negative for heartworm
via two blood tests. Her vet couldn't believe the fast test
and so sent bloodwork out. The dog was negative for
heartworms.
Older Boxers with problems
Cholodin
used as dietary supplement
Annual Vaccines
New Vaccine Information 2011
Degenerative Myelopathy
See top of Home page.
Hearts
I will no longer do ARVC
DNA testing with the current DNA test.
·
I know of a boxer born to parents
who were both DNA ARVC clear and he developed
ARVC at 13 mos. of age (diagnosed and treated by a board certified
cardiologist).
·
One of my dogs tested Positive
Heterozygous (1 good & 1 bad gene) and developed the disease at 17 mos.
(diagnosed and treated by a heart specialist).
·
I know of two dogs who are DNA
Positive Homozygous (2 bad genes) who in old age had no symptoms of the
disease, had continuous good holter results and were not taking heart
medication. One of those boxers was over 10 and put down due to DM.
I am back to relying
heavily on holter exams and looking at pedigrees for longevity & ages of
death. I am not on any band wagon. I am very unhappy with what I have
seen and will not give prospective families information and hope that I
feel is misleading.
Important!
Your boxers do not need to die of heart disease. When they faint, they are
in the late stages of the disease. They
can live a long time with medication if detected early.
Your
vet cannot hear cardiomyopathy with a stethoscope. They
need to be
24-hour-holter monitored or EKG'd
for 10 minutes after exertion to detect it.
This
is a progressive disease that can occur at any age.
Test
annually!
Article by Dr. Kate Meurs
Boxer
Cardiomyopathy - Updated 9/29/08
Attn:
Cardiomyopathy Testing
I have purchased the equipment to
test your dogs' hearts.
Please contact me to schedule your
24-hour-holter heart test.
NEW Update 9/29/08!!
American Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine:
Eye Ulcer Treatment
I have used this treatment with great success. Have
your vet draw blood from your dog and spin it down so that it separates.
Use the serum and mix it with Gentocin. Put drops in the eye
several times a day for two weeks. You will need to keep this
refrigerated.
Stem Cell Treatment
Keritosis (growing carrot-like dry skin) on nose or
heel pad of front leg
Keritosis is a
common
occurrence in
dogs that occurs
on nose or heel
pad of the front
leg.
It looks like
the nose or pad
has grown small,
carrot-like
protrusions from
it. It may cover
the entire nose
or appear like a
ridge. This skin
will grow longer
and clearly has
separate
sections which
you can gently
move with your
fingers.
This is dry,
dead skin
much like
your
cuticles or
heel. On the
nose, food
gets stuck
in it and it
is very
uncomfortable
for the dog
and can
cause
soreness
and/or
infection.
To remove
these, you
can use an
emery board
and file it
down. Take
care to
gently file
in the
direction
the
protrusions
are laying
and not back
and forth.
If they are
very long,
you may want
to do this
over a
period of a
few days and
you can have
their nose
and pads
back to
normal
quickly.
Bad Mouth Odor
When boxers get
older, their breath may be very bad due to teeth problems. Many times you
may not want to put them under anesthetic due to their age or health.
Metronidizole is an
antibiotic given to dogs for intestinal problems. It also effectively
fights the tooth bacteria which causes the mouth odor.
A temporary remedy
I use is:
1 500 mg
Metronidizole in the morning and evening for 5-7 days.
This is NOT to be
given in conjunction with Tagamet.
Also, occasionally
there is a place in the dogs mouths above their upper front or eye teeth
where the gums have a deep indent. I have found that food, hair etc. gets
stuck in there and if I use a Q-Tip to swirl it out there breath will also
improve (almost instantly!) Not all of them have that deep indent but I
have a couple who do again!
Itchy Skin
 I keep a spray bottle with half Water and half White Vinegar and spray it on
boxers' itchy feet.
-
When they lick their feet continuously, the moisture causes fungus to grow (the
rust coloring you see on their toes).
-
You can spray this on a folded paper towel and carefully clean the wrinkles on
their face and chin
taking care not to get any in their eyes!
Toxins
Special Edition -- Jan 2009 -- ACE Promazine Warning for Boxers
Potpourri
Be aware of potpourri easily purchased at
WalMart and other outlets. If it is from India, it could be deadly and
contains strychnine.
Reports indicate
at least 2 dogs who have died from eating very small quantities. They
suffered seizures and respiratory arrest. There is a lab in England that has
case studies relating to the strychnine content.
During the holidays, many households use potpourri. Be safe and either
discard it or keep it strictly out of reach of dogs and cats.
Xylitol Sugar-free
Gum Dangers
CoCoa Mulch is toxic to dogs if eaten.
May be fatal.
False Pregnancy - Old Remedy
Boxers can get false
pregnancies after finishing their heat cycle.
Chop celery hearts into
small pieces. Boil until soft.
Mix 1 cup of boiled
celery hearts with 1 cup of cooked ground beef (drain off the grease).
Substitute this mixture
for your dog's food. If your dog eats 3 cups of food at each meal, then
give them 3 cups of this mixture.
Continue feeding them
only this mixture for 1 week.
The celery is what ends
the false pregnancy. The ground beef is so they will eat the celery.
It works! Good luck!
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