What to Expect for a Boxer's Health? Lymphoma In Boxers

A Boxer’s Health

As with many other popular breeds, Boxers have been, and continue to be, extensively studied by researchers in an effort to provide a unique insight into genetic-based health concerns. A study by the Royal Veterinary College in the UK found that Boxers do not stand out entirely with their common health troubles; many of the health problems regularly associated with the breed are just as prevalent in other dog breeds.^1,5

While some health problems are equally prevalent in all breeds, health problems like tumors or cancers, gum masses, heart diseases, and eye ulcerations appear more often in Boxers than in dogs as a whole.^1,5 Many of these health concerns can be treated or managed well if identified early, so keep an eye out for your pet showing signs that they may not feel well and make sure to visit your vet regularly for checkups. 

Examples of common health concerns that Boxer pet parents should be aware of include:^1,2,4 

• Heart Disease
  
  • Heart disease such as Aortic Stenosis is a common occurrence in boxers. This disease affects the aortic valve—where the blood leaves the heart—making it narrower, which leads to the heart having a harder time pumping blood to the rest of the body. Symptoms of a severe case may show signs of lethargy, exercise intolerance, shortness of breath, and fainting. Lower-severity cases may show no signs or symptoms. 
  • Boxer Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy is a heart condition that shows as an irregular heartbeat, it can arise in your dog anywhere from 6 months to 10 years old. This health concern is inherited in Boxer breeds. Symptoms include irregular heartbeat during a routine exam, fainting, coughing, rapid breathing, excess fluid in the abdomen, and, in some cases, sudden death. 
• Kidney disease
  
  • Chronic kidney disease has been identified as a disease that Boxers may be predisposed to. CKD can be progressive and potentially fatal in dogs. 
• Spondylosis
  
  • Spondylosis is a condition that typically affects older dogs' spines, though it can develop after an injury in younger dogs. Dogs will often try their best to hide any signs of injury or weakness, so in the case of spondylosis, you may not notice any symptoms at first. It can be treated with physical therapy, anti-inflammatory drugs, and pain medication. 
• Hip dysplasia 
  
  • Hip dysplasia is a common ailment in many breeds of dogs, and develops when the hip joint and the head of the femur bone do not fit together correctly, leading to friction in the joints. Dogs with hip dysplasia have a hard time being active, which leads to less interest in play and more pain and lameness in movements. 
• Hypothyroidism
  
  • Hypothyroidism makes a dog’s thyroid glands malfunction, and when that happens the hormones that are released by them will change how the dog’s growth and metabolism function, leading to many different health problems. Symptoms can be lethargy, weakness, weight gain and increased appetite, skin sores or itchiness, ear inflammation, and a dull or dry coat. 
• Diabetes
  
  • Diabetes is just as common in Boxers as in any other breed; treatment for diabetes typically requires the addition of insulin for the rest of their life. 

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Cancer in Boxers 

Boxers can be diagnosed with many different forms of cancer in their lifetime, just as any other breed is, though there are some that they may be more genetically predisposed to. Research has shown around 1 out of every 7 Boxers will be diagnosed with cancer every year.^1,5 

The most commonly diagnosed cancers in Boxers affect the brain, thyroid, heart, spleen, blood, and lymph system.² 

The cancers that Boxers are at high risk of being diagnosed are the following:^2,3,4

Mast Cell Tumors 

Mast cell tumors are a very common skin cancer in dogs. It affects the mast cells which are part of the immune system, and play a major part in allergic responses. Mast cell tumors can have a variable behavior from a single, small, lump on the skin to large, ulcerated masses with spread to lymph nodes and organs. Luckily, the less aggressive form is more common, meaning it is often highly treatable. Boxers are prone to developing mast cell tumors and can develop several over their lifespan. It is important to monitor your Boxer closely for any new lumps or bumps.^2,3,4

Treatment for mast cell tumors can be very effective in an earlier stage at diagnosis.

You can read more about Mast Cell Tumors in our post here. 

Hemangiosarcoma 

Hemangiosarcoma is a cancer that affects the thin membrane surrounding a blood vessel. When healthy, that membrane is responsible for controlling several functions of the cardiovascular system such as immune function, platelet adhesion, and blood clotting. 

Hemangiosarcoma can occur in any breed and often affects larger breeds like German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers. Since hemangiosarcoma affects blood vessels, it can occur anywhere in the body but most commonly in the spleen, liver, heart, muscle, subcutaneous tissues, and skin. Hemangiosarcoma of the skin is sun-induced so this occurs more often in breeds with white fur and then fur such as white pit bulls. It is important to keep our dogs out of the sun just like it is for ourselves. Cutaneous (skin) hemangiosarcoma behaves very differently than other forms of hemangiosarcoma and has a better response to therapy.

Boxers can be more prone to developing hemangiosarcoma of the skin, where the blood cells being affected are closer to the outside of the body than to the heart.⁴ Having it develop more commonly on the skin leads to a higher likelihood of catching it earlier in the stages rather than only being able to identify it when it is more advanced and affecting your dog’s day-to-day life. 

Treatment is more effective the earlier a cancer is caught, so a skin hemangiosarcoma has the potential to be treated with surgery alone. The most important part is catching it early. 

You can read more about hemangiosarcoma in our post here. 

Brain Tumors

Brain tumors are overrepresented in boxers specifically gliomas which are inside of the brain rather than around the outside.^1,4 A common sign of this particular type of brain tumor is seizures, though symptoms can vary widely depending on where in the brain the tumor is located and what functions it affects. 

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Lymphoma

Lymphoma is a cancer of white blood cells called lymphocytes, which are a major part of the immune system and help identify threats to the body when they are working properly. Unfortunately, because the job of a healthy lymphocyte is to circulate throughout the body, when those cells become cancerous, they have more freedom to spread and metastasize.

Canine lymphoma is the focus at ImpriMed so we have a constantly growing list of resources about lymphoma. You can see our blog for more info. 

Common forms of lymphoma in Boxers

In studies of dogs with lymphoma, Boxers are often overrepresented among breeds that are diagnosed. Furthermore, of the various subcategories of lymphoma, it was found that Boxers were more likely to develop T-cell variants of lymphoma.³

You can learn more about the different kinds of lymphoma in our post here.

T-cells work in the immune system to target and destroy specific types of viruses or bacteria. Each T-cell is designed to attack one kind of threat, making all of them act as a specialized immune force to protect the whole body from larger threats. 

T-cell lymphomas are more aggressive than their B-cell counterparts, meaning that they are less responsive to therapy. 

Boxers don’t show a higher probability towards a high or low-grade T-cell lymphoma, so there is also a chance that the T-cell type will be the indolent form of T-zone lymphoma. T-zone lymphomas are easier to treat as they have a bit more leniency for treatment timeline and are not typically aggressive.³ 

We have more information on indolent forms of lymphoma here.

Treatment options for Boxers with lymphoma

Treating lymphoma is most commonly done with chemotherapy as it can treat the entire body all at once. The most common chemotherapy protocol involves multiple different forms of drugs. The gold standard of this multidrug chemotherapy treatment is called the CHOP protocol, which uses 4 different drugs to treat the lymphoma. 

‍You can read more about common lymphoma chemotherapy treatments here. 

Or you can read about other treatment options besides chemotherapy here. 

Because T-zone lymphoma is indolent there is no “best protocol” at this time. In some cases, the cancer cells may not be affecting the body enough to warrant a treatment starting, leading to a treatment plan consisting of “watchful waiting.” This waiting is where your vet will regularly measure and record developments in lymph nodes and monitor blood work. If in this watchful waiting there are no signs of spread, then there may be no need for additional treatment past surgery to manage the condition. 

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How ImpriMed Can Help

Though Boxers may get a bad rap for health problems that are often just as prevalent in any other breed, when it comes down to it, the most important health is of the dog that’s in front of you. When it comes to lymphoma, ImpriMed focuses on the individual and helps to find each patient the best treatment plan for them. We help veterinary oncologists provide the very best treatment possible to every canine lymphoma patient that we encounter. 

Using advanced labs, an ever-growing database of information on cane lymphoma patients, artificial intelligence, and your dog’s live cancer cells, ImpriMed creates a Personalized Prediction Profile specific to your pet and your pet alone.

The Personalized Prediction Profile shows your vet the best chemotherapy drugs to have the most effective treatment plan, get your dog into remission as quickly as possible, and—most importantly—keep them there as long as they can.

How to get started with ImpriMed