40% of boxers die from cancer

[jboboxer]

I saw this PDF file that was a study from the UK with 130 reported deaths of boxers and almost 40% were due to cancer.

Any other research or findings as why boxers have such a high rate of cancer?

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/download/1524/hsboxer.pdf

 

[Caney Creek]

Just caught this thread. I was aware that boxers have a high rate of cancer but I have never heard of any specific reason for that, other than simply "genetics." I didn't get to read all the way through that article... did they find any connections, any determining factors as to why boxers seem to be more prone to cancer than other breeds?

 

[jboboxer]

I've heard some blaming food, but the study was in the UK and I've heard others blaming vaccines as well, which I'm not sure if the UK is over doing it there as well. I'm not sure if there is any evidence or conclusion on why there's so many cancer related deaths with boxers.

 

[Caney Creek]

I've heard some blaming food, but the study was in the UK and I've heard others blaming vaccines as well, which I'm not sure if the UK is over doing it there as well.

I've heard canine cancer being blamed on commercial pet food, vaccines, lawn pesticides, chemicals in tap water, rubber dog toys, flame-retardant pet beds... the list goes on. I've just never heard why boxers specifically get cancer more than other breeds of dogs. Just wondering if the article came up with some possible reason that boxers are so affected.

 

[jboboxer]

My vet did say they have problems with bloat and only recommended not to play with my dog 45 minutes after she eats.

I just went to this website and noticed that bloat is the second largest killer after cancer and the article says not to exercise before eating as well. Normally I go on walks and then when I come home within 30 minutes I"m feeding her

Bloat in Dogs

 

[Arthur]

yeah, it's unfortunate!
One of my boxers has cancer and I've been reading alot of stuff on cancer and boxers...
The stats that I found are very similar to yours...

38% of boxers die of cancer
28% of boxers die of old age

It makes me so sad to see those kinds of statistics! :(

 

[gmacleod]

...bloat is the second largest killer after cancer and the article says not to exercise before eating as well.

Not of boxers Boxers are on the list of breeds of dogs prone to bloat, but they are 11th (and a very looongg way behind the most at-risk breeds). Of course, that doesn't mean you should ignore the possibility. You should also be aware that IF your dog suffers bloat, it is very likely to be fatal (so knowing the risk factors and signs of bloat is very wise). But at the same time, you would be severely misled if you thought bloat was the near-certainty that is suggested.

I am a little pertubed by the site you posted though. Having quoted research by Purdue University into bloat, it then goes on to state that exercise before/after meals is a risk factor and should be avoided. In fact, the Purdue research (multiple studies) found that exercise is NOT a factor increasing the risk of bloat, exposing that one as a myth (in case it's not clear, the research found that it makes not one iota of difference either way). If you're interested in the actual findings of that research, there is a good discussion in this thread: http://www.boxerworld.com/forums/dog-health-issues-questions/67610-bloat-risk-factors.html as well as some links to the research itself.

 

[jboboxer]

Not of boxers Boxers are on the list of breeds of dogs prone to bloat, but they are 11th (and a very looongg way behind the most at-risk breeds). Of course, that doesn't mean you should ignore the possibility. You should also be aware that IF your dog suffers bloat, it is very likely to be fatal (so knowing the risk factors and signs of bloat is very wise). But at the same time, you would be severely misled if you thought bloat was the near-certainty that is suggested.

I am a little pertubed by the site you posted though. Having quoted research by Purdue University into bloat, it then goes on to state that exercise before/after meals is a risk factor and should be avoided. In fact, the Purdue research (multiple studies) found that exercise is NOT a factor increasing the risk of bloat, exposing that one as a myth (in case it's not clear, the research found that it makes not one iota of difference either way). If you're interested in the actual findings of that research, there is a good discussion in this thread: http://www.boxerworld.com/forums/dog-health-issues-questions/67610-bloat-risk-factors.html as well as some links to the research itself.

Wow, my vet told me not to exercise my dog after eating and I could have sworn I was watching animal planet and they mentioned the great dane and how they die often from Bloat and mentioned not exercise after eating is a way to help prevent bloat as well, so I'm kind of surprised that it's now considered a myth

 

[gmacleod]

...so I'm kind of surprised that it's now considered a myth

Weell - have you ever seen any scientific stuff (studies, research, etc) that finds exercise to be a risk or causal factor? There are a lot of theories abounding about bloat - which isn't really a surprise, since nobody knows what causes it or the mechanism by which it occurs. But there is precious little actual hard research. And that which does exist, such as the Purdue studies, found some of the "common wisdom" around the condition to be false (or in some cases, even increasing the risk instead of reducing it). That's successive studies too, not just one.

All info is good to have though, so if you do ever find any research studies (as opposed to opinion) that confirm exercise as a factor - do post links to them