Boxer — questions to ask before paying a deposit
A responsible breeder will have these readily available. Deflection is a red flag.
Hip dysplasiacan shorten life or cause chronic pain
Malformation of the hip joint causing pain, lameness and early arthritis.
Ask to see: OFA hip evaluation (or PennHIP), on both parents, from 24 months old, under the American Boxer Club's programme
American Boxer Club — Health Screening Recommendations (https://americanboxerclub.org/health-screening/)
Aortic / subaortic stenosiscan shorten life or cause chronic pain
A narrowing of the outflow from the heart that can range from harmless to a cause of collapse or sudden death; it can develop after a dog has already tested clear once at a younger age.
Ask to see: Auscultation and Doppler echocardiogram by a cardiologist, on both parents, from 24 months old
American Boxer Club — Health Screening Recommendations (https://americanboxerclub.org/health-screening/)
Boxer cardiomyopathy (arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, ARVC)can shorten life or cause chronic pain
An inherited heart-rhythm disorder that can cause fainting, collapse or sudden death; the breed club's own primary screening tool is not a DNA test but an annual 24-hour Holter monitor.
Ask to see: The club's required screen is an annual Holter monitor on breeding dogs. DNA tests exist for two known markers (striatin/ARVC1, and a second gene identified in 2021, ARVC2), but their predictive value is disputed: a negative result on either or both does not rule out the disease, since not every affected Boxer carries a known mutation, and dogs with only one copy of a mutation often stay symptom-free for years. Treat a clear DNA result as reassuring, not conclusive, alongside the Holter monitor.
American Boxer Club — Health Screening Recommendations (https://americanboxerclub.org/health-screening/) · NC State Veterinary Hospital — ARVC in Boxers (https://hospital.cvm.ncsu.edu/services/small-animals/genetics/boxer-arvc/) · Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy in the Boxer Dog: An Update (PubMed) (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28647112/)
Degenerative myelopathycan shorten life or cause chronic pain
A progressive, incurable disease of the spinal cord causing hind-limb weakness and eventual paralysis in older dogs.
Ask to see: Degenerative myelopathy (SOD1) DNA test, on both parents (recommended)
American Boxer Club — Health Screening Recommendations (https://americanboxerclub.org/health-screening/)
Autoimmune thyroiditis
The immune system attacks the thyroid gland, usually leading to hypothyroidism; manageable with lifelong medication once diagnosed.
Ask to see: Full thyroid panel (TgAA, total and free T4AA, cTSH) annually while breeding
American Boxer Club — Health Screening Recommendations (https://americanboxerclub.org/health-screening/)
Brachycephalic airway limitation
The standard's short muzzle, pinched nostrils and short neck restrict airflow; the FCI's own judging guidance for this breed names forced breathing and snoring as a specific area of risk.
Ask to see: No test; ask to hear the dog breathe after mild exercise in warm weather — pronounced snoring or open-mouth breathing at rest is what the FCI's own guidance flags.
FCI Breed Specific Instructions (Nordic Kennel Union) (https://www.fci.be/nomenclature/docs/JUG-BSI-en.pdf)
Histiocytic ulcerative colitiscan shorten life or cause chronic pain
A severe inflammatory bowel disease that occurs overwhelmingly in Boxers, almost always before two years old, causing bloody diarrhoea and weight loss. It responds well to antibiotic treatment once correctly diagnosed, but there is no way to predict or test for it in advance.
Ask to see: No test exists. Ask the breeder whether they have seen it in litters from this line — it is a young-dog disease, so an experienced breeder would already know.
Histiocytic ulcerative colitis in Boxer dogs (PubMed) (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9406626/) · An immunohistochemical study of histiocytic ulcerative colitis in boxer dogs (PubMed) (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10684685/)