TIPS TO KEEP YOUR BOXER DOG HEALTHY AND HAPPY
- Get The Diet Right
Depending on what you can afford, your boxer dog should enjoy a quality diet. Go as high as possible in terms of quality. You should also know that low-quality foods will be filled with preservatives, chemical flavoring, and coloring, which all have short-term and long term adverse effects. Some of the worst chemical preservatives that you can find in dog food include BHA, Ethoxyquin, and BHT.
Also, keep your dog from eating meat by-products, especially the ones that have been certified to be unfit for human consumption, e.g., Intestines, fatty tissue, lungs, and meat meal. It would help if you were careful with meat meals such as fillers, corn dust, out-of-date meat, and meat from diseased animals.
If you must give your boxer dog snacks, make sure they are all-natural snacks produced in the United States and Canada. Wholesome fresh foods like fresh fruits and veggies, green beans, blueberries, carrots, and strawberries are great for boxer dogs. Your dog needs all the antioxidants it can get to fight against cancer and other diseases.
- Do Not Give Your Dog Water From The Tap
Tap water contains toxic metals, fluoride, pesticides, and known carcinogens that are known to be harmful to canines. Your boxer dog drinks water for its entire life, and to protect him; you should not allow him to drink water directly from the tap. What you can do is install a filter to your kitchen tap. Filters are affordable and easy to install. You can also use gallon spring water.
Once you get the type of water that your boxer dog drinks right, you should then take note of how much water he drinks. He must meet his daily water requirements, which vary according to age, weather, and activity level. Generally, a rule of thumb is for a boxer to drink a bit above 1.5 cups of water for every 10 pounds of body weight.
- Allow Your Boxer to Exercise Properly
Your boxer dog should go for walks twice every day, and if you have a boxer puppy, each walk should last for a minimum of 20 minutes and not more than 30 minutes. Go on hikes with him, walk the beach and engage in activities that allow him to expend stored energy.
- Dog Proof Your House
A boxer dog is a curious animal and will try to check out everything he sees from trying to open cabinets to climbing high counters or trying to open your gym bag. A boxer dog will try to reach anything and everything. They are also very mouthy as they try to chew everything, even if it is not edible.
So, for the sake of your boxer dog, keep items like needles, light bulbs, fishing hooks, shoelaces away from the reach of your boxer dog. Use child-proof locks on low cabinets, and do not allow anything that falls on the ground, stay on the ground. Pick things up immediately.
- Teach Him to Eat Slowly
Dogs are extremely fast eaters, but the boxer breed is prone to having a bloated stomach so, you have to regulate the speed at which he eats and drinks. You can do this by getting him a slow-feeder bowl for meals. Also, make sure you use steel dishes because they are heavier, do not scratch easily, and will not give your dog allergies.
You can also use a portion pacer to make him eat slowly by placing stainless steel balls to force him to eat slower.
- Pay Attention to his Coat
Keep his coat clean by giving him a bath every three weeks. If, during this period, he has gotten himself dirty, you should scrub his coat down to remove the dirt. Bathing him every day or too often can make his coat dry even if you use the best products. And if you go a long time without bathing him, his coat may begin to smell and develop a yeast infection.
Apart from cleaning his coat, you should also moisturize and protect it by using a shampoo of high quality. Your boxer should drink enough water and apply a leave-in spritz to prevent contact friction, static, and the effects of other outdoor elements such as air and sun. The last thing that you must take care of is the presence of shredded hairs in his coat. Take out dead hairs from the coat by using a de-shedding tool so that they do not accumulate close to skin pores.
- Take Care of the Eyes, Nose, and Paw.
Your boxer dog may get gunk buildup in his eyes, and if there is an excessive discharge around his eyes, check for cuts or infection. Buy a canine eye wipe to clean his eye area regularly either everyday ore multiple times in a week.
For the paws, apply paw wax twice or thrice every week to protect his paws from small pebbles on the ground, heat, and cold. Make sure the product is fast absorbing and allows air to get into the paws. Lastly, take care of your boxer dog’s nose by making sure he never has a dry nose. Apply a high-quality nose balm to prevent sun exposure, chapping, peeling, and cracking. Cracking of the nose may be treated with a topical antibiotic.
- Seasonal Boxer Dog Care
The needs of your boxer dog change by season, and as a result, you have to adjust various care elements for your dog.
During summer, on hot days, take your boxer dog out for exercise and keep him away from the hottest periods of the day. If you leave your boxer dog at home alone, restrict him to one room and leave on the AC so that he is kept cool throughout the day. Whenever you are out with your boxer, ensure you have water with you and take breaks frequently to rest. Take note of heavy panting, thick drool, fast heartbeat, and red gums. If any of these signs show, your dog may be suffering from heat stress, and you should rest him immediately.
During winter, the best boxer care tip you should follow is to give your dog a vest to keep him cool at all times. You may want him to spend more time indoors, but exercise is important; so, take him out every day.
- Safety in the Car
You should pay particular attention to your boxer dog when traveling with him in a car. Car seats are not meant for children only; you should get one for your boxer dog too. If you have a boxer puppy, get a certified car seat. And if your boxer weighs more than 40 pounds, get properly sized restraint belts. A “Direct to tether” accessory also works well by connecting your boxer dog’s harness to the seat belt. Or for better comfort, you can get an all-in-one harness and connector, which has pads.
- Teach Your Boxer Dog Mutual Respect
Boxer dogs make a worthy companion and blend properly into a home. You will find yourself unconsciously treat him like your child and talk about him affectionately like another member of the family. We have seen this happen numerous times. Your boxer, once it blends into your family, will want to do all the fun canine things like ripping things apart and marking things. He will also need you to offer him a place in the family, give him a sense of peace and belonging.
Boxer dogs easily pick up non-verbal vibes and will provide the company that every member of the family needs, whether to binge-watch a TV show or take a walk to the grocery store. What is expected of you is to lend up a loving hand to your boxer at all times, teach respect, expect respect, and be a great leader. Having a boxer dog goes beyond owning a pet; it is a lifestyle, and neither you nor your dog should take that for granted.
CONCLUSION
Taking care of your boxer dog is not all about keeping him alive; you have a duty to keep him healthy and happy. Often, many boxer owners go about it the wrong way, but with the tips discussed above, keeping your boxer dog healthy and happy should be a walk in the park.
