Top Ten Boxer Bumps
Boxer Puppy in Pink
Boxer Puppy in Pink
Boxers Grow Lumps and Cancer Better Than Any Other Breed of Dog*
But if you live with a Boxer, you probably already know this! Did you know Boxers used to have a predicted lifespan of 4-6 years? The breed was bogged down with genetic predisposition to cancer, and they passed on an inherited heart condition that shortened their lives.
The breeders got together and agreed to selectively breed healthy dogs so as not to pass on the traits. Now, Boxers can expect to live 8-10 years, sometimes as much as 12-14 years, or longer.
Still, if you see a new growth or lump on your Boxer, have your vet check it urgently. Here is a rundown of the good, the bad, and the ugly…
Boxer Bumps I’ve Diagnosed:
1. Mast Cell Tumor, the chameleon of lumps, can look like any other lump! (bad, but potentially curable if caught early)
2. Lipoma, fatty lump, this is what you hope every lump turns out to be. (good)
3. Adenoma, a cauliflower-looking skin tumor.(good)
4. Hair follicle tumor, or cyst. Also recently named Subcutaneous Keratinizing Trichoepithelioma. The pathologists love to classify and reclassify.(good)
5. Histiocytoma. Raised, cherry-red lump. Your vet can do a simple test to diagnose this little number. Quite curable!(good)
Internal:
6. Hemangiosarcoma. A tumor of blood vessel lining cells. No one yet knows if early detection would increase survival from this devastating tumor. Now that ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) are becoming more available for animal patients, perhaps these tumors will be found to be more survivable.(very bad)
7. Lymphoma, inside and out. Treatable.(bad)
8. Acanthamatous Epulis. Lumps on the gums in the mouth. Your vet can diagnose gingival hyperplasia (overgrowth) from these growths that can be invasive and cancerous.(bad, but potentially curable)
9. Osteosarcoma. Bone cancer. If a leg is suddenly super painful, and especially if there is a hard lump at the pain spot, do not delay. Even if you don’t want to hear the bad news, you also don’t want your Boxer to be in pain. Go to the vet and get answers and at the very least, painkillers.(bad)
10. Sometimes a lump is just a lump! Bee sting, skin infection, hair follicle cyst, allergic reaction (boxers get hives.)
Good Luck, Go to Your Vet, Don’t be Afraid, they’re there to help you!
**As of May, 2010, Golden Retrievers have been declared the most likely breed of dog to grow cancer. Good news for Boxers? Only if they don’t have a Golden Retriever friend at home!
P.S. May 2010: Check out more “Bump” Stories under the “Bump” Tag.
Thank you so much!!!!!
You have already told me in less than 10 minutes of reading more than my vet has told me in 4 months!
Can you tell me just how simple the test for Histiocytoma is?
Also, how is it determined if it is a Hair follicle tumor? There is no puss involved with this bump.
Great post. Thanks. I just added your site to my myspace page.
Kudos for creating this blog post! I truly treasure the free of charge tips.
How old is too old for surgery? My pup is almost 11 and I saw a few lumps when I saw him last (my parents take him while I’m in school). I’m going to take him into the vet sometime next week but my mom said surgery is a no no because he had seizures for a few weeks after the last surgery he had a few years ago.
Thank you for your time
-Chris
My 11 year old female boxer has a hard half tennis ball size lump on the underside of the front leg between that elbow and shoulder. It feels as though it is attached to the muscle. She is in no pain and acting perfectly normal. The vet said it is not attached to the bone and he doesn’t think it is a lymph node b/c the others are not inflamed. He did a biopsy instead of a fine needle aspiration and the wait for the results are making me crazy!!!! All he said to me after the biopsy is it wasn’t black, but red and meaty. He hoped it was just a fibrous tumor. I find very little information on fibrous tumors, when I search the dreaded “cancer” word is all that I find info on. Do you any information on fibrous tumors in boxers?
Hi my 3yr old boxer has what appears to be sores/pimple clusters on his mouth that I can pop and ooze and blood with Come out they don’t bother him..but I have been popping and cleaning them for a few days now and they just fill back up as the day goes on. Any idea what these are? And best way to treat it?
I have a half boxer and Shar Pei dog she’s 6 months old and when I rube her ears they have lumps in them each ear at least 10 lumps in each ear what do I do
Hi, I have a 3.5 yr old boxer girl and I have been trying to fond out how to stop her skin problems. She has very small black growths that pop up on her head (about 20 this last time) then they scab off and she has tiny little bald spots where they were until her fur grows back. She also has had a couple on her legs before, just not as many. We have taken her to the vets for this and the only thing they said was that they are benign skin growths, which is good. My question is could this be Subcutaneous Keratinizing Trichoepithelioma? And would using a medicated shampoo such as malaseb shampoo help prevent these? She is also prone to flank alopecia during winter and right now we are dealing with a paw that is completely raw between her toes(looking to do a apple cider vinegar solution soak soon). Any input would be greatly appreciated!
My 18 month old female boxer has a lump on the outer part of her left ear. It began as a pea size hard lump and now has grown into a grape sized lump. I have had her to the vet for almost 2 months and they keep putting it off. It is so big I don’t let her play with other dogs in fear it will be ripped off. I have booked for surgery. I don’t know what else to do.
Hello,
I have a boxer pit mix that is 4 years old. She has a red bump on her upper lip the size of an eraser head. It was bright pink when it first was noticed and that was about 2 weeks ago. It doesnt seem to cause her pain if i touch it but i notice when she itches her face she probably scratches it. (Not all the time or constantly though). Now it is a dark red possibly with black in the middle of it. I dont believe it has increased in size though. What are your thoughts of this if you dont mind?
My 8 month old boxer just had a bump about the size of a dime show up on his cheek. It is hard, the hair came off, it doesn’t bother him. I used vetricyn to wash it. There is no drainage, & the fur is growing back. My daughter’s boxer did the same thing. Should I be concerned? He seems fine.
Hi….just curious! My 7 year old boxer has been diagnosed with a benign basal cell tumor on his ear. My vet has advised a wait and see approach. Does that sound reasonable to you? or should I just book him to have it removed?
I have a puppy he has one bump small on his face by the nose and another one by his cheek just noticed that
Can u help me with that