Boxers Get Cancer Way Too Often
I had no idea Boxers were prone to cancer. Rocky seemed so healthy, so energetic. How could he have cancer?
But apparently Boxers get cancer more than most breeds. Lucky us.
Mast Cell Tumors Show Up Anywhere
Rocky's tumor looked like nothing. Just a small, round bump that felt soft under his skin.
But the vet took one look and said we needed a biopsy immediately. She said mast cell tumors in Boxers can be really aggressive.
The biopsy was $400. Then we had to wait three days for results. Longest three days of my life.
Grade 2 mast cell tumor. Moderately aggressive. Surgery to remove the tumor plus wide margins would be $2,500.
But here's the thing about mast cell tumors: they can spread anywhere. Skin, organs, lymph nodes. One tumor can become twenty tumors.
After surgery, we had to do staging tests. Blood work, X-rays, ultrasound. Another $1,200 to see if the cancer had spread.
Thankfully it hadn't. But now I check Rocky for lumps and bumps every week. Every little thing makes me panic.
The oncologist said mast cell tumors often come back. We'd need to monitor Rocky closely for the rest of his life.
Heart Problems Came Out of Nowhere
Two years after the cancer surgery, Rocky started coughing at night. Just occasional coughing, nothing dramatic.
But at his annual check-up, the vet heard a heart murmur. She said it wasn't there last year.
Boxer cardiomyopathy. Rocky's heart was getting enlarged and not pumping efficiently.
An echocardiogram showed the extent of the problem. $800 for the test, plus a consultation with a cardiologist.
The cardiologist said Rocky's heart condition was genetic. Common in Boxers. It would get worse over time.
Heart medication twice daily. $150 per month. Plus quarterly check-ups to monitor progression.
She warned that Rocky might collapse without warning. Boxers with heart disease can just drop dead during exercise.
Now I watch Rocky constantly during walks. Is he breathing hard? Moving slower than usual? Should I be worried about every little thing?
Bloat Scare at 3 AM
One night Rocky started pacing around the house, trying to throw up but nothing came out. His belly looked bigger than normal.
I remembered reading about bloat in Boxers. Deep-chested breeds are at risk.
Emergency vet at 3 AM. Rocky was drooling, restless, trying to vomit. Classic bloat symptoms.
Thankfully it was just gas and food. Not full gastric torsion. But the emergency vet bill was still $600.
The vet said Rocky was at high risk for bloat because of his chest shape. We should consider prophylactic surgery to tack his stomach.
Another surgery. Another $2,000. But better than losing Rocky to bloat in the middle of the night.
I asked why nobody warned me about all these health problems when I got a Boxer. The vet said most people don't research breed health issues.
Well, now I know. Boxers are basically medical time bombs.
What I Learned About Boxer Insurance
Rocky's medical bills taught me that Boxer insurance isn't optional. These dogs have too many expensive health problems to risk going without coverage.
Cancer Coverage Needs to Be Unlimited
My first insurance policy had a $5,000 annual limit on cancer treatment. That sounds like a lot until you're actually dealing with cancer.
Rocky's initial tumor removal and staging cost $4,100. We hit most of our annual limit on one surgery.
But cancer often comes back. Rocky developed another mast cell tumor eighteen months later. Different leg, same expensive treatment.
I switched to a policy with unlimited cancer coverage. Costs more monthly, but cancer treatment can bankrupt you.
Some policies have lifetime limits on cancer. Like $50,000 total. But if your dog gets cancer multiple times, that disappears fast.
Look for policies that reset annually instead of having lifetime caps. You don't want to run out of coverage when your dog needs it most.
Cardiac Coverage is Essential for Boxers
I never thought about heart coverage when I first got insurance. Hearts seem like basic medical stuff, right?
Wrong. Cardiac testing and treatment is expensive. Rocky's echocardiograms cost $800 each, every few months.
Plus monthly heart medication, quarterly check-ups, emergency cardiac care if he collapses.
Some policies don't cover cardiac monitoring unless there are symptoms. But with Boxers, you want to catch heart problems early.
The policy I ended up with covers cardiac screening and ongoing monitoring. Prevention is cheaper than emergency treatment.
Emergency Surgery Coverage is Non-Negotiable
Boxers have a lot of potential surgical emergencies. Bloat, mast cell tumor removal, cardiac procedures.
Emergency surgery costs whatever the hospital wants to charge. No negotiating when your dog is dying.
Rocky's bloat scare cost $600 just for the emergency visit. If he'd needed actual surgery, it would have been $8,000-12,000.
Some policies have lower limits for emergency procedures. But emergency surgery is often the most expensive kind.
Make sure your policy has high limits for emergency care. You don't want to be calculating costs in a crisis.