Female Boxer's Diet
Boxers are large, sturdy dogs that were originally bred in Germany as hunting companions. They can stand as tall as 25 inches at the shoulder and weigh as much as 70 pounds. Boxers require diets that are designed for large, active dogs. Feeding a boxer an inadequate diet can affect its physical health.
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The Facts
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Dog Breed Info Center states that boxers are, "happy, high-spirited, playful, curious and intelligent." Boxers got their name because of their active front paws---the dogs run and pounce on things like a cat does. Their high activity levels and large bodies require nutritional diets to maintain their active lifestyle.
Dog Food
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Boxers should eat high-quality, large breed dog food to get their required level of nutrition. YourPureBredPuppy.com recommends that owners look for USDA-approved foods: foods that have been carefully checked and tested for the quality of their ingredients. Quality foods contain meats as the first two ingredients. Avoid food with soy beans, preservatives or additives and do not use "fillers" like rice or grain. Fillers like these are unnatural additions to a boxer's diet. Boxers wouldn't eat these these substances in nature and can develop life-long allergies from them.
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Fresh Foods
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Dog owners are encouraged to supplement any boxer's standard diet with a regular selection of fresh meats and vegetables. Meat and vegetables are foods that a boxer would have eaten in the wild and are foods that are natural and healthy for the dog's body. Appropriate fresh additions for a large breed like boxers are turkey, chicken, fish, venison, celery, carrots, lettuce and apples. According to YourPureBredPuppy.com, a boxer can also eat rice, oatmeal and cottage cheese as dietary supplements. Feed meat raw or cooked and feed the dog raw fruits and vegetables.
Pregnancy
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Any female dog needs additional nutrition during pregnancy. This is especially true of large, active breeds like boxers. If a female boxer becomes pregnant, it's important that the owner change her diet to include a type of dog food that contains more fat and protein than standard food. Many dogs are immediately switched to puppy food, which has a higher caloric content. A pregnant boxer generally eats 1 1/2 times as much as she did before she was pregnant in order to support the puppies in the womb.
Considerations
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Boxers go through large growth spurts as puppies. If they don't receive adequate nutrition as puppies and throughout their lifetime, they may have weakened bone and muscular systems. Boxers are prone to issues like Cushing's disease (a hormone imbalance), epilepsy (neurological disorder) and hip dysplasia (joint weakness), according to Dog Breed Info Center. Though not directly affected by nutrition, these disorders are often managed through diet. Female boxers who are affected by any of these symptoms need to follow a vet-prescribed diet to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
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References
- Photo Credit boxer dog image by Eva Bell from Fotolia.com
