Boxer had heart attack and resuscitated

Captain Darling

My parents have a five year old boxer who had an apparent heart attack last night. They were bringing him for a walk, when he jumped from the jeep (before the walk) and fell to the floor.

My mother checked him for a pulse/heart beat and couldnt find any. His eyes were rolled up into his head and his tongue was sticking out.

She then started compressions on his chest, and after four sets of four his heart started again, and after a couple of minutes he was back to his normal self.

This dog is very well exercised (brought for long walks in the evening) and is free to roam around the gardens and house during the day. His diet is well controlled, very healthy and he's brought to the vet for regular check ups (and heart checks!).

I was just wondering if anyone had any experience with this and if there is any thing that can be done to reduce the liklihood of this happening again.

Would it be advisable to reduce exercise/change it? Or a change in diet maybe?

He's being brought into the vet today as a matter of urgency, but i'd be interested in hearing from other boxer owners in relation to this.

He's one lucky dog!

Captain Darling

The dog was brought to the vet this morning, and the vet said that he is a fit and healthy animal, however these breeds are prone to heart attacks.

Very strange, the dog is going to be wrapped up in cotton wool and spoilt now!

Alun

It might also be epilepsy, and from the description of the rolling eyes sounds quite like it too ... I seem to remember that being common in boxers, but can't remember where I heard/read it.

Noopti

But does the heart stop during an epileptic seizure?

Alun

Noopti wrote: »

But does the heart stop during an epileptic seizure?

No, but I wonder if, in fact, the heart did stop as the OP indicated. In the panic of a situation like that, it would be easy to make a mistake.

Captain Darling

She's certain his heart stopped. Checked his chest and there was nothing.

woofie87

Jaysus I would have freaked out if it happened to my dog! Fair play to ur mum for reacting and clearly saving his life! Let us know if you find out any more about whether it was a heart attack or an epilepsy.

Captain Darling

The vet said these breeds are prone to heart attacks. So more then likely was.

sorella

I misread this header; wondered what it was doing in pets...:)

Honey-ec

Unfortunately due to years of irresponsible breeding around the world, Boxers are very prone to cardiomyopathy. The bad news is that it doesn't matter how well an individual dog is looked after, if the genetics are there, diet, lifestyle etc. isn't going to make any difference whatsoever.

I really hope this was an isolated incident for your mum's dog and that he has a long and happy life.

Wurly

Hope it helps. If you google boxer dogs and heart problems, loads of information comes up....

In order to raise a healthy and fit boxer dog, you need to know what different kinds of boxer health problems exist. The average life span of a boxer ranges between 8 to 10 years. A few major boxer dog health problems that commonly afflict this breed of dogs include CHD, cardiomyopathy and SAS. Other boxer dog health problems concerns are colitis, gastric torsion, corneal erosion and hypothyroidism. Occasionally, your pet boxer may suffer from rarer ailments like degenerative myelopathy or even brain tumor. Hence, it is strongly recommended that you get your canine friend checked regularly by a vet. The risk of developing various boxer dog health problems can be eliminated to a great extent and treated properly if diagnosed in the early stages. Hence, ensure that your vet conducts specific tests particularly for cardiac concerns, hip dysphasia and other thyroid issues, in order to assess boxer dog health problems in advance.

The following are a few common genetic conditions in brief that this particular breed of dogs is prone to:

AS or SAS

Aortic stenosis or sub-aortic stenosis is a condition in which the aorta constricts, consequently, restricting the flow of blood also in the heart. So, in order to maintain an appropriate blood flow through the body, the heart has to pump harder. This condition can be easily diagnosed, if the dog tires out easily or you can notice soft heart murmurs. Although, such dogs should not be included in breeding programs, they can continue to live a routine life.

Hyperthyroidism

As the name suggests, this condition indicates that the thyroid of your boxer is either not functioning properly or not working at all. This genetic disorder can result in hair loss, inactive lifestyle, slow growth and chronic skin conditions like dry skin or lesions. Fortunately, it can be treated with appropriate medications.

Hip dysplasia

This is one of the most widespread boxer dog health problems, in which the hip joints of the dog wear out regularly, resulting in pain and stiffness. Unfortunately, the situation only worsens with time and age of the dog, since there is no cure for it. Very often, pain management treatment is the only solution to ease the suffering or in extreme conditions, a joint replacement can be considered.

Boxer cardiomyopathy

This condition occurs when the heart of your pet boxer begins to beat erratically. The electrical signals produced by the dog's body cause its heart to deviate from its usual rhythm. In many dogs, the first attack of this irregular beating of the heart can prove to be fatal. This is a characteristic boxer dog health problem that cannot be spotted until the dog is fully mature. A routine examination by your vet is not enough to determine this condition because the inconsistent heartbeats are not constant. Hence, every dog of this breed should be inspected specifically for detecting if he suffers from boxer cardiomyopathy.

Corneal dystrophy

This condition is the outcome of uneven corneal development. Due to irregular development of the cornea, ulcers may form on the cornea. If not detected and treated properly in the early stages, it can cause loss of vision or even total blindness. Pain management techniques and surgical measures can be adopted to treat the condition effectively.

Jason Rusch is a Boxer Dog owner and enthusiast that has guided many Boxer owners through the essential steps of training and caring for their Boxer. To find out more about what it takes to train your boxer dog health problems properly, take a look at http://www.boxerdogessentials.com

Captain Darling

Honey-ec wrote: »

Unfortunately due to years of irresponsible breeding around the world, Boxers are very prone to cardiomyopathy. The bad news is that it doesn't matter how well an individual dog is looked after, if the genetics are there, diet, lifestyle etc. isn't going to make any difference whatsoever.

I really hope this was an isolated incident for your mum's dog and that he has a long and happy life.

Thats exactly what the vet said, he's a very fit dog, and probably too honest as well, insofar as that he loves running and doesnt like to stop.

The vet said for him to basically take it easy and change little else! She monitored everything on him and found nothing wrong with him. They are going to look at him in a few weeks and see if he needs to go on heart tablets?!

I was out to visit him this evening and the poor guy was dying for his walk/run!:(

Drummerboy08

My baby has a heart murmur. According to the vet, boxers are very prone to heart problems, as pointed out above.

We have her on medication every month which reduces the strain being put on her heart. She still gets walked everyday, is on a good diet, but we have noticed a big drop in her stamina in the last few months. When we bring her to beach and let her off, she'll run wild for 5 minutes and then she'll walk beside us, panting and sweating. Shes around 5 years old too, so its quite similar to your own.

I suppose its part of the course of owning a boxer.

cloudy day

sorella wrote: »

I misread this header; wondered what it was doing in pets...:)

:D

cloudy day

It could be worth getting a proper test on him to see if he has a murmur.
It does also sound like a fit / seizure, epilepsy is common in boxers but I don't know a lot about it. You can also phone another vets for an opinion, they do differ and do have different opinions.