Why Boxer dog's die young

Hi everyone, this is Nikki. JR asked me to share dog knowledge with you. Certain breeds can be prone to having allergies, just like they are prone to having certain genetic predispositions like hip dysplasia or seizures. The type of foods that your dog is allergic however, and are not necessarily breed specific. If you think that your dog is allergic to it's food, the most common food allergies are generally corn, wheat, or soy, which is what food companies use as fillers to cheat you out of the good expensive meat. Sometimes dogs can also be allergic to proteins like chick or beef, generally something that they have eaten all their life. The best thing to do in this case is switch to a diet that contains a protein that they haven't ever had and that also doesn't contain a bunch of the fillers and has something else like potato or rice. Most food allergies are evident in red itchy skin or upset tummies.
Food toxicity is a little different and much more dangerous. Foods that contain chemicals that are toxic to animals in large amounts can be fatal. Tylenol, Ibuprofen, sugar free gum that contains Xyletol are some dangerous things you should not give your pets. Asprin can be given but it has to be Buffered asprin (coated) so that it doesn't hurt their stomach lining. Asprin can also thin the blood out so it shouldn't be given one week prior to any surgery. Chocolate contains a chemical that is toxic to dogs, but milk chocolate doesn't have much in it. Your dog could probably eat a couple of Snickers bars and be fine (not that I recommend it!). Baking chocolate and dark chocolates are much more toxic though. Some foods that are sometimes actually put into dog food and supplements can also be toxic in large amounts, like garlic, onion, grapes (raisins too), and avocado. There are a butt load of plants that are toxic to animals that is too long to list, but Poinsettia (red Christmas flowers) can be one of the common mishaps. Usually if you break off a stem and the inside has milky stuff for blood....it is bad. And of course as everyone knows, don't feed your dog sweet delicious anti-freeze, but it works well on your neighbors cats that won't stop pooping in your flower bed.:snakeman: