There are two important issues I would like to address this month. They are unrelated but are vital to every Boxer lover. One concerns white boxers, the other some new and sobering data relating to Boxer health.
Controversy
It's time that the white puppy came out of the closet. He's a fact of Boxer life; he's not going to go away. Most of us have met him in one context or another.
White or near white Boxers are not uncommon. They occur, sometimes with disappointing frequency, in a genetic pattern of inheritance governed by a white recessive gene. They are more likely, statistically, to be born to "flashy" parents, but there are many exceptions. If a breeder tells you that he's "never had a white puppy," chances are he hasn't been breeding very long.
The Boxer breed standard calls for no more than one third white markings over the entire coat. Anything exceeding that is a disqualification in the show ring. In addition to predominately white pups, Boxers can come in a wide variety of mismarkings, i.e., fawn or brindle dogs with white ears or a white saddle. Dogs, like the rest of us, are not perfect. What are we to do, then, with our imperfect animals?
Many breeders leave their white pups in the sac at birth. Others have them humanely destroyed in a vet's office. Others allow them to grow up and sell or place them. Fox years, this has been done in a more or less clandestine way.
The American Boxer Club by-laws of February 1988 state the following:
"Registration with AKC, or sale by any member or member of a member club, of any Boxer or Boxer in a litter with white ground color or entirely white, or any other color than fawn or brindle, or registration or sale of a litter by a dog or bitch as above described, shall cause forfeiture of membership in the American Boxer Club."
Those who choose to be ABC members have, therefore, rather explicit guidelines to follow. It should be noted here that the word "placed," in the context of "registered, sold, or placed" has been deleted in these same by-laws. By this omission, it appears that there is a tacit permission to place a white puppy (for no money, and with no registration papers), although ABC decidedly does not encourage such placement.
Judging from the letters I receive on this subject, everybody has a strong opinion; from those who adamantly advocate euthanasia, to those who have suggested that white and mismarked Boxers be donated to guide organizations where their color might prove an asset. Some advocate the new AKC limited registration option.
The Code of Ethics of the American Boxer Club, adopted in May of 1990 by the board of directors, basically reconfirms the wording in the by-laws, but goes on to say:
"Substandard or inferior animals may be sold or placed, but only with a written agreement to have the animal altered."
This paragraph does not define what "substandard or inferior" means in that context. It may be open to the interpretation of the reader until it is more specifically defined.
In short, the issue is confusing and volatile. Hopefully, open and frank discussions by breeders and owners alike will help to resolve many unanswered questions.
Crisis
A reader in Massachusetts sent me the following open letter to Boxer owners, dated June 13, 1990, which I have received permission to reprint. Please note that it is written by Neil Harpster, D.V.M., one of the most eminent cardiologists in the country, and one of the very few who is specifically studying the Boxer:
"Boxer cardiomyopathy is a degenerative condition of the heart muscle in which the muscle fibers undergo progressive degeneration and are subsequently replaced by fatty tissue. This process in many dogs results in cardiac irregularities, called arrhythmias, which may be responsible for episodes of weakness or collapse, while in other dogs, it may cause deterioration in heart function leading to congestive heart failure. Both of these syndromes are serious complications and usually result in a significantly shortened life expectancy.
"Twelve years ago, we reviewed a group of over sixty Boxers with this condition and found that the average age at the time of diagnosis . . . was 8.23 years. More recently, we reviewed the patients we have seen since 1978 and find now that the average age at the time of diagnosis is 6.82 years! This suggests that this condition is still very prevalent and is affecting this lovely breed at an earlier age! This is of great concern. [Breeders, please note!l
"Some recent studies have suggested that Boxer cardiomyopathy may be in part the result of an L-carnitine deficiency, an amino acid.... Most likely, this condition is genetically determined, as the changes that are found are uncommon in other breeds.
"At this time, we are in great need of your assistance if we are to better understand this condition and, hopefully, reduce its incidence ...."Neil Harpster, D.V.M., Director of Cardiology, c/o Angell Memorial Animal Hospital, 350 South Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02130, (617) 522-7282.
Dr. Harpster has prepared a questionnaire which he would be happy to send to you or your vet. If you have had a dog with this disease, or one exhibiting the symptoms, please do not be silent.
Stephanie Abraham
P.0. Box 346
Scotland, CT 06264
