Best Dog Food for Boxers
Introduction
Get yourself a dog as loyal as a boxer! We know that when we used the word loyal, most of you thought about the role boxer’s play in forces first thing. But really, this breed is best defined by the term gentle giant. They are as adoring as any other furball breed and are more willing to obey your calls than some of the other arrogant dog species. Indeed, boxers have a lot to offer as pets, we could fill up volumes with that stuff! However, the important question here is, what are we as masters offering the dog? Affection is one criterion of gauging that love, diet another. What you feed your boxer matters! And it is this feed that we talk about in this discussion, in some detail too!
Boxers dog food: Buying guide
But before we jump into all the nitty-gritty of the top five dog foods for your boxer, we would like to talk a bit about the aspects that you have to keep in mind when you are shopping for a product of this nature. For the sake of convenience, we are going to talk about these determinants separately in the following lines.
1- Calorie demands
If you are a proud mom or dad of a boxer baby, you will already know this but boxers are portrayed wrongly as big beasts! Yes, they are very muscular, no doubt about that. But boxers don’t grow as huge as some of the pictures you might have seen on the internet. However, as we said, the average weight for boxers is around 50-70 pounds because of their muscular physique. What does that mean in terms of calories for your good boy? A minimum of 1500 calories at least per day! And that is like the bare minimum. The requirement for a more active boxer is a little more than that, something around 2000 calories. So, when you shop for a dog feed, keep these numbers in mind since these can answer how much I should buy questions accurately.
2- Ingredients
If this is not your first time reading about dog diet, then you will know that dogs need more protein in their diet, as compared to other macronutrients like carbohydrates or fats. In dog food, and here we are concerned with the boxer diet only, the major source of protein should be chicken. However, some dog foods for boxers feature turkey as well. Are these the only two meat sources in dog food? Certainly not, since some foods feature venison and bison meat as well.
That’s your boxer’s protein demand sorted, but what about carb requirements? Potatoes are the most common ingredient added for this purpose. The reason for this addition is that potatoes (and sweet potatoes) are enriched with vitamins and certain beneficial ions like potassium. We know your next question is about fats! Flaxseed and salmon oil are premium choices in this regard since these offer the added advantage of joints protection as well.
3- Probiotics
Historically, boxers have been known as a breed that has the most sensitive digestive systems. Hence, we are sure you can understand why choosing a dog food with probiotics is a great idea. The beneficial bacteria can help immensely in maintaining the normal internal tummy environment. Not only that, but probiotics also keep the digestive phenomenon like acidic digestion in check.
4- Breed needs
There are specific dietary concerns when we talk about this particular breed of dogs. We will talk about those in the later stages of this discussion. For now, we are going to mention just a few specific requirements of the boxer breed, in terms of diet. Firstly, this is a breed that is more prone to cardiovascular issues than the majority of the other dog breeds. Hence, they need amino acids like taurine and L-creatinine which are scientifically proven to be healthy for boxer dogs. Also, fiber is a major requirement of boxer dogs since it helps in keeping the gastrointestinal affairs in check. So, you are (or your boxer is) better off with a diet that features lentils or flaxseeds.
Top five dog foods for boxers
Now that the foundation has been laid, we can use what we have learned so far about the dog food for boxers to purchase the best dog food for boxers! To save you from the trouble of fishing for the best in a labyrinth of products, we have shortlisted the five best products for you. It is these which we talk about in the following sections of this discussion.
Let us start with this low carb-high protein dog food that features as much as 30 percent protein. The good thing about this protein percentage is that more than 80 percent of that is derived from animal protein sources. Salmon, turkey, and fish are the primary protein sources we are talking about here. Since some of the boxer dogs are not able to digest the chicken protein fully, the manufacturers of this dog food for boxers have refrained from adding a chicken meal to this food. A dash of probiotics and the much-needed fatty acids i.e., omega-3 and omega-6 are added to this dog food as well.
Because we are a bit cramped for time and space, we are going to recap the remaining features of this product in the pros and cons section.
1- Absence of irritants like soy. Boxer dogs are prone to allergic reactions if they consume plant-derived proteins in a greater percentage.
2- Comes without any additives or flavors.
3- Enriched with vitamin C and vitamin E.
4- Supplemented with biotin, which is essential for proper skin tone.
5- Berries, apples, and carrots which provide the trace elements.
1- Costlier than most products in the market.
2- Wellness CORE natural grain-free dog food
One word that defines this dog food product is balance. It represents an optimal balance between proteins, vegetables, and fruits. But we know that it is going to take a little more than that to satisfy your curiosity. So, let us talk about the ingredients first. The protein in this dog food comes from sources such as deboned turkey, turkey meal, and yes, chicken meal. To supplement your boxer’s diet with carbohydrates, a dash of potatoes is added. Flaxseed and broccoli are also an important feature of this dog food’s composition. Flaxseeds, if you recall, is an important source of fatty acids. There are no additives added to this dog food, which is quite a relief, to be honest. Soaring cases of dog food allergies were something that we had in our minds when we were searching for the best feeds!
1- No gluten or grains, which minimize the chances of a dog allergy.
2- Probiotic fortification
3- A made in USA dog food.
4- Affordable
1- Your boxer might not like the taste at first.
3- Taste of the wild high prairie
Yet another dog food product whose manufactures have been careful enough not to add plant source proteins like soy. We are sure that you are already well aware of the allergy story by now, so we will skip the details of that. Coming towards the more important features of this dog food product, it is enriched with antioxidants, thanks to the decent proportion of tomatoes and blueberries in it. However, don’t let that confuse you about the true nature of this boxer dog food. This is pure real meat dog food alright! We know you are interested in knowing about the key meat sources, so here they are buffalo, lamb, and chicken!
1- Lack of complex carbohydrates, which is a great plus since the digestion becomes much simpler.
2- Probiotic fortification
3- Roasted bison and venison, which are not found in every dog food.
4- Enriched with plenty of vitamins like B6, B12, D, B1, and B2.
5- Folic acid supplementation
1-Apart from the ridiculously high price, there is not much wrong with this formula.
A proper made for boxers diet, this one! You must be wondering, what is so special about this particular dog food under discussion. Well, as we said already, the boxer breed of dogs is particularly prone to cardiac issues. Hence, the need for a dietary product that keeps the health issues at bay for boxers was greater than ever. And the product under discussion does that effectively! Called a canine fat burner, the Royal Canin product features an optimal balance between fat and protein percentage. But that’s not all. An adequate percentage of glucosamine and chondroitin ensures that your boxer’s joints remain healthy and functional.
1-Kibbles are in a shape that aligns well with the jaw shape of boxers. Just like a lock and key model!
2- Minimizes the risk of bloat in boxers.
3- Natural flavors.
4- Adequate percentage of amino acids like L-tyrosine and L-lysine.
1- Suitable for boxers over 15 months of age only.
2- Contains wheat, which poses an allergic reaction risk.
5- Orijen Regional red dog food
Don’t let the numbering confuse you, all the products we have discussed in this article are top-notch. Now coming towards the features of the Orijen formula, the primary sources of protein in this one are beef, lamb, bison, and pork. The unique thing here is the fresh nature of the meat added to this dog food. But it is not an all meat product, there is a decent percentage of carbs as well. If we were to break it down for you, the percentage of carbs would be somewhere around 20% while that of proteins would be almost twice that. Looking for more dirt on this? Jump to the pros and cons!
1- An energy booster.
2- Contains the right blend of supplements, vitamins, and minerals important for coat development.
3- Fresh meat, so your boxer boy is going to love the taste.
4- Various healthy fruits and vegetables are blended well in this formula.
1- Too costly a product, price is higher because of the fresh meat.
FAQs
We know that you have some questions, and why wouldn’t you have them? It has been quite a comprehensive discussion alright! We know that we cannot answer all of your queries, so we are going to answer the frequently asked questions only!
1- How much should I let my boxer eat?
Do you recall the calorie limits which we discussed earlier in this article? Going by that, four kibbles per day sounds enough to us, given that your boxer weighs around 50kg.
2- What is the minimum protein percentage required for my boxer dog?
Our advice is that the minimum percentage of protein content has to be somewhere around 40 percent.
3- What type of breed are boxer dogs?
Boxer dogs can be categorized under the heading of medium breed dogs. Typically, boxer breeds have a stocky build.
4- Why do boxers lose weight?
If the dog food you have purchased at your local store is not of premium quality, then your boxer’s digestive system will be unable to absorb the nutrients that are crucial for maintaining the normal body weight.
5- Are grain-free dog foods ok for boxers?
Simply put, grains cause allergies. So, we are endorsing grain-free dog foods for your boxer!
Dietary concerns
We have talked about heart problems and grain allergies briefly already. So in this section of the discussion, we will focus more on bloat. In terms of risk percentage, boxers are most prone to bloat than any of the other canine breeds. One main reason for bloating is boxers swallowing kibble instead of chewing on it. So, make sure your boy isn’t doing that. Canine excitement is a common scene whenever there is food around your dog. But please don’t let that become a habit with your dog, try to calm the boxer down, both pre and post meals. And for keeping their joints functional, opt for dog foods that are enriched with glucosamine and chondroitin.
Conclusion
Well, folks that would be all from this discussion. One last tip before we sign off, go for fortified dog foods over the simpler versions. The vitamins and minerals are as important as the macronutrients themselves! And with that word of wisdom, we bid you farewell from this discussion!
You May Also Like
—————————————–
Best Dog Food for Poodles
Sentry PRO XFT Review
Best Food for Goldendoodle
Best Puppy Food for German Shepherds
K9 Advantix II Small Dogs