An adult Boxer of 30 kg, neutered and moderately active, needs about 907 kcal a day, which is about 796 g of our Chicken recipe. The veterinary records of more than 3,000 UK Boxers paint a different picture of the breed from the usual one, though: Boxers are diagnosed obese less often than other dogs, being too thin is mostly a young dog's problem, and the things that matter most at the bowl are the gut, the thyroid and the heart.
The FCI breed standard used across Europe gives over 30 kg for a male about 60 cm tall at the withers and about 25 kg for a female of about 56 cm. It describes a very muscular dog, neither heavy nor too light, with an underline that curves up elegantly towards the hindquarters.
Real Boxers are a little heavier. In the Royal Veterinary College's VetCompass study of 3,219 Boxers seen by UK first-opinion vets in 2016, adult males averaged 33 kg and females 27.6 kg, above the Kennel Club standard (30-32 kg for males, 25-27 kg for females). The authors suggest that either today's Boxers are simply bigger dogs, or some of them are overweight.
The surprise is elsewhere: Boxers are diagnosed obese less often than dogs in general, 3.8% against 7.1% in the same UK database. So a weight chart in kg is only a starting point. The reliable guide is body condition: ribs you can feel without pressing and a waist visible from above, which means 4-5 on the WSAVA 9-point scale.
With most breeds, owners want to know how to slim their dog down. With Boxers, many want to know how to fatten them up, and the records back this up. In the VetCompass study 2.2% of Boxers were recorded as underweight, and they were young dogs, with a median age of about 3, while the median age of obese Boxers was nearly 7.
Some leanness belongs to the breed: the FCI standard asks for taut, strongly developed muscles and flanks slightly tucked up, so a fit young Boxer shows a defined waist and a trim belly. But as the figures above show, vets do diagnose real underweight at that age, so a 'skinny phase' is worth checking rather than assuming. Book a vet visit when the dog is losing weight, when the hip bones and spine stick out, or when thinness comes with loose stools or mucus: in a young Boxer, that is the picture of the colitis described below.
Overall, Boxers do not seem to have more delicate bowels than other dogs: in the VetCompass study, diarrhoea was recorded in 2.6% of Boxers against 3.8% of dogs in general. There is, however, a bowel disease named after the breed: granulomatous colitis of Boxers, also called histiocytic ulcerative colitis. It typically affects Boxers under 4 years old, and the symptoms are frequent stools with mucus and blood, often with anaemia and weight loss.
For a long time it was thought to be an immune disease with a poor outlook. In 2006 a study of 13 affected Boxers found strains of Escherichia coli inside the wall of the colon, able to invade cells; in two Boxers of around a year old described in the same paper, the diarrhoea had not improved with a change of diet. In 2009, all 7 Boxers given an antibiotic active against these bacteria improved within two weeks, and 6 stayed free of signs, for a median of almost 4 years. There is a catch: in a later study of 14 Boxers, 6 carried bacteria resistant to that antibiotic, and using it before a definite diagnosis was linked to resistance and a worse outcome.
The Boxer is one of the breeds most predisposed to hypothyroidism. In a VetCompass study of more than 900,000 dogs it ranked third for risk, after the Dobermann and the Tibetan Terrier, with 10 times the odds of diagnosis compared with crossbreeds: about 2% of Boxers had the condition, against 0.17% of crossbreeds. Weight gain or obesity shows up in 41-44% of dogs with hypothyroidism, along with lethargy, hair loss and feeling the cold; in the study, the median age at first diagnosis was about 7 and a half.
In practice: if an adult Boxer puts on weight on the same portion as always, or slows down, ask your vet to check the thyroid before cutting the food drastically.
Heart disease was recorded in 6.3% of Boxers in the VetCompass study, and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is described as common in the breed. In a randomised, blinded study at Tufts University of 24 Boxers with ARVC and frequent extra heartbeats but no symptoms, 2 g a day of fish oil for 6 weeks reduced ventricular premature contractions (median from 397 to 162 in 24 hours), while flax oil and sunflower oil had no effect. In this trial, then, the plant omega-3 in flax oil did not do what fish oil did; but these were dogs already diagnosed, the best dose and duration are not known, and any supplement is a decision for your vet.
Skin disorders were the most common group of problems in Boxers in the VetCompass study (17.7% in one year), and inflammation of the outer ear canal (otitis externa) the most common single diagnosis (7.2%). In a large study of insured dogs in Sweden, Boxers had an above-average risk of atopic dermatitis. Not all of it comes from the bowl, though: among dogs with atopic dermatitis, studies put the share with a food reaction at between 9 and 50%.
And when a food is to blame, it is not necessarily chicken. In a review of 297 dogs with documented food reactions, the most frequent culprits were beef (34%), dairy (17%), chicken (15%) and wheat (13%). The only way to find out is an elimination diet set up by your vet, with a protein your dog has never eaten, for at least 8 weeks; blood and saliva tests are not reliable for this diagnosis.
Every Pappa Fresh recipe contains one meat only and declares the percentage of each ingredient on the label, so you always know what your Boxer is eating and can show it to your vet:
They are cooked in the pouch and keep outside the fridge until opened; once opened, they go in the fridge and should be used within 2-3 days. On the Complete plan a Boxer eats more than one 400 g pouch a day. For dogs over 25 kg the quiz starts from the Topper, a quarter of the ration alongside your dog's usual food; there is also the Mix, half the ration with your own kibble. Either way, take the same share out of the kibble: adding without taking away just means more calories.
An adult Boxer of 30 kg, neutered and moderately active, needs about 907 kcal a day: with our Chicken recipe that is about 796 g, with the richer Beef recipe 667 g. An unneutered Boxer burns more, about 1133 kcal. The table runs from a 25 kg female to a 34 kg male. Our quiz works out the portion from your Boxer's weight, age, activity and body condition: if yours is very active or underweight, say so in the quiz and the portion goes up.
For a dog of this size the Complete plan costs about €14.10 a day, the Mix about €7.05 and the Topper about €3.53. If you compare the grams with a bag of kibble, remember that for the same calories wet food weighs about three times as much: kibble has around 350-400 kcal per 100 g, our recipes 110-136. For the general logic behind portions, see how much a dog should eat.
| Weight | Energy need (kcal/day) neutered / intact | Grams per day neutered / intact | Complete plan | Mix (½) | Topper (¼) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 kg | 791 / 988 | 694 g / 867 g | €12.71/day | €6.22/day | €3.16/day |
| 30 kg | 907 / 1133 | 796 g / 994 g | €14.10/day | €7.05/day | €3.53/day |
| 34 kg | 996 / 1245 | 874 g / 1092 g | €14.97/day | €7.61/day | €3.77/day |
Grams based on the Chicken recipe (114 kcal/100 g); with Beef, which is richer (136 kcal/100 g), you need about 16% less. Prices for a neutered dog.
Figures calculated with the same method as our quiz (FEM×K: maintenance energy adjusted for breed, activity, neutering and body condition). They are an estimate: take the quiz for your dog's exact plan, and talk to your vet about any health concern.
Two minutes: enter weight, age and activity to get the exact portion, with 30% off your first order.
An adult Boxer of 30 kg, neutered and moderately active, needs about 907 kcal a day, which is about 796 g of our Chicken recipe, or about 994 g if unneutered. A neutered male of 34 kg needs about 874 g. These are estimates: adjust the portion to your dog's body condition.
The FCI standard gives over 30 kg for a male about 60 cm at the withers and about 25 kg for a female of about 56 cm; the Kennel Club standard gives 30-32 kg and 25-27 kg. In UK vet records, adult males averaged 33 kg and females 27.6 kg. Body condition matters more than the number: 4-5 on the WSAVA 9-point scale.
First have your vet check whether it is really underweight or just a lean, muscular young Boxer, which the breed standard expects. Real underweight does happen: in UK vet records it was diagnosed mostly in young Boxers, with a median age of about 3. If your vet confirms it and rules out causes such as parasites or colitis, increase the portion gradually and weigh your dog regularly. In our quiz, choose 'Underweight' and the portion goes up.
Granulomatous colitis typically affects Boxers under 4 and causes frequent stools with mucus and blood, often with weight loss and anaemia. Studies link it to E. coli bacteria invading the colon wall, not to a particular food. The diagnosis needs biopsies and culture, so that the antibiotic can be chosen by sensitivity testing.
Not necessarily. Boxers often have skin problems and an above-average risk of atopic dermatitis, but among dogs with documented food reactions chicken comes third (15%), after beef and dairy. Only an elimination diet of at least 8 weeks, supervised by your vet, can tell.
In the UK as elsewhere, no study shows that one food or format is best for this breed: what matters is a complete food in the right portion for weight and activity, keeping your Boxer at 4-5 on the WSAVA scale. Wet food contains more water, so for the same calories the portion in grams is about three times that of kibble.
Written by the Pappa Fresh editorial team from published veterinary studies (see sources). Not a substitute for your vet's advice.
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