Best Dog Food for Boxers

Dog Breeds List » Dog Breeds » Best Dog Food for Boxers

The best dog food for Boxers is not the same for every dog. If you want to keep your Boxer safe, you have to account for their age and specific health needs.

Best Food for Boxers



#1 Dry Pick

No products found.

Best for Boxer Pups

No products found.

#1 for Sensitive Stomach

No products found.

Best for Boxer Gas

No products found.

#1 for Allergies

No products found.

Of the many questions you might have about your Boxer, questions about the best dog food are right up there at the top of the list. I mean, who wants to toss down just any old kibble in the food bowl when your dog is as much a member of the family as a pet!

(Shh! Don’t tell your Boxer baby I said “pet”!)

So, which food is the best?

Which food will make good on all those label promises?

Which food is least likely to make your dog allergic and sickly?

There are so many important questions like these that we want to ask, and I’m hoping to take on some of that for you here today.

If you’re anything like me, you don’t want to just fill that Boxer tummy! You want what’s going to offer the highest nutritional value as well as make their coat, eyes, and breath better than ever.

Concerning Dog Foods With “Boxer” in the Name

Royal Canin for Boxers Review

Royal Canin is a “popular” brand and No products found. is one of their breed brands.

News flash: popularity doesn’t mean it’s good!

Not only do most dogs that eat it have serious gastric disturbances like diarrhea and vomiting, but Dog Food Advisor doesn’t particularly care for it either.

The primary concern with this food is the ingredients.

  1. Brown Rice (A complex carbohydrate. Why is this bad? The 1st ingredient should always be a named protein.)
  2. Brewers Rice (A cereal grain by-product)
  3. Chicken Fat
  4. Chicken By-Product Meal
  5. Oat Groats

Our advice?

Don’t feed your dog Royal Canin for Boxers. Yes, even if it has your dog’s breed on the label…look for something else!

Eukanuba for Boxers Review

No products found. is another “popular” brand name dog food that gets touted by many vets. Again, this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s what you want for your Boxer.

With numerous recalls, mostly for salmonella, we should be just a little more concerned about the ingredients.

According to the ingredients list, there are more items that cause me to raise an eyebrow.

While they aren’t ALL situated as near to the top as those in Royal Canin were, they are there. Just take a look at these:

  • Chicken By-Product Meal
  • Corn Meal
  • Brewer’s Rice
  • Sodium Hexametaphosphate
  • Brewers Dried Yeast

Hexa-WHAT?!

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that if we can’t readily recognize one or more ingredients, then it might not be a good choice for your Boxer!

Another major problem with these two particular foods is that vets readily recommend this to all their patients.

Most of the time, they aren’t any the wiser to the truth, because large companies are swearing their stuff ROCKS!

Well, truth is, “rocks” might be a better diet than some of the food they push.

Nothing – and I mean NOTHING – beats the fact that we know our fur babies and what’s best for them.

Yeah, it takes a little research sometimes, but isn’t it worth it?

Best Food for Boxers with Sensitive Stomachs

Vomiting, diarrhea, refusing to eat.

Yes, a sensitive stomach can be a major pain for you and your Boxer both. Diet is the #1 cause of sensitive stomach and here’s the best food for Boxers with sensitive stomachs:

No products found.

Do Boxers Have Sensitive Stomachs?

Yes, Boxers do have sensitive stomachs.

It’s a vague term, really, but it says a lot at the same time.

A sensitive stomach can show up in a lot of ways. Common symptoms include:

  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Gas
  • Grass-eating

It’s true that other things can cause this, but if switching your Boxer’s food source eliminates these symptoms, it’s a pretty safe bet he or she has a sensitive stomach.

What Causes a Sensitive Stomach in Boxers?

Some dogs are just born with a tender stomach that requires a bit more attention.

If you’ve recently changed your Boxer’s diet, or you switch things up on a regular basis, you can even expect sensitive tummy outbreaks.

You can even mess up your Boxer’s stomach by simply giving him too much food. Yeah, I know you love him to pieces, but lay off that extra round of kibble just cause he gives you those puppy dog eyes.

How to Minimize Boxer Stomach Issues

So, if you’re looking for the best food, there are some important things to look for when reading the label:

  • Keep grains to a minimum. Grain, in pet food, is really just a code word for “FILLER” and that’s not what your Boxer needs. Worse still, most foods don’t give a flip about the quality of those fillers.
  • The more protein, the better. Boxers that have sensitive tummies need something in there that breaks down easy. The easier the whole digestion process is, the less chance your Boxer will wind up with a sensitive stomach.
  • Offer more real food. If you see ingredients like named chicken, turkey, venison, or bison, or veggies like pumpkin and potato, you know you’re getting better quality food. It’s not too hard to figure out – if you’d like the beet rather than the beet powder, it’s likely your Boxer will too!
  • Make your own! If you’re still in doubt about which commercial dog food is best for your boxer, remember you can’t go wrong with a homemade blend. In fact, that way, you’ll know there’s no garbage in there! Just check out these homemade foods!

A Word About Proteins

When it comes to those proteins, there are some more fast facts I definitely want you to be aware of!

First of all, Bison and Kangaroo are a couple of the easiest proteins to digest. They are top-notch for Boxers with allergies.

Beef and chicken seem to be in everything, but proceed with caution! These two are commonly the root of allergy problems and should be avoided if you’re trying to rule that out.

Best Dog Food for Boxers With Gas

Dealing with your Boxer’s gas can be a …

Well, a pretty stuffy situation! Here is the best dog food for Boxers with gas:

No products found.

Here’s what else you need to know to help your Boxer forget the flatulence.

What Causes Gas in Boxers?

So, let’s clear the air about what really causes problematic Boxer gas.

First of all, a certain amount of gas is natural. It’s just the way the body works.

However, when it starts to be a problem, it can all be traced back to the sensitive stomach.

Poor digestion can cause gas.

So can new foods and spoiled foods.

These kinds of undigested foods go rancid in the digestion process and can actually start fermenting.

(Yeah, we’re talking WHINE not WINE here, folks.)

Serious Causes of Boxer Gas

Every once in awhile, gas can mean something is seriously wrong with your dog. If your Boxer’s gas is a new symptom or has gotten a lot worse, it could be time to see a good vet.

Some of the severe (and some, potentially life-threatening) problems include:

  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency
  • Pancreatitis
  • Gastrointestinal infection or parasites

If you rule out these and other serious diseases and complications, then you can move on to the next phase.

Not So Serious Causes of Boxer Gas

A few primary causes of “normal” Boxer flatulence can include:

  • A sensitive stomach – Here we are again, back to this catchphrase. See why we think it matters? You should too!
  • Air – When swallowed quickly, which happens when your Boxer loves his food so much he tries to eat it in one gulp, your dog isn’t able to get rid of it by burping. What’s leftover gets passed through the digestive tract and isn’t really too smelly.
  • Food with low quality – Bad ingredients, especially proteins and fiber your dog can’t digest, are big culprits. Some food containers specifically say “highly digestible”, or you might see “low residue” on the label. Both mean they’re less likely to cause gas.
  • Large amounts of meat – Sure, dogs use to roam the wild badlands, killing their breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But not anymore! Besides, flatulence caused by excess amounts of meat wouldn’t have mattered out there in the wild! That Boxer on the sofa… different situation altogether!

Minimize Boxer Gas with These Tips

Some people want to treat the symptoms and not the actual cause of the gas. That’s why a lot of vets will tell you to use enzymes or activated charcoal if your Boxer is gassy.

But wouldn’t you feel better if you just helped get rid of the gas in the first place? Am I the only one that sees the logic in this?!

Sure, we can go on feeding our Boxers charcoal and crap, but who’s really going to win there? The makers of said crappy dog food and the makers of said charcoal (or enzymes)!

After all, they’re probably all working together anyway!

Instead, let’s focus on what kinds of foods can actually help to alleviate gas. You know, clear the air between you and your fur baby!

  • Nutritious, digestible ingredients. Gas that isn’t caused by some other health complication often stems from food that is low in nutritional content or that is hard to digest. If it fills your dog up but doesn’t have much to give, nutritionally speaking, the problem is only gonna get worse! Shoot for a kibble that is rich in proteins. Both protein and fat are easier to digest and metabolize than other ingredients if they are animal-based.
  • No more wolfing down food. When your dog basically breathes his food in, you know you’re going to have problems. That excess air gets trapped in the stomach and really only has one place to go. Some dogs do this no matter what you do or what kind of schedule you keep. One good way to avoid this is to offer food from a slow feed bowl, which forces them to take their time.
  • No scavenger hunts. If your precious little bundle of fur can scavenge scraps faster than a raccoon, you might have to watch him! Keep garbage in cans or bins and keep an eye on him out in public because, yes, poop eating is common among dogs. Anything he picks up like this can cause gassiness to become worse.
  • Choose white meat or fish. If you seem to be seeing issues related to red meat sources, offer a kibble that is based on poultry or fish as an active protein source. These are less likely to cause allergies that can include making flatulence worse.
  • Natural ingredients rock! As you saw earlier from our rules for dog food ingredients, fillers and additives are just that: NOT FOOD! If you read the ingredient list of the food in question and it has listings that you can pronounce and might possibly eat from your own plate, you have a winner!
  • Look for probiotics and prebiotics. Both of these, when added to the food your dog eats, can help create a healthier environment in your dog’s stomach. This, in turn, reduces the chances that gas will develop. Win, win.

Best Food for Boxers with Allergies

Many Boxer allergies don’t even seem like allergies at all. Especially where food is involved.

In fact, you might not even know your dog is allergic to something until you hear about it. That’s why we’re including it here! Check out the best food for Boxers with allergies here:

No products found.

Food allergies can cause lots of different reactions. You’re going to want to know what they so that you can combat them head-on.

Does My Boxer Have Food Allergies?

If you’re wondering about whether or not your dog has allergies, something has likely happened that caused you to believe that way in the first place.

Maybe your dog is doing something that seems out of the ordinary? Has your vet made comments suggesting allergies? Did a friend share a story that their dog did the same “before they found out it was allergies”?

While many vets have said that food allergies are not nearly as common as some suppose, they do happen. And when they DO, symptoms can range from “I would never have guessed” to “Oh my God, my dog is dying!”

Food Allergy Symptoms in Dogs

Food allergies can cause lots of symptoms. These are actually immune responses that can range drastically in severity. Severe reactions can be life-threatening, in much the same way that peanut allergies can be life-threatening to us humans.

So, what are some of the symptoms you should look out for? Here’s a pretty good list:

While some of the reactions on this list can be a result of some other condition, it doesn’t hurt to treat it as an allergy. If it doesn’t clear up, though, be sure to check with your vet!

  • Red skin that is inflamed, puffy, or red
  • Runny eyes/Itchy eyes
  • Sneezing
  • General itchiness
  • Face, eye, ear, or lip swelling (this one can be SERIOUS!)
  • Hives (another serious one! This can be an anaphylactic response!)
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Licking that seems to have no other reason

How to Minimize Boxer Allergies

Never has reading a label meant so much as when you think your Boxer might have allergies!

Sometimes, it’s not about a specific name brand kibble. Sometimes you just need to have that base knowledge of what’s good and what’s bad. And that’s what we’re trying to arm you with here today.

  • Choose meats wisely. Protein is necessary for your dog. Picking the perfect meat can be meticulous, though. Red meat is often at the bottom of food allergies for lots of Boxers, while chicken is another possible culprit. If both of these seem to cause problems for your dog, move to bison, and then fish, both of which are incredibly easy to digest.
  • Include grains, veggies, and fruit. Grain is one of those ingredients that’s kind of up in the air. It can be a great nutritional supplement. On the other hand, some dogs are more allergic to grains than any other ingredient. However, fruits and veggies can offer excellent supplementation without being too filling.
  • Fewer ingredients are better. If there are any concerns about what causes your dog’s allergies, opt for foods that have fewer ingredients. This helps narrow down possible culprits behind the allergies and you’ll know which direction to move in from there.
  • When all else fails, go homemade. Making food for your dog in your own kitchen might sound extreme, but there are so many advantages. First of all, you can quickly narrow down the list of what might actually be causing the symptoms. You can also make sure to leave off the most triggering ingredients, one at a time, until you start to see signs diminishing. There are lots of recipes, or you can make your own, and you can even shop Amazon or another online retailer for a supplement you can add to the home recipe.

Best Dog Food for Boxer Puppies

Puppies need a good start!

Nutrition tailored specifically to your Boxer is the best way to get that start. What’s more, they need specific bits of nutrition to help their little growing bodies to become big, strong bodies.

Our best dog food for Boxer puppies pick:

No products found.

What Nutrition do Puppies Need?

The best, shortest answer is that puppies need:

  • Protein
  • Minerals
  • Vitamins
  • Carbs
  • Fat
  • Fiber

Calories are also very important, especially since we know puppies are probably one of the most energetic creatures on the planet.

These calories should be enough to keep up with that energy to make sure bones, muscles, and ligaments, to name a few, are properly supported.

A lack of nutritional value and calories can result in deformations and developmental issues that create a sickly puppy growing into adulthood.

Boxer Puppy Feeding Schedule

For the first year, certain guidelines should be met. Food changes can be made at specific intervals for the best health and growth.

Here’s the Boxer puppy feeding chart we recommend:

  • From 6 to 12 weeks, special nutrition, offered four times a day, should be offered to help a puppy develop as they should. The amount you offer at each feeding should be commensurate with the size of the puppy.
  • From 3 to 6 months, you can reduce the number of daily feedings to three. At this stage, watch for too much weight gain and adjust portions to fit.
  • From 6 to 12 months, only two daily feedings are necessary. Somewhere in this time frame, you can switch to a kibble that geared towards maintenance instead of puppy kibble. For smaller dogs, doing this somewhere between the 7th and 9th months is good. Larger dogs can go on with puppy kibble up to the age of 14 months. Remember: it’s always better, nutritionally speaking, to keep them a puppy for a little longer as opposed to robbing them of nutritional value too early!

More Tips for Feeding Your Boxer Puppy

There are lots of articles out there that mention specific brands. We prefer to arm you with the knowledge to pick your own based on specific nutritional needs.

For Boxer puppies, those include:

  • Ingredients that are completely natural. Vitamin preservatives are often used, and you should be able to find NATURAL flavorings and not artificial ones.
  • Real meat, fruits, and veggies. Remember, no by-products, meals, or “protein replacements”. If you’re serious about offering your Boxer puppy the best start, this is a good rule to follow!
  • Good, quality grains. You’ll read lots of articles about how grains should be completely avoided because dogs were once wolves, yada, yada.  The truth is, grain allergies in dogs are just like other allergies in humans. Not all humans are allergic to peanuts. Not all dogs are allergic to grains. However, to avoid the most common allergy-inducing grains, opt for quinoa, oatmeal, or rise. These are great sources of nutrition that your puppy needs, but not as commonly called out as an allergen.
  • USA-based ingredients. We’ve all seen the recall list for many of the most popular dog foods. The truth is, much of that recalled content comes from overseas. They don’t have to follow the same guidelines as our pet food makers here in the states. That can cause a lot of problems.

Best Dog Food for Senior Boxers

Oh, how we love our senior canine companions!

We want them to live as long as possible, and to be as healthy in their golden years as is possible. The best way to make sure that happens is by providing the best nutrition possible.

Just like us, they require certain changes as their bodies age.

It doesn’t make sense, for instance, to give them food for a healthy, active younger dog. Especially if your senior Boxer is a couch potato!

What Specific Nutritional Needs do Senior Boxers Have?

Boxers often begin to suffer from hip and knee problems as they age. Because of this, exercise routines aren’t quite as strenuous as they use to be. They may even need special orthopedic beds after a certain age.

As their physical activity begins to wane, their calories should be cut to reflect that. The last thing you want is an obese Boxer, which can create tons of other health issues.

At some point, you’re probably going to have to transition to a wet kibble. Adding broth or gravy to dry kibble can help soften it, make it easier to chew, and easier to digest.

Canine Cognitive Dysfunction, also known as CCD, can become an issue as your Boxer ages.

This is a lot like dementia in humans, and nutrition can be a great way to address it. Adding supplements like fish oil or ginkgo biloba can help.

You can even discuss anti-anxiety meds with your vet it it gets to be a big problem.

Tips for Feeding Your Senior Boxer

As at every stage of life, high-quality, nutritional ingredients are most important. However, calorie restrictions make senior Boxer food a little different. 

For instance, white fish like tuna, and hardboiled eggs are excellent sources of protein. They just aren’t packed with calories that are unneeded.

Other great food additions include:

  • Mackeral (adds omega-3 fatty acids for continued joint health)
  • Chicken
  • Tuna or other flaky whitefish
  • Rice (plain)
  • Fruits, particularly pumpkin and banana, which helps with digestion
  • Strawberries
  • Blueberries
  • Raspberries
  • Watermelon (sparingly)

Related Reading

Dog Breeds List

The Editorial Staff at Dog Breeds List is a team of dog breed experts. Trusted by millions of dog lovers worldwide.