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Why does my 1-year-old Boxer suddenly collapse while walking?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Boxer | Male | 50 lbs

What could make my dog fall over walking? My 1yr old boxer did this yesterday. Had 1 dog have same issue 2yrs ago but had cancer and passed. Tests showed nothing. Thank u

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Linda G,  MS, DVM

Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on February 26th, 2019

Hello. When you indicate tests showed nothing, were these tests for this dog or the one that passed? I would first consider this to be a possible heart problem because of his breed ( Boxer ) & his age. A possibly interruption in the heart rate could momentarily shut off oxygen to the brain essentially causing Max to pass out for a few moments. If blood work was conducted, & everything was normal, that is great. If listening to his chest indicated no murmurs or arrhythmias , & a chest x-ray showed a normal sized heart, then the next step is either a cardiac ultrasound, or the use of a Holter monitor, also known as an event monitor. Max will wear this monitor for at least one 24 hour period, & possibly more, to see if his heart behaves in any abnormal way to explain his falling over. Once a possible problem is identified, any necessary intervention can be started to prevent future episodes. Please discuss this further with your veterinarian. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
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