| As dog grows, owners should specifically observe | | | | Ascriptin, or Rimadyl, or steroids in severe cases. |
| some changes and possible diseases that may occur | | | | Restricting the dog's activity has not been shown to |
| in their fast growing dogs. One of most common sign | | | | have an effect on the healing process. Panosteitis is |
| is limping, and it can be caused by several problems | | | | treated symptomatically. Rest on comfortable dog |
| associated with bones and bone growth. One of most | | | | crates, exercise restriction, and pain medication are |
| common dog bone disease is Panosteitis or "Pano". | | | | prescribed. Pain medication is usually a non-steroidal |
| Panosteitis is also referred to as growing pains and | | | | anti-inflammatory drug, or NSAID, such as aspirin, |
| wandering leg lameness. This lameness can last a day | | | | etodolac, or carprofen. Rarely, severely affected dogs |
| to a few weeks. Pano is characterized by shifting leg | | | | may need more potent pain relief such as narcotic |
| lameness; one leg will heal, then another may be | | | | drugs. |
| affected. There are no long-term ill-effects from pano, | | | | Panosteitis is treated symptomatically. Rest, exercise |
| but still needs enough attention and proper petsafe and | | | | restriction, and pain medication are prescribed. Pain |
| care to prevent such diseases. | | | | medication is usually a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory |
| Panosteitis is commonly associated with large breed | | | | drug, or NSAID, such as aspirin, etodolac, or carprofen. |
| dogs and usually occurs in dogs 5 to 12 months of | | | | Rarely, severely affected dogs may need more |
| age, although it has been found in dogs as old as 5 | | | | potent pain relief such as narcotic drugs. Currently, a |
| years. Pano most commonly affects males by a ratio | | | | common rumor is that low protein, low calcium diets |
| of 4:1. Females are most often affected around their | | | | may prevent this condition. It should be noted that the |
| first heat. These disease can be considered partially | | | | energy level of low protein/calcium diets is often lower |
| genetic since so many German Shepherd Dogs are | | | | as well. If this is the case, a puppy will eat much more |
| prone to it. However, many other factors have been | | | | of the diet in order to meet its energy needs, resulting |
| associated with pano: diet, viral diseases, autoimmune | | | | in higher total calcium consumption. It may be |
| problems, hyperestrogen, and vascular problems. Other | | | | preferable to feed a puppy diet and restrict total |
| possible causes include nutritional derangements, | | | | quantity to keep the dog lean than to use a low protein |
| immunologic disease, metabolic disease, and other | | | | low calcium adult dog food. Some vets recommend |
| viruses. In other words, no one knows what causes it. | | | | supplementing dogs with high doses of MSM, |
| Some clinical signs were long bone pain, shifting leg | | | | glucosamine and vitamin C, others provide |
| lameness, fever, anorexia, lethargy. The common | | | | anti-inflammatories to keep them comfortable. |
| symptoms of Pano are Lameness that may shift from | | | | Whatever route you go, keep exercise to a minimum |
| limb to limb, pain, fever, and loss of appetite. | | | | and know that if it is indeed Pano, your dog will grow |
| Like many problems, pano may be difficult to diagnose. | | | | out of it and will soon be back to his limber self again! |
| The dark patches may not appear on the x-rays. The | | | | Because of the potential genetic link, breeding animals |
| lameness may not shift to another leg. It can be | | | | should be screened to ensure that they are not |
| extremely frustrating with many bouts of radiographs. | | | | potential carriers of the disease. Despite the numerous |
| Assuming that the limping is caused by pano can help | | | | puppy foods catering to large breed dogs, there is no |
| delay diagnosis of other more severe problems. Never | | | | current evidence that confirms that these foods will |
| assume that limping is caused by pano without having | | | | lower the incidence of the disease when compared to |
| it properly diagnosed. This can be very scary to an | | | | standard commercial puppy food. If an animal shows |
| owner who up until this point has had an agile giant | | | | symptoms of the disease, they should be promptly |
| puppy who loves to lope about the house at a full run! | | | | diagnosed and treated and exercise and activity |
| Pano is an inflammation of the bone itself and through | | | | should be reduced until the symptoms have gone |
| radiographs (x-rays) a vet can often determine if this is | | | | away. |
| indeed the problem a dog is experiencing. The dog | | | | There is also known method of preventing Panosteitis; |
| normally limps on the affected limb and only rarely | | | | however, many veterinarians believe the disease is |
| holds the limb to prevent any weight from being placed | | | | made worse by calorie-dense diets and |
| on it. It is often easily diagnosed with an x-ray; the | | | | over-supplementation with calcium and phosphorus. |
| lesion shows as the tell-tale dark patch on the bone. | | | | Thus, a diet change to an adult formula, or a large |
| Pressure applied on the bone elicits a pain response. | | | | breed growth formula, is recommended. The dog |
| Currently, treatment consists of reduction of the | | | | should be fed an amount that does not promote |
| percentage of protein in the dog's diet and pain | | | | obesity or overly rapid growth. Calcium and vitamin |
| management through the use of buffered aspirin, | | | | supplements should also be avoided. |