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