Can high protein foods cause panosteitus ?? - Page 1

Hello everyone i was wondering whether anybody could give me an advice on high protein foods causing panosteitus, i have a 7 month old gsd bitch an the vet said she has pano, i am curious because there is a friend of mine who is feeding her 16 month old bitch the same dog food as mine, i am feeding her beta, i would be grateful for anybodies knoledge regarding this matter, thank you

Yes, high protein foods have been associated with the tendency towards incidents of pano. Although certainly not every puppy raised on a high protein diet has trouble. Which tells me that if a puppy already has a tendency towards it, high protein can add to the chances of coming down with it. Most breeders and vets now days advise putting puppies on adult food by 12 wks.

Every dog reacts differently to what it is fed. High protein food can make a pup grow faster, that includes the long bones. The long bones are the ones affected by Pano and will usually be affected once. When the inflammation settles the discomfort goes away. Since every leg has several long bones, each leg can be affected several times. Fast growth also affects tendons and cartilage. And the growth plates in the bones will have to deal with more than they are designed for at that age. So yes, a moderate protein diet (20-25%) is considered better for pups, and also to keep them very lean. 7 months is pretty early for Pano. I would definitely change food, and amount. No more treats either (raw hide chewies are almost pure protein for example). Some vets recommend steroid treatment... I would personally not do that, or give anti-inflammatories. From my experience when you take the pain away the pup exercises more than it should. Its a tough time for the pup but the pain will regulate how much it should be moving about. 7 months is a good time to prescreen for HD and ED, to make sure the pups problems are not coming from there. In the x-rays you can see accute pano BTW.

I have a 14 month old gsd female,when she was 7 month old she was diagnozed panosteitus.I was told by the vets that it can be caused by high protein - she was given food that contains 28 % of protein.So I switched to lower protein food and the problem disappeared. When I spoke to her breeder he told me that her grandmother suffered from panosteitus when she was a "teenager".It`s proven that this can be passed on progeny.However,it`s not anything you should be worried too much about,it disappears when you use lower protein food or when the dog stops to grow which is when the dog is about 8 or 9 months old.

Thank you all for your comments they are really helpful.

Panosteitis most definitely has a genetic connection, typical timeframe is between 6 and 18-24 months and it has been documented in pups as young as 8 weeks and dogs as old as 5 years..... It can be very debilitating as severe cases often cause depression and lack of appetite. It will often go away only to appear somewhere else.. I have seen it in ribs and back areas as well as rear legs.. pretty much anywhere you have a bone that will grow you can see pano....Typically, it does affect the longer front leg bones..... FYI, cage, dog bones stop growing when their growth plates close... in large dogs, around 14 months, in small breeds around 10 months. This can be verified by xray. I never give drugs for it, especially the painkillers and I don't usually change food.. haven't seen it in any of my raw fed puppies. When I fed kibble, I fed a lower protein (nothing higher than 26%) anyway. Just keep them quiet.. keep them eating.. ride it out, it will pass.

YES. It is a definite possibility.

Yes,No, Maybe Yes it is posible No it didn't cause it from what I read it seems to be heredity, Maybe switching feed may help. i had one with it, that was the last time i bought a american bred GSD. No HD but also alot of problems with other genetic problems. was many years ago before I got into importing, was just a pet for the kids. Used rimadyl sparingly to just make the dog comfortable. Grew out of it. Look back through the message board was a very good link to a site all about panosteitus.

Hello, Just an FYI... I have a certified urban disaster dog age 5. Last year I slowly changed to a "new and Improved " food for working dogs. Evo. The protein level was quite hight. I normally feed raw with a little kibble (wellness). Tried the EVo and was on it for several weeks with out kibble and the dog was in such pain. I could not even get close enought to pet his head. Rushed to the vet..X-rays, muscle enzymes etc. and the verdict was TOO MUCH PROTEIN. all his long bones were inflamed. After 6 weeks on Very low protein diet and hand walking (every try to keep a high drive dog quiet on leash) he was re x-rayed and found to be ok. No permanent damage. Now 10 months later he is showing no signs of his pano. PLEASE watch your older dogs too. I wrote the manufacture and was basically blown off/ignored etc. Just my two cents worth Sarah Atlas & K-9 Tango NJ Task Force 1