ED Question - Page 1

What are the symptoms of possible ED in a puppy 6 months old? I have a bitch that for the last month has presented quite a limp of the front left foot. She has been on anti-inflammatory for a while but it did not work. An x-ray does not show anything strange. I started her on GAG FORTE for the last 15 days plus glucosamine-chondroitin-msm complex liquid. She is also taking 2 calcium pils per day after the vet's recommendation. The fact is that this bitch grew big VERY RAPIDLY and she became 60cm and 28kg withing 3 months! How do you think I should proceed? Any suggestions would be highly appreciated.

Thank yoi in advance

Extra calcium in anyone's system (your's and mine too) can CAUSE joint problems.  If the xray is negative for ED, then assume pano and back off the supplements.  This girl needs to slow down on the growing a bit.  Check her joint supplements and make certain there is no calcium in them as well. 

I agree with Sue-Ann, and You might want to lower the protein of her food  also. I would put her on an ADULT food with about 22% protein. I would also limit her exercise for a few weeks to see if that helps.

X-rays will show you more than any one's suggestions on this board.  Get her x-ray'ed.  That is what your vet should have done instead of playing around with additives to her food.  Pano is common in young GSDs too.  All the suggestions are good management practices, but only x-rays will tell if you have a true skeletal problem.

Petros already said in his first post that the dog had been X-rayed

6 months old - probably Pano - growing pains - is common in young GSDs and other large breeds.  It can be seen on x-ray if the vet knows what to look for (discoloration on the long bone) - if it's Pano it should get better, and/or switch to the other legs, get better then lame again - if it's elbow, it won't get better.

molly

Switch to a premium adult dog food, right away, puppy food contributes to rapidly growing bones.

One of my vets (He's been practicing for 35 years) told me years back, if people fed their dogs adult dog food from day one,

there wouldn't be such a problem with hip dysplasia and the likes, he said your pup will

grow, just not as rapidly, when it grows slower, the bones are stronger, when it shoots up,

the bones aren't as dense.     I have followed his advice, and have never seen any pano in my dogs.

puppy food causes hip dysplasia?  I'd change vets if I were you.  That's BS

molly

eichenluft,

Well I don't think he meant to put it quite that way,

but I do believe if you continue feeding puppy food to your dog till it's one year old,

that's a bit much, I believe you should discontinue feeding puppy food at about six months.

I've seen it stated in various puppy contracts, that you take them off puppy food around then or no guarantee

on hips, I don't tell people that, cause it's only MY personal opinion, it's their dog, and they can raise it the

way they see fit, I can only make suggestions.

Like what we do on this board........................................................ 

Sounds like Pano to me and your dog is the right age for it to kick in.