advice please - Page 1

Can anyone advise me please.  i have a 7.5 month old gsd.  we have been cautious with exercise etc. yet two weeks ago he developed a limp, seemingly caused by his front left leg/shoulder.  since this occurred he has only had short, on-lead walks, but the rest does not seem to have settled the condition.  our vet has advised g a x-rays on all joints, despite not having even seen the dog move.  i am looking for any second opinions on what to do next as only want to use x-rays as a last resort.  Also, is he too young for an x-ray to determine the status of his joints yet?

Thanks for any advice you can give

the vet did palpate both front legs and said the left was sore.  sorry to sound really naive, but what is pano?

he is on 200g of arden grange adult, chicken and rice,twice a day and 5/6 chicken wings per week.  we changed to adult food a week ago from a g puppy/junior.  hope you are right about growing pains. 

Your puppy is experiencing rapid growth, you need to slow his growth rate,
by switching to adult dog food, a premium brand.
Pano is short for Panosteitis, it causes lameness in growing puppies,

It is linked to high amounts of protein in your dogs diet.

By switching to a premium adult dog food,

Your German Shepherd will still grow to be a big handsome dog, just at a slower rate!

www.vonryansgermanshepherds.com

If your vet didnt discuss the possiblities of Pano, with you already...IMO   get a different vet...this man or woman doesnt  know about gsd...issues.

We had one of our girls got sore off and on for a few months.  Pano can also move from leg to leg. They do outgrow it though sometimes you wonder!    Don't let him overdo it, which it sounds like you're doing a good job on. Quiet calm walks, and maybe aspirin to take the edge off his pain.

What area of the country do you live in? There are a lot of problems that exhibit like that which are originating from certain regions. Lyme's Disease is really common in New England and often starts with this symptom. In the Desert Southwest we have Valley Fever which starts like that. I believe that is one of the first symptoms for Rocky Mt. Spotted Fever in the South. Hopefully your Vet sees enough of these to know to check for them. I'm sure there must be more regional illnesses than these. Maybe something to check.

Dawgs