Looking for help or advice - Page 1

I posted a couple months ago regarding a limp in my dogs fornt leg and got some good advise. Sounded like Pano at the time and thing seemd to resolve themselves and all was well. Unfortunately the problem has returned.

Heres a brief synopsis: 2 months ago dog (8 months at time) developed limp on right front. Took to vet after week and had x-rays of both front legs and elbows looked good. Restricted activity for 1 week and limp went away and all was good until 1 week ago. Limp returned to same front leg again. Went to bed and dog was fine and he was limping in the morning. Limp got worse and I took him to vet on Tuesday. Dr bent twisted pulled and flexed leg in every direction possible with no indication of pain from dog. Had been giving him Aspirin before seeing vet and she said he could not go on precription meds for 2 weeks due to having taken aspirin.  Since seeing vet limp has actually gotten a little worse and now seems to be starting in rear leg on same side. Vet has referred us to an Ortho specialist but we cant get in for another 6 days and dog is in obvious discomfort. 

I kept enquiring with vet if she thought it was Pano but she did not think so because his growth had actually started to slow down (he's 93lbs and lean). Also did not think Pano because it was the same leg again and it had not showed any where else.  Its brutal watching this dog limp around in pain and not be able to give him anything for it. Actually starting to worry that maybe he has something wrong with him other than Pano. Anyone able to set my mind at ease? Any help is greatly appreciatted!  

It absolutely could still be Pano.
They can go through Pano for several months......and it can shift from leg to leg.
I have had  it in a couple of dogs, and in one female it lasted on & off until she was almost 2yrs old. One male acted like his leg was broken....
She had normal certified hips, and elbows. 
Put your mind at ease....and get him checked.  But do not be surprised if it is in fact Pano.
There are anti inflammatory drugs that can help him.
Good luck! Let us know.
Robin

Where do you live? And yes, pano often returns, and a hallmark of the condition is that it can come back in the same leg or another one or several. Sometimes a dog has a single bout, other times many bouts until they grow up. That can be three or four years. Is this what it is? We cannot be certain, but time will tell. Short of an injury, or some congenital condition, he likely is experiencing another bout.

I do not understand the vet saying he cannot be on other medication for two weeks. However, aspirin can help if it is due to an inflammatory situation, including pano. I would give it once a day, 375 mg, and with food, if it helps. You probably could even give it twice a day based on his size and depending on his discomfort level. There are prescription medications, but they may not be necessary. The trick is to relieve the suffering a bit, but not so much that the dog aggravates his condition. You actually want the dog to self-limit his activity until the condition subsides.

To diagnose pano one can take x-rays  and see it, or hard sqeezing of the long bones often will elicit discomfort. Some dogs don't show much discomfort other than limping, and others can be miserable.

Keep the dog quiet, and see how it goes. Obviously, if his condition worsens, go to the vet. Good luck.

Well, I've been on nights this week and my wife is home from a road trip. She spent the night with the dog and got hold of the vet first thing in the morning. "If Mommas dog aint happy, nobodys happy!" He went back to the vet, finally got some prescription meds (Tramadol). Vet gave his legs a once over again and finally was able to get a pain response. When she pressed his long bones in both legs he gave a yelp. She now suspects Pano. We still have the appointment with the Ortho surgeon in London (Ontario) on Friday and think were going to keep it and take him up for a check. I finally feel better now that the vet also thinks its Pano. Poor old boy has been in a lot of pain the past few days. He's going on almost 3 weeks since this bout started, is there any general time frame for a bout of Pano to last?
 

Thanks

i have a male go through pano and it can last for weeks at a  time.
i have used Ester C 1000mg with very good success.
i am keeping him on it till he turns 3 years.
you need to give the Ester C a week or so to  see it work.
and my male had it very bad to the point of pain.

My Tyler had it so bad he could hardly walk.  Is now 7 l/2 years old;  and OK.  What I was told at the time was to rest them.  No exerction, feed light to try to keep weight in check.  He is a big boy and so was Tyler (now 117 lbs.).  These big boys seem to get it really bad;  I feel it is due to rapid growth.    I also think the Ester C might help temporarily;  however, new studies show us we are not supposed to keep the dogs on high doses of C.  but 1000 mg if it does help could be beneficial.

i do think 1000mg is fine to use and i am thinking you are right nans as to some dogs grow too fast.
i remember my male grew 2 inches in one month and thats with low protien , i dont think you can completely slow it down.
and whats funny is my guy is only going to be a standard size  male not hugh.
but it works for me and i will keep him on it as he was in major pain. 3 months ago.
this pano sucks.................

 Bouts of pano can come and go and last for a few days to several weeks or longer. There are NO scientific, peer reviewed studies that suggest that vitamin C helps. I generally do not recommend one start adding supplements which a dog may or may not need. Proper food, proper weight maintenance and letting the situation run the course is all you need. The dog may outgrow it sooner, or later, when it is full grown at 3 years or so. In the meantime, use some common sense and let the dog limit his/her activities.

I posted a long list of information once about pano. PM me with your private email if you wish to review that information again. I have had hundreds of GSDs in rescue and some have it and some don't. Some are miserable, others barely affected. Some have recurring episodes, some one or two episodes. Medicating the dog with aspirin or an NSAID can be useful, but it might also make the situation worse to have the dog think it feels better.

Just be patient and let the dog grow up. There is also NO specific scientific document that makes the association with high protein diets or high growth rate or size, although the GSD has become a larger dog over the last 80 years or so due to selective breeding.

Good luck.

Back to the vet the other day and both vets agree on Pano. Both say its one of the worst cases they've seen Put him on Tramadol and Previcox and he's doing much better now. No more moaning and whining all night and he actually tries to play a bit with the other dog. Cant believe something can cause a dog that much pain and then go away and leave no long term effects. You would have though that the poor fella was on his last legs before the meds kicked in. Happy to see him coming back around!!  

Out of all the dogs I have had in my care, I have had many with pano. Normally they are not in such discomfort unless being very active. However, I did have one who was female and who, at night, when she tried to move around, would scream in pain. She obviously also needed more medication to get her through several bouts, but indeed, eventually she outgrew it and was just fine and was adopted out and lived a long and happy life.