| Canine Panosteitis |
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| Ligaments and muscles are still
growing and forming in young dogs. I have
found that ligamentation and conditioning
can be compromised considerably during the
painful stages of Pano due to the lack of
exercise. |
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Panosteitis, or Pano as it is commonly
called, is a disease which affects the long
bones in growing young dogs, mostly of the
larger breeds, but occasionally is seen in
some smaller breeds as well. German
Shepherds are one of the breeds who are
often presented with lameness and limb pain
between 5 and 18 months of age, and many
veterinarians diagnose Pano as it's cause.
The first signs of Pano are often a slight
lameness in one leg, progressing to a severe
limp and possibly non-use of the affected
leg. It may last for days to weeks, and may
seem to resolve then recur in the same leg,
or another one. Some dogs can exhibit
lameness in more than one, or even all legs
at the same time. Often Pano shows up in a
foreleg first. Bouts of lameness can come
and go, seemingly for months. Some dogs
suffer from Pano off and on until they are
nearing 2 years of age or even beyond. I
believe a case has been documented in a 5
year old dog, but that is unusual. Most
cases start near the end of rapid growth,
about 5 to 6 months of age, and are cleared
up by 12 to 18 months of age. Males seem to
be more affected than females, but both
sexes can exhibit signs.
Radiographic signs, those seen on an x-ray,
can be elusive when diagnosing Pano. The
bones most affected are the radius and ulna
(the foreleg), the humerus (upper arm), the
femur (thigh) and the tibia (lower rear
leg). Pano is an inflammation of the bone
itself, the cortex (outer shell) becomes
less distinct and foggy, and the interior of
the bone seems to increase in density.
Pano lesions are not always seen on an X-ray
even though the dog may be showing clinical
signs of lameness and pain.
No definitive reason is really known for the
cause of Pano. It has been attributed to
high protein levels in food, high fat
intake, growth spurts, lack of different
vitamins or minerals, too much of certain
vitamins or minerals, environmental causes,
bacterial infections, parasite infections
and many other non conclusive reasons.
People have reported that high doses of
Vitamin C will help to alleviate the onset
of Pano, or the symptoms when they occur,
and others swear by antibiotic treatments,
holistic and natural approaches and even
acupuncture and chiropractic treatments.
For the most part, Pano will occur and run
it's course; it is a self limiting disease
and will subside on it's own regardless of
treatments. Analgesics can be given, but
in a lot of cases the relief from pain is
minimal. Some report cessation of symptoms
after neutering, which may be an indication
of association between stress and hormonal
changes, but this is unproved as well.
Maintaining good nutrition during bouts of Pano is important, as many dogs who are
feeling pain will have a depressed appetite
too.
Ligaments and muscles are still
growing and forming in young dogs. I have
found that ligamentation and conditioning
can be compromised considerably during the
painful stages of Pano due to the lack of
exercise. Dogs should be encouraged to
exercise lightly between episodes, but hard
running and very long walks should be
excluded until the Pano is gone for good,
and is wise to limit in young dogs even if
they are not afflicted with Pano. |
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| Panosteitis |
In
closing, Panosteitis is not a serious
disease, however, it is a very painful one
for dogs to suffer. A few words of caution
should be remembered when diagnosing
lameness in young dogs. To be sure of a
Pano diagnosis, other bone abnormalities
should be looked for and ruled out first.
Ununited Anconeal
Process (elbow dysplasia) is evident
radiographically in puppies at 4 to 6 months
of age, and sudden lameness on the front
legs is reason enough to x-ray for this
problem, and it's an increasing one in
German shepherds. Other bone and joint
abnormalities in the elbow and shoulder such
as Fragmented Cornoid Process (FCP) and
other conditions associated with
Osteochondrosis Dissicans can be evident and
should be ruled out as well.
Preliminary
x-rays for Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD) should
be done if a dog is limping on a rear leg,
or shows weakness on arising, or a tendency
to "bunny hop" with both rear legs rather
than trot smoothly when moving.
Too often
lameness and leg favoring are attributed to Pano, when in fact the cause is due to a
serious and detrimental disorder. When all
else is ruled out, or Pano lesions are
actually seen on an x-ray you can feel a bit
of comfort knowing your puppy will "grow out
of it" and be limp free once again. |
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| Pano lesions are not always seen on an X-ray
even though the dog may be showing clinical
signs of lameness and pain. |
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information provided on this site regarding health matters. |
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