[SirHalo]

Has anyone experienced this with their pups? I have a seven month old Chocolate lab. Around 1 May 05 he started to limp. Then it continued. Took to vet and HD came up. He was rested and given a steriod shot. Still limping. Vet did xrays. He felt that there could possibly be a very mild grade of HD...possibly...but that wasn't causing the limping and pain. He felt he has Panostitis.

Well as of last night Halo is limping horribly. Front left leg and back right. He walks like a very old arthritic dog. I let him go to the dog park once a week, walk him a small amount in our cul-de-sac and once a week plays with another lab pup.

I cannot take his life away from him. I'm becoming Highly distressed over this.

I am giving him Glucosamine and also one entaric coated aspirin a day.

Any bright sides to this would be great. I know that if this is what he has it has to go through all the legs. But how can I find if it's something much more serious?

Thanks Much.

 

[JohnW]

Panostitis is usually very hard to prove, about the only guide is that the limp comes and goes and that it often seems to change legs!!! It is often known as canine growing pains!

Panostitis seems to start at any age between a few months to about 18 months. It can clear up quickly, within a month or it can continue until the puppy reaches 18 months.


There is precious little you can do, apart from pain killers when in pain and limiting exercise at those times. One thing which has "Been said to help" is to attempt to reduce the growth rate by feeding a lower protein food. Whether this helps of not seems to depend on who you speak to! One thing I will say is that if you are still feeding puppy or junior food then if it was me I would change to an adult food.

Regards, John

 

[SirHalo]

We switched to Nutra Lamb and Rice. And I also read the same thing on my research about lower protein. But then you have the Carb issues and more food for energy and it's not like he can get a lot of exercise.


And the thing is this limping stays. Some days worse than others and I haven't seen the "wandering lameness" yet. Seems mostly in his front leg and the back right he yelps when the vet does the rotation tests.

I know that I also read once it goes through a leg it will not repeat in that leg. I know that they can xray the legs and in different stages can catch the bone density differences.

But to think that he's going to possibly be crippled till he's 18 mths is horrifying.

 

[JohnW]

I personally don’t believe the, "Going round all legs and not repeating" bit. I know dogs where it has only shown in two legs and where it has been back several times. Believe me, if I had a chance of HD, OCD or Panostitis I would chose Panostitis every time. You have to remember, worst case scenario says to 18 months, best case is just around 4 weeks.

Xrays should have eliminated both HD and OCD, apart from which, for it to be both a front and a hind it would mean BOTH OCD and HD and for that to happen would involve a bit of a coincidence. Pano seems far more likely to me.

Regards, John

 

[SirHalo]

John, I have to tell you I didn't even know about OCD. The vet never even discussed that. And now I'm doing research and I'm wondering if this is possibly what is wrong with Halo.

He started to noticeably limp on 1 May 05. Front left leg. I waited for a week and then took him to the vet. We discovered pain/discomfort with his back right hip when the vet did the rotate test when he was standing and laying down.

The vet gave him a steroid shot and pain pills. We rested him for 1.5 weeks. Same issue. Now it's getting worse, but not going from leg to leg. But as you said you wonder if Pano comes back into the same legs??

And what I don't understand now that you've made me aware of OCD is why my vet didn't also xray his front legs too.

Thanks for that bit of info though.

 

[frodosmom]

Hi gena... wishing you & halo good luck with all your tests... Hope Halo can jump and play very soon ...

John... what is panotistis and hows it different from OCD or HD and why wud you prefer this over OCD & HD... (i cud do a google and read but nuthing to beat or match your advise)

Thanks John

 

[JohnW]

Hi Vidhya.
Panostitis appears to be time limited. It comes, the dog gets pain, it then goes away and the dog suffers no long term ill effects. This of course is unlike HD particularly which, although the dog might develop ways of living with it, muscle development and the like will always be there, or OCD which leaves a strong risk of Arthritis. To my knowledge, there is no "Cure", no operation which can put it right, it just goes. About the only thing that can be done is to give a pain killer to reduce the pain during a bout, and wait for it to go. I know it looks as if I’m pushing my same old “I hate puppy food” thing but there is believed to be a food link. Bones growing too fast. I doubt that is the whole story though. Like HD or OCD I believe the predisposition must be there first. Of course, as I’ve said before, you won’t know the predisposition is there until it’s too late so I try to keep growth slow anyway, just as a precaution.

Hi Gena.
Yes, I would have liked to see the elbows and shoulder x-rayed but I doubt if it would show anything. The only advantage would be in positively eliminating OCD from the equation. Personally, to me, it sounds so like Pano but then I must stress, I'm not a vet, just an old man who's been around a bit!!

Regards, John

 

[Maddie]

Hi there

I'm not sure what some people would think about this, and I have not had experiences with any of the diseases you mention (thankfully for me but not for you, though, my ehart goes out to you both) but have you considered alternatives to regular weight bearing exercise or chemical pain relief? I'm not recommending anything and you'd have to take advice from your vet but sometimes these alternatives can help with joint mobility and pain relief.

Hydrotherapy is nice as you can do it for a short amount of time, it's not weight bearing, labbies love it and the water is lovely and warm. At some pools you can get in and swim with your dogs!

Another alternative (which I found highly successful for a nasty hock joint injury) was a McTimoney chiropractor (qualified to practice on animals of course). I asked the advice of my vet and he said give it a try. Coco was only 7 months old and I too was terrified she'd be lame for life. she had 6 sessions of massage and VERY gentle manipulation (far less dramatic than the rotating the vet does) and after 3 months she was not lame again and never has been since. Co-incidence maybe but it worked wonders and we were able to stop the painkillers after only a couple of sessions at the Chiro.

Please, please don't let me suggest that this might be some sort of miracle cure but as long as it can't make it worse (and any reputable Chiro won't do anything to your dog without consulting your vet first) it maybe worth investigating. Most dogs find it pleasant and highly relaxing. Coco used to sleep for hours after her sessions!

We've since had her hips and elbows X-rayed under the BVA scheme and she's a combined hip score of 7 and elbows 0 so at least we have not got to worry about that!

Good luck anyway

 

[JohnW]

Hydrotherapy is great exercise for dogs because their weight is supported by the water and not taken by the legs. Don’t over do it at first because it uses a whole set of muscles which are not used so much in the ordinary way so need building up.

Chiropractor can be very good, I have used one more than once on my back, but in this case I don’t think it would be of much help Nicola. The problem is not in the joints as in the bone it's self. It tends to be centred in the "Long" bones rather than the joints themselves so manipulation would do no good (I would have thought)

Regards, John

 

[frodosmom]

Thanks john....

 

[SirHalo]

Thanks for the suggestion Nicola.

I don't even know of 'dog' pools here in the states. We are moving in 6 weeks to Pennsylvania. I will look into this once we get settled. I've heard that this is a great non-weight bearing exercise.

Thanks again John.

I spoke with the vet again and he's referred us on to an orthopedic vet. Halo has appointment on the 1st of June. We will go from there. And the more i read I'm concerned I may have contributed. I was told you must exercise these dogs minimum of 20 minutes a day. They are high energy, as we all know. So I would take him for long walks several times a week and alternate with short walks. Now I'm concerned that I over exercised him.

But I really appreciate yours and everyone's input.

I will update on Halo after we visit the Ortho guy.

Thanks again.

 

[Maddie]

It's difficult to say how the chiropractor improved Coco. She did not actually work on the affected joint but a lot on her pelvis, shoulders and spine. Seems the odd angled hock joint was making her put additional pressure on other parts of the skeleton hence the lameness. A question of balance I think. We try to fit a session in now once every 6 months. It's difficult to know how it works but there was certainly no popping and clicking of joints. I think as there seems to be no real "cure"/relief for this problem in the short term I would explore alternatives PROVIDING and only if my vet said yes and there was absolutely no risk of making the condition worse.

BTW I took the liberty of looking up some pools for you. I hop eyou didn't mind. Here's the addresses:

PENNSYLVANIA
AnWell Veterinary Rehab and Conditioning Center
1945 State Road
Pleasant Valley, PA
Phone: 610-346-7854

Linda Brown
723 Sailors Mill Rd
Spring city PA 19475
Phone: 610-495-7247
Email: [email protected]

COZY INN PET RESORT & ORCHARD SPA
Box 256A
RD1 Stahlstown, PA 593-61330

Maui Meadow Farm
West Chester, PA
Phone: 610-793-1255