Helping Your Dog with Panosteitis

Panosteitis is a painful bone condition found in some breeds of large dogs. It is mainly found in Dobermans, Retrievers, Great Danes, Labradors, Basset Hounds, and German Shepherds. For some reason, the disease strikes male dogs more often than females and tends to happen in dogs with higher bone densities. There are no warning signs to allow pet owners to seek care before the painful condition sets in. Even x-rays cannot catch the disease before it begins.

In most cases, the dog's front leg bones are affected by panosteitus early on in the disease. The pain can be so severe that your dog may be unable to walk at all. Then the disease will move to the back legs and hip area. The inability to move without extreme pain are often the first sign the pet owner gets that something is very wrong with their pet.

Most panosteitus cases occur after the age of 8 weeks. The condition will come and go after that which makes it extremely difficult to treat. Most dogs are given pain relievers to reduce the amount of pain and make it manageable. Anti-inflammatory medications help some dogs; making it easier for the dog to get around is a big plus when the disease flairs up. If your dog enjoys going out, steps to get in and out of your vehicle will help your canine friend get in and out of your with ease.

Currently, there is no known cause for panosteitus but research had shown that the disease may be caused by a viral infection and other studies point to a genetic link due to the high incidence of the disease in German Shepherds. The disease also became prevalent in the canine population after the distemper vaccine was released on the market. Since this vaccine is made from bone tissue, some experts think the bone tissue from the vaccine may interact with the dog's bones and lead to the condition. No matter the cause, there is currently no cure for the condition and all that can be done is to make your dog as comfortable as possible when there is a flair up of the condition.
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