Panosteitis in Dogs

Panosteitis is a disease that affects the bones of young dogs. You will find this disease commonly affecting large breed dogs from the ages of five months to two years. The disease causes the joints of the dog to become inflamed, which results in severe pain and lameness. This disease can affect every leg in the dog at the same time, but it is rare for it to do so. The disease has a tendency to change which leg it is affecting. You may notice that the original joint that was inflamed is now looking normal, but another joint is now inflamed and lame. This is a very unique disease that affects a great number of dogs.

Cause and Prevention

The real issue with panosteitis is that the cause of the disease is completely unknown. Your dog can go to sleep one night completely fine and then wake up with swollen joints. This also means that there is no direct way to prevent the disease. You simply have to hope that your dog does not develop it. You can have an x-ray taken of your dog to see if he is being afflicted with the disease. You should not panic if you find that your dog develops panosteitis. This is a common disease that a lot of dogs develop.

Symptoms of Panosteitis

There are plenty of symptoms to look for when checking to see if your dog has panosteitis. The first thing you may notice is that your dog has developed a lack of appetite. He may be vomiting any food that he does eat. Attempt to touch the legs of your dog and gauge the reaction he gives you. Does he react in pain? Is there sudden limpness in his legs? These are both key signs of panosteitis, along with depression and a high fever. Panosteitis is often confused with other diseases at first glance, so take some time to really make sure that the correct disease is found.

Panosteitis Treatment

Panosteitis cannot be treated; the disease must run its course until it dissipates. Treat your dog with painkillers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, also known as NSAIDs. The goal is to increase your dog's comfort during this period. Do not exercise your dog while he is suffering from panosteitis. This will cause great distress for the animal, due to pain and discomfort. Let your dog decide exactly how much physical exertion he should do daily. The more stress you add to your dog's schedule, the more damage you could be doing in turn.

After the Disease

Do not worry about your dog becoming permanently maimed or scarred after panosteitis. This disease is temporary and does not leave behind any medical problems. Dogs or puppies that develop panosteitis live healthy lives, well into old age. This disease never recurs, and your dog's energy will come back the moment the disease has left his body. You can go back to enjoying the energetic dog you knew before this disease struck him.

 

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