Dog Community

vet says my puppy is growing too fast???

Posted : 8/13/2009 11:15:52 AM

Hi,

my dog (he is half labrador, half german shephard) has just turned six months old, a couple of weeks ago he was limping on his left leg, unfortunately our vet was sick, so we visited a different one and they said he had a sore elbow. the last few days he started limping on his right leg (front legs i mean).

this time we visited our own vet and he says its because Ronnie (thats my dogs name) is growing too quickly. apparently he is a lot bigger than his brothers. and he has given him an anti-inflammatory injection and says he needs one next week and the week after, he has some painkillers and has to take cod liver oil and glucosamine with chondroitin. we are to limit him jumping and keep his walks to a maximum of twenty minutes at a time so that he won't get fat.

the vet is happy that he isnt fat at the moment, he is quite lean. he weighs 29.2kg.

I am really just wondering if anybody else is familiar with this as apparently the vet thinks this will sort him out, I am just concerned that he will constantly struggle with his joints. and he is making me feel really sad limping about and looking at me with big doleful eyes! :(

BEVOLASVEGAS

Posted : 8/13/2009 11:32:54 AM

My dobe had panosteitis as a puppy, & he did, eventually, grow out of it. We supplemented him with fish oil, glucosamine/chondrotin, painkillers as needed, & 1000mg Vitamin C daily.

If you aren't already, make sure that you are feeding a quality puppy food formulated for large breed pups. We used Innova Large Breed Puppy with great results.

Upriver

Posted : 8/13/2009 1:14:08 PM

My now 6 yr. old border collie had pano as a pup. It started with her right front, then moved to the right rear leg, then the left rear leg. My vet prescribed painkillers, but didn't mention anything else. She was not an especially fast growing pup, and has only matured to about 40 lbs. She's never had any other problems at all with her joints - and she is very active!

glenmar

Posted : 8/13/2009 1:15:57 PM

I totally agree with Amanda. The only gsd I have had who experienced pano was a foster pup I placed in a home that fed him Pedigree. In the two months he was gone he grew very tall and looked for all the world like a deer with his huge long legs. Took a long time for him to "outgrow" the pano.

Innova large breed puppy is wonderful. Another good food, and somewhat easier to find, is Blue Buffalo large breed puppy.

Good luck with the poor guy

luvmyswissy

Posted : 8/13/2009 1:55:54 PM

BEVOLASVEGAS

My dobe had panosteitis as a puppy, & he did, eventually, grow out of it. We supplemented him with fish oil, glucosamine/chondrotin, painkillers as needed, & 1000mg Vitamin C daily.

If you aren't already, make sure that you are feeding a quality puppy food formulated for large breed pups. We used Innova Large Breed Puppy with great results.

Ditto, everything Amanda said.

I might add that if you are not already, restrict his jumping (up and down) on things. My Swissy was the same, diet, reasonable low impact exercise and a good diet with supplements are all you can do.

Sammii

Posted : 8/13/2009 4:46:42 PM

I didn't know it had a name. I will have to google it and get a better idea. we fed him pedigree because thats what they fed him when he was first weaned, we have managed to wean him off that now and onto wainwrights puppy large breed food.

thanks for the replies, very comforting to know that he hopefully wont be limping about for the rest of his life :)

glenmar

Posted : 8/13/2009 8:48:52 PM

Can anyone supplie the website for Mordana's dog food project?