Dog Community

My Mystery

Posted : 7/17/2006 10:12:47 AM

Hello, I'm new to the dog forum. I am seeking helpful solutions for my puppy.
I have a Blk. Lab/ Golden cross , Mystery, that is 1 y 4 mo. He has developed an unusual and unknown reason of pain...My vet can't even help me.
He all of a sudden yelps in pain w/ his right leg and screams at the loudest for about 15 sec. then limps and then chases a ball in 5 minutes w/o a problem. Weird! My vet has put him on a Phenobarbitol 75mg thinking it is a seizure in leg area, muscle cramp, etc. for some reason it has subsided, with recurring small attacks about 2 wks apart. Has anyone ever heard of this condition. He has never had injury that I am aware of...He just sits there and then all at once,KABOOM! pain. then it goes away. Xray- ok.
I would like feedback from some knowing people to get ideas.
Thank you.
RetLab

Debbie R

Posted : 7/17/2006 11:08:44 AM

Hi Ret welcome to the forum sounds exactly like luxating patella to me, but I am not sure. However I would not stop looking into it because dogs don't just scream out in pain unless they are in extreme acute pain. I would check the spine, check the paw pad, could be a burr on or around it stuck in the fur and if he turns on it the wrong way holy crap! I know about this because it just happened to guess who? Calamity Brando.
Ps you must pay your dues as a newbie w/ pictrues of the puppy

nfowler

Posted : 7/18/2006 7:39:06 PM

Agreed. Sounds just like that. I'm not, of course, a vet, but have your vet check for that. Or find a specialist. If left untreated, it can be ugly (from what I've read).

Jennie McFarland

Posted : 7/18/2006 8:51:22 PM

Luxating patella? new one to me. I will remember this one and ask on Friday. I need some good questions to ask the orthopedist before we go in. I will try for a pic.
JM

angelamarie

Posted : 7/18/2006 9:32:20 PM

Agreeing with everyone else here, sounds exactly like a luxating patella, which in human terms would be a "trick knee cap." The structure that is meant to keep the kneecap where it is supposed to be is compromised in some manner and the kneecap is then able to slip out of the position it is meant to be in. Once the kneecap returns to it's normal position, then the dog can resume running or walking again. If you google "luxating patella in dogs," you will find everything you need to know.

Kristi Buckley

Posted : 7/18/2006 10:09:19 PM

Here is something I found on something called PANO:

The dog normally limps on the affected limb and only rarely holds the limb to prevent any weight from being placed on it. It is often easily diagnosed with an x-ray; the lesion shows as the tell-tale dark patch on the bone. Pressure applied on the bone elicits a pain response. Currently, treatment consists of reduction of the percentage of protein in the dog's diet and pain management through the use of buffered aspirin, Ascriptin, or Rimadyl, or steroids in severe cases. Restricting the dog's activity has not been shown to have an effect on the healing process. Like many problems, pano may be difficult to diagnose. The dark patches may not appear on the x-rays. The lameness may not shift to another leg. It can be extremely frustrating with many bouts of radiographs. Assuming that the limping is caused by pano can help delay diagnosis of other more severe problems. Never assume that limping is caused by pano without having it properly diagnosed.

Just a thought- maybe something to mention to the vet.

Jennie McFarland

Posted : 7/19/2006 8:58:10 PM

Hello.
I like your response. It sounds like it. But, it is his front leg not the rear where the knee cap is.
What would it be called for the front leg?

agilebcs

Posted : 7/20/2006 7:16:48 AM

I think your dog might be too old to be developing Pano - it usually comes on around 7-8 months if I remember correctly. Going to an Ortho is a good idea. Putting a dog on Pheneobarb is not something I'd do without a diagnosis.

Kristi Buckley

Posted : 7/20/2006 11:22:16 PM

Pano is associated with large breed dogs and usually occurs in dogs 5 to 12 months of age, although it has been found in dogs as old as 5 years.

Here is one of the sites with info: http://www.jersey.net/~mountaindog/berner1/lpano.htm

Simply said, pano is the inflammation of the membrane surrounding the long bones in the legs of adolescent pups. It is very common in larger breeds, and the only way to accurately diagnose it is with x-rays. Onset can be from 5 to12 months (occasionally later) and last until 18 months or more.

Here is another site: http://siriusdog.com/articles/panosteitis-limping-lamness-bone-inflammation.htm

Hope this helps! Here is some good news from the above link:
There is no cure as such for pano, but the disease will disappear more quickly is the puppy's weight is kept low, exercise is limited and the puppy is switched to adult formula dog food.

If you do a search for "pano in dogs" on aj.com it brings up the list. You could try other search engines though.

Jennie McFarland

Posted : 7/28/2006 3:18:43 PM

Thanks for all the help.
The ortho. specialist suggested i remove the Pheno 75 mg he was on and see what happens. So far nothing and its been one week.
He moved the limbs and when he got to the shoulders, he yelped and squirmed, when it shouldn't bother a normal dog to be moved that way.
We'll see.
Jenn