Question:
Hello, just found this forum while looking for sites on pets.
I was given a 7 old month lab/collie two months ago. He adapted well to our family and we all have been having a great time, although this wasn't perhaps the best time for us to get a dog. My husband was laid off from his job and just started a new one. We had intended to take tazz to the vet for a check up and also because although the person who gave him to us said he had had all the vaccines he never gave us any proof of it, and we're not really sure.
In any case tazz was healthy. But last tuesady he started limping. It seemed to us that it was from the back leg. We waited one day to see if it could be some muscle strain and since it didn't get better we took him to the vet. He was checked and they found that the front paw was swollen and that there seemed to be some pain int he back as well. He also had a temperature and they said it could be either from the infamation or because he was breathing quite fast. They took blood and gave us anti inflamatory and told us that he will need x-rays. We will have to wait until next week when we get paid for that. But we were hoping that tazz would get a bit better with the medication. Well he isn't really limping anymore, but avoids walking that's for sure. He's not moving much - although he still shows he wants to go out at least for a bit - and he's not eating much. We have to mix his dry food with food from the can to get him to eat, he's also not drinking much, and he's not looking too good. They called us yesterday from the vet with the blood results. Apparently all is fine except for a slight high blood cell count which they said can be from the inflamation on the front joint. He still needs the x-rays but it should be getting better with the medication. His this normal? I'm a bit worried. MY sister's dog had an inflamtion on a joint last year, but he started getting better as soon as he started taking the medication.
We're going back to the vet next thursday and will have the x-rays then, but meanwhile I'm getting worried here.

Answer:
Well there are two things you can do - keep him totally off his feet except for potty trips. I mean TOTALLY. Either in a crate or leashed to something. You can also give him coated aspirin with meals - the human dose adjusted to his weight. And if you give him aspirin, do NOT let him walk about because he feels better.
(Check with your vet about the aspirin, but unless there's a med contraindication it is absolutely safe for dogs.)

Severely limiting his movements might not be fun for him, but if the joint is inflamed or there's a muscle pull, every time he moves it he's irritating it.
For a large young dog whose bones are still growing, it can literally take weeks of crate rest to completely resolve this, and he's only been on meds for 4-5 days. Sometimes these things take time! Speaking from experience here.

Get him to drink water, that's important. Put some low sodium broth with his water, that should help.

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Agree with Carina! Sometimes large breed, fast growing puppies like your get what is sometimes termed "growing pains."

Except for going out to potty, you must keep him totally rested for now.

Answer:
Thank you so much for your answers. I was wondering if there was something safe for pain because I really hate to see him in pain. I will try the coated aspirin but will make sure that he doesn't start running around just because he's feeling better.
We have a crate for him that was from our sheba and we've been keeping him there. Today he seemed to be eating and drinking a bit more, but he still needs the food from the can to get him to eat.
It's so hard to see him like this. He was always jumping around and being silly making us laugh, and I sure miss him waking me up every morning - although I've been having a change to sleep a few more minutes each morning
Even our cat seems to miss playing with tazz, she just sits in front of him, or lays down beside him.Last night she was right between his legs, it looked like he was hugging her.
Well, once again thanks for the information. I will try the aspirin, keep him off his feet and wait some more.
Ann

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Also,what type of anti inflamatory is he on?

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Agree with the other postings but don't put off the xrays

Explain the situation to your vet or put it on a credit card

What type of high blood cell count? White?
High white cells can indicate infection.

Since he's not active he doesn't have to eat 'as much' but make sure he still eats. You may want to feed him something else though, like some baby food or boiled chicken.

Rest is best at this time! Mix some water with the food if he's not drinking so he doesn't dehydrate.

You can give him some ice to chew on as well. This can keep him cool if he's feeling warm.

Answer:
Well, tazz is still more or less the same. We're going to take the x-rays on wednesday and see if the problem is there or if there's something else.
The medication they got for him is called Metacam. From what I read it's a non-steroid anti inflamatory.
He's not limping however it seems that when he tries to get up from lying down he has trouble with the back paws. The front one, where the swelling was doesn't seem to bother him.
ANd yes, it is the white cell count that is - or was last thursday - a bit high.
he is now not eating the dry food at all. I am not sure if it's because he likes the one from the can more, or for any other reason. I don't have any more cans, so I cooked some liver , rice, carrots and peas and pureed it and he ate it well. He was drinking water today which is good too.
I didn't give him aspirin. I thought I had some here, but I only have tylenol and I know that acetaminophen is not good for pets.
He came to the door today when we came from work and seemed happy to see us. But now he's lying down again. In a way, it is good that he's given his legs a rest, I just hope that the legs are the only problem. _ And that might be enough of a problem as it is.
Thanks for all your answers.
Ann

Answer:
Metacam is a good medication

give him rest until you get the xrays done

We're hoping for the best

Answer:
Hello to all,
just posting an update on tazz. He is still not much better, although now that I'm making his food he's eating much better. We had xrays done and he seems to have panosteitis. He still is in pain and is not walking much - which in a way it's for the better , the walking part - and isn't drinking much still. We are using the syringe from his metacam to give him water just so he doesn't dehidrate.
We were told that it might take a month or even more for him to get better, but he will get better
He managed not to loose weight even when he wasn't eating much for the first days, and he' s looking a bit less miserable. But he's still a very sick tazz. I wish we could take the pain away but the vet said that they can't give him anything else, and the metacan is for the pain.
ANyway I will keep posting any updates and want to thank everyone for your answers.
ann

Answer:
Pano isn't that uncommon, especially in large young male dogs!
I had a Rottie with pano, it took...maybe a couple of months to resolve?
My vet advised against pain meds (Bosco wasn't in terrible pain, he still wanted to goof around, limping or not.) Because he didn't want to encourage Bosco to run around, when he really needed to be kept off his feet.
It was HELL keeping a highly energetic young Rottie calm when he'd been used to daily walks and lots of playtime!! But Tazz will get better, it's inevitable with pano.

You could try gving him some weak low sodium meat broth, if he's unwilling to drink plain water. It will help keep him hydrated. Wishing him speedy healing!

Answer:
My cousins GSD developed pano at 5 months.It started in his front paws,but when it hit his back,man it was bad.He lost 20lbs.Wasn't eating,but was drinking.What she did was give Doc some baby food.He ate that.He did have a fevor.He was given some medication.It lasted about 2 1/2 months.



When she asked what causes it,the vet mentioned that it is caused when the pup is young, and over exercised.Especially going up and down stairs alot.The bones are still growing.

But there is a warning.Even though it only lasts a couple of months,in can come back up untill the age of 2.


All the best with Tazz.

Answer:
My first hearing about Pano, what exactly is this horrible thing?

I could do a search engine check but looks like you folks have experience...so fill me in!

Tazz you poor sweetie and poor mommie for goin through this with ya!

We're all in it together, remember you're not alone

Answer:
Well what it is,is lameness in the long bone of the legs.Like growing pains.But is also called "shifting leg lameness" because of it travelling from one paw to another.

It usually starts in the front paws,then travels to the hind quarters.There is swelling,and pain.A fevor can start.They don't want to eat or drink.

And it's in young large breed dogs.Not all though.

x-rays are taken....BUT....x-rays results do not always match the clinical symptoms of Pano.

Here is a link.

http://siriusdog.com/pano.htm

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Thanks VERY much Mona!!!

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Your VERY welcome.....

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Hello again
Well tazz is still more or less the same. He isn't any better, but then again he isn't any worse either.
It's interesting to see, how sheba ( our other dog ) and fluffy our cat that sometimes enjoyed getting him mad, are not doing so at all, they actually just lay by his side and sheba even brough him one of her favourite toys.
I think I feel a little better now that I have an idea of what is happening to him, and even more so after reading your posts and learning of other cases similar.

I have a new question for you. SInce he is not eating any of his dry food and I'm making homemade food for him I am having a bit of a trouble to know how much he needs. And if any other things should be added to his food, like supplements or something like that. I read on the lavel of his dry food about all this things they add to the food, live vitamins and stuff like that and I have no idea. I have no problem whatsoever making the food for tazz, I actually enjoy it. But I need to know if I'm doing it right, what he really needs etc.
What have I been making for now? Well sometimes rice, carrots, peas and meat ( he enjoys chicken and liver the best ), sometimes pasta and sometimes potatoes. I also have added fish one or two times because he likes it so much. But I know nothing of homemade foods for dogs, so I don't know if I'm doing it right. The vet told me that he might get used to this food for he will be on it for a while, that he might not want any of the dry food again even when he's better. Again I'm ok with it. After all I cook for all of us everyday it won't make much of a difference to cook something else for him. But I need directions to do it right LOL
Anyway thanks to all of you for being there.
Hugs
Ann

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