Is Pano Genetic?

[Elaine]

Originally Posted by onyx'girl

Did you feed veggies/fruits/ and supplements? Were these commercial prepared type foods from Monica's suggestions, or was everything from scratch? You don't have to be real specific, I just want to know vaguely what you fed.

Everything is from scratch with supplements to fill in the nutritional gaps. The initial baby puppy diet was mostly beef heart, burger, turkey neck, and white and sweet potato, with a few other things in it. I do feed fruits and veggies for the phytonutrients.The older puppy diet switched from the beef heart to boneless/skinless turkey thigh, but basically the same other ingredients, just in different amounts.

[abakerrr]

My female (WGWL / French) had three bouts of pano with several days of mild limping on random limbs at different ages. Shes definitely on the petite side of the standard (full grown she is 52lbs) and didn't have any major growth spurts as a puppy. She was always fed TOTW before I put her on RAW and when I tried to play around with lower protein diets (I added natural balance sweet potato and fish LID) to reduce the levels, it didn't seem to effect anything. Vitamin C didn't really do much for her either. I just kept her crated for a day or two when it cropped up and it went away with no lasting effects.

Could never seem to get a definite answer on what it really is and how to mitigate the symptoms, aside from "it happens with larger breed dogs" and "keep them quiet".

[Vinnie]

Just some more anecdotal input for you. I have never had a dog that experienced pano.

Our childhood GSD was mostly fed table scraps with some dry kibble added. My first GSD and my sisters' GSDs (who were her pups) were also fed this way. We bought the dry kibble at the grocery store - but this was several years ago (back when IAMs was thought to be a top quality kibble and prior to special puppy formulas). They all were large GSDs, over the standard size, once full grown. I don't recall any of these dogs ever going through pano.

Dalton my old boy was fed a rather low quality kibble during the first years of his life and was never fed a puppy formula. His growth rate I would say was normal. He was on the larger size for a GSD, maturing at a healthy weight of 87-88#. I don't know about his siblings or parents but he never experienced pano.

Sundance comes from generations (mother & grandmother) of raw fed dogs and has always been fed a raw diet. Now his growth rate was shockingly fast to me. I remember being real worried about pano with him just because of how fast he grew. I was very careful about his diet and really tried to control his growth while being careful to assure he received the proper nutrition but nothing helped. He is just over 17 months of age and 87.5#. The vet says he is a healthy weight but could maybe gain a pound or 2. I'd have to ask his breeder if his siblings or parents have ever had pano. He has never experienced pano.

Butch has been raw fed since 8 weeks of age. His growth rate has been on the slower end of the dogs I've owned. Because his growth was slower it caused him to put on a little too much weight at times and we had to adjust his diet many times. I kind of worried about pano with him as I had heard of older siblings (previous litter) and a litter mate having pano. He does have a higher pain tolerance but as far as I can tell he has never experienced pano.

So for me - I can't prove a genetic, growth rate, or dietary component. I guess all I can say is some dogs get it - some dogs don't.

[lhczth]

IMO there is a genetic component influenced by environment. I know some people who have had terrible luck with Pano in just about all of their dogs, male and female. I have never experienced Pano in either my kibble fed dogs or since I switched to raw (almost 14 years ago and 3 generations). I have owned mostly bitches and one over-sized moose (Donovan). I tend to keep my pups lean and allow free exercise/play.

[Vinnie]

Originally Posted by Vinnie

Sundance comes from generations (mother & grandmother) of raw fed dogs and has always been fed a raw diet. Now his growth rate was shockingly fast to me. I remember being real worried about pano with him just because of how fast he grew. I was very careful about his diet and really tried to control his growth while being careful to assure he received the proper nutrition but nothing helped. He is just over 17 months of age and 87.5#. The vet says he is a healthy weight but could maybe gain a pound or 2. I'd have to ask his breeder if his siblings or parents have ever had pano. He has never experienced pano

Originally Posted by lhczth

IMO there is a genetic component influenced by environment. I know some people who have had terrible luck with Pano in just about all of their dogs, male and female. I have never experienced Pano in either my kibble fed dogs or since I switched to raw (almost 14 years ago and 3 generations). I have owned mostly bitches and one over-sized moose (Donovan). I tend to keep my pups lean and allow free exercise/play.

And that would answer the question about if Sundance's family has had any history of pano.

[onyx'girl]

I kept Karlo and Onyx lean, even to the point that people commented they looked too thin.
Though they grew about 3# per week on average, which I know is not 'average'!
Onyx had a brother that had Pano(he was on a grocery store brand!) but both were long legged/gangly. She is the biggest female in her litter, most are a couple few inches shorter and much lighter in weight....as are Karlo's siblings.

I wonder if my well water played into my puppies growth, I'm serious!

[lhczth]

LOL I have well water.

[jaggirl47]

I have well water too. No pano here (so far).

[onyx'girl]

I have two nuclear plants within an hours drive....does that make a difference? jk

[jaggirl47]

Originally Posted by onyx'girl

I have two nuclear plants within an hours drive....does that make a difference? jk

Ummm. I think we have an answer! That makes me think though. How many pano dogs live in a similar type of situation?