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Nothing works for Pano

4K views 33 replies 16 participants last post by  wolfy dog 
#1 ·
DDog has been suffering from Pano now for about two months. Had him on a Pano herbal blend form Natural Rearing and vit. C to start with. After one month; no result. Then added Metacam, no results after several weeks. Now on Metacam and Tramadol and herbal for four days now and again, no results. I am taking him off everything now and see how that goes. I hate all these chemicals in his, otherwise, super healthy body.
So what's left? Acupuncture? I can't imagine him lying still for that.
Need more ideas. he and I are both suffering from cabin fever.
 
#2 ·
What are you feeding him? I was worried that my puppy was getting a touch of it with how much he was rapidly growing up without really gaining weight. I was adding in extra vitamin C and the only thing that one of the surgeons I work with recommended was getting him onto an adult food rather than a puppy food. Keeping him on large breed adult has seemed to do the trick. No more sudden yelping and keeping his front leg off of the ground.

Sadly the big factor in it is time. :/ Not something super well known about either at this point, but it definitely is obvious on radiographs. Did they take some to be sure it is pano rather than something else?
 
#6 ·
Hopefully the large breed adult can help you out too. Though it may not be an immediate thing. The bone has to revert itself back to what it is supposed to be rather than what happens to it.

Personally if I am going to use an NSAID with my dogs, I stick with carprofen (Rimadyl, Vetprofen, Novox). It is twice a day and I usually underdose instead of properly dose it. Of all the other choices for the once daily (Deramaxx, Previcox, Meloxicam), Meloxicam is probably my favorite one. It seems to have less ill effects from what I have seen. Tramadol generally helps add in more pain control. I use it myself for when I have extremely nasty migraines or I can hardly stand from joint pain. But I mix it always with something else.

Acupuncture is nice for pain, though the effects on the pain really only last about 24 hrs. I used it with my former shepherd after her THR since she couldn't take NSAIDs. She was one tough old girl lol. Never complained, never quit.
 
#13 ·
I thought you made a thread and said the pup was diagnosed with something else? I thought the limp wasnt from pano?

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Yes, mentioned was Retained Cartilage but that turned out not to be the issue that causes the pain, according to the vet. And his legs look nice and straight. He squeezed the leg and DDog showed pain which is how he came to that explanation. I was happy with the Pano diagnoses, but it still sucks to see him in pain.
 
#11 ·
Homeopathic "Ruta Graveolens"

Wait it out - Pano issues last 1-2 months - you are at the near end.

Forget rimadyl...this was a drug that failed human market due to it's dangerous side effects.

Just google and read the warning on their home page that they were forced to provide by FDA in order to continue selling this drug in animal practice.

Note: if death occurs, discontinue use...yep, it's there!

You can still manage the pain with Tramadol - just loose the NSAIDS
 
#12 ·
Otto suffered from pano for a long time off and on. It was terrible when he was between 5 months and 9 months. Then he had a couple bouts that would last a few days and be gone. He was the rare dog who had a bout of pano at 2 1/2 (look it up, it happens.) After every bout of it, he was noticeably larger.

Nothing helped. I had rimadil for him but I used it sparingly, when it was so bad he was hobbling around crying. If I gave it to him, he was bouncing around playing ball having a grand time. Then he'd pay for it the next day. If he didn't get it, pano is a self limiting disorder, he'd play, he'd start to hurt so he'd stop.
 
#14 ·
Any NSAID runs the same risk as us taking motrin. You have the risks of gastric upset (vomiting, diarrhea), the risk of gastric ulcers (melena in stool or blood in vomit being the signs) and rarely liver or kidney failure. Every place that I've worked we have sheets with all the warning info for owners, and always tell them if they notice adverse effects to stop the medication immediately and call us.

Most of the time we rarely see issues with NSAIDs. Honestly the worst one that I've seen is Deramaxx. We have had a lot of dogs end up with a perferation in their gut when on this drug, and my own personal dog went into kidney issues within 3 doses of it.

No drug is perfect. Every individual is different. Proper use and dosing is key.

I hope DDog ends up coming out of this soon for you guys. It stinks to see your pet in pain and not be able to do anything about it. I tend to be a pain nazi when I see pets in obvious pain. I keep carprofen around for my golden, since he has mild elbow degenerative joint disease. No fragments, just some calcification and rounded edges to the bone.
 
#16 ·
Can laser treatments help with Pano? I know it can help dogs with arthritis, HD, inflammation and bone/joint issues. Just a thought, maybe offer some relief?
 
#17 ·
My boy had pano really bad too, and it lasted a loooong time. I remember entering him in an obedience trial when he was 22 months old and having to pull him, I lost over $200 in entry fees that weekend :(
Nothing helped. I did a ton of research on food and calcium levels and what not, settled on what should have been the 'perfect' large breed adult food and it did nothing to help. I ended up not using pain medication and letting him self regulate his exercise. It was horrible but he did eventually out grow it. I did not feed raw then and I wonder now if it would have made a difference, but I honestly doubt it.
 
#18 ·
I used Rimadyl when Pyrate had bad days. The buffered aspirin didn't seem to help at all so we didn't use that. It also helped when I would lay him down and wrap his leg(s) in warm towels warmed in the microwave. The warmth seemed to help with the pain and he enjoyed the attention as well. It took quite a few months to get through it all but by the time he was a year old it was gone.
 
#20 ·
Thanks for all your replies. It basically confirms my plans for him: monitoring him, vet visit monthly, AM good quality adult kibble, raw in PM, 2X day 500 mg Vit. C, coco nut oil, salmon oil + Vit E, daily moderate self regulated exercise and socialization, swimming (thank goodness he loves swimming), teaching tricks to keep "Einstein"'s brain happy and waiting until it goes away. But he is his happy, silly self always to my great surprise.
Along with the help of you all I have done a lot of reading/research and it all comes down to waiting it out.
 
#21 ·
Swimming sounds great for him. Otto played a lot of catch - sitting down infront of me so he didn't have to run after it. He has amazing eye mouth ball coordination from those long months he couldn't do much more than catch from the seated position.
 
#23 ·
At 5 months he is too young for long walks, even if he hadn't had Pano. Pano is not getting worse by exercise. I am taking him on short interesting walks so he can see and smell new things.
Once in a while I let him romp with a buddy, just so he has some doggy fun. and walk him to the lake and river for swimming.
His energy levels and moods are not affected at all.
 
#26 ·
Many years ago, when my guy went through that, I went to a holistic vet for alternative options.

She prescribed a BIG dose of fish oil -- more than just a couple of capsules. I can't remember the dose now (it was 2003!) but I remember thinking it seemed like a lot.

She also suggested Ester-C (not regular C) and glucosamine/msm/chondroitin.

We saw results after about a week. It shortened the duration of each leg's episode dramatically below what people usually report (no more than a week per leg, once the supps kicked in).

We did not need NSAIDs. Once the supps kicked in, he had a little hitch in his gait, but he was up and playful and feeling good.

I'm sorry I can't help with doseage. You'll have to work that out with your vet. The idea behind the fish oil was that it's a potent anti-inflammatory, and Pano is inflammation.
 
#28 ·
Albon.

It's a wormer.

Once upon a time, a company was doing a study on the effectiveness of the wormer Albon, when they realized many members of their control group had pano. They decided it would not effect the study so they allowed the dogs to remain in the study, and treated them with Albon.

All the dogs' symptoms went away and didn't reoccur.

Got to go tonight, but maybe I can find the study. I have used it once on a dog that had no symptoms but the vet said she had pano via x-ray. I did not re-x-ray though, so I don't know if it was actually effective. No symptoms before or after the albon.
 
#32 ·
My friend has battled pano with her GSD and uses the Duralactin Canine. It is an anti-inflammatory supplement and not a non-steroidal. Another friend has a mule that is severely arthritic and he gets the Duralactin Equine. Now, he trots around the pasture in much more comfort.
 
#33 · (Edited)
#34 ·
That's right coccidia, not worms. The stuff is regularly given to very young puppies. I don't think it is that dangerous. I get protozoa and worms mixed up, I guess.

I haven't found any reference to the study, though I really didn't look, a quick google search found that Rotty people have heard the same thing:

Pano and high protein - Rottweiler Discussion Forums
Interesting Rottie forum thread. Thanks :)
 
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