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Puppy limping problem

3K views 13 replies 10 participants last post by  wolfy dog 
#1 ·
My 5 month puppy has been favouring his right front leg for 5 days now. After the 3rd day I took him to the vet who checked his paw the joints manipulated the leg no signs of pain from my puppy. He gave me 5 days worth of anti inflammation drops said if after 5 days no positive results he suggested a shoulder xray. Any input on the matter would be appreciated thanks.
 
#2 ·
It may be pano. If it is, it will clear up, but then he may limp with a different paw. The pup will outgrow it. I would suggest waiting the 5 days and hopefully the treatment will work. If not, then as your vet suggested, to have the shoulder xray.
 
#3 ·
What are you feeding? I agree, it could be Panosteitis. I would not go to anti- inflammatories right away. Vitamin C and equal amounts of low calcium and phosphorus in the diet may help reduce the length of the bout if it is Pano. Genetics sometimes play into it too. Is your puppy growing quickly compared to the 'norm'?
I'd like to know what is in the drops your vet prescribed.
 
#5 ·
Xrays can usually confirm pano -- I would do them to rule out other injuries.

The last pano pup I had was helped by the Vit. C Onyx suggests -- specifically, Ester-C because it's easier on the tummy. We also gave fish oil, and a glucosamine/msm/chondroitin supplement (the holistic vet insisted it had to have all 3).

We cut the intensity and duration of the episode in each leg way, way down, so that he didn't need NSAID pain meds and remained active and playful (with just a little hitch in his gait). It took about a week to "load" the supplements and see an effect.
 
#6 ·
The medication he is on is called Metacam . He is eating fromm lb puppy food. We are limiting his is activity level I belive it might be a little better tonight. He limps the most when he gets up from a nap. But if it is a soft tissue bruise xrays won't detect it either right?
 
#8 ·
My dog had pano as a pup and it scared the crap out of me. He favored different paws and outgrew it in a few( i think 6) weeks.I xray ed him to be sure. I rested him when he was limping( which was hard to do with an energetic pup). He was a big boned and long legged fast growing pup( I would watch what kind of food your feeding him) and like the previous poster keep em lean but not too lean( they got to work those muscles)The good news is there are no long term effects on the dog. My dog lived to almost 12 and was very healthy his whole life with no worries( just the last few months when he passed from cancer). I think of pano as something similiar to adolescents with "osgood schlatter". Hope all goes well for your lil pup.
 
#9 ·
Both my German shepherds, at a similar age started limping. It scared me so bad! I tried rubbing their legs with essential oils, icing, resting, rapping. Turns out they both out-grew it, gave me quite a scare though. But you should always make sure, in all my years with animals I have learned that when it comes to their health never expect the best or wait until its to late.:gsdsit:
 
#10 ·
This! Had an issue with my Sheltie many years ago that seemed like nothing. By the time the true nature of it reared it's head it was late enough that he suffered quality of life issues for the rest of his life :frown2: He still lived a long, happy life but with some pains and problems that he wouldn't have had to live with had I listened to my gut more and taken him right away. That's a lesson you only need to learn once! When it comes to our animals, they're part of the family. No matter how small something seems it never hurts to have them checked out. Something that seems major could be nothing and you're out the cost of a vet visit - and something that seems minor and passing could be life altering and you're out your best friend.

9 times out of 10 it's always a silly little thing and it costs 30 bucks for the checkup. But you get the peace of mind!
 
#11 ·
My pup limped a few times growing up. usually gone in 24 hrs but there was one that lingered that I eventually deduced was a stone bruise on his Paw from running too fast on gravel.

I wish I had just x rayed him under a year so I could quit worrying about it. he was such a rough and tumble boy and up where we live there are ledges and boulders and logs and ditches and he was just crazy thinking he could fly and stuff. I think they were sprains and strains from thinking he is invincible and can fly but unfortunately those things are not true but I had a hard time convincing him.

He has been OFA'ed now and his joints are fine. I wish I would have checked him sooner so I could have spared myself some worry.
 
#12 ·
Cowboygirl, you are lucky that he hasn't had a serious injury. Running over stuff like that is likely to cause injuries eventually and I personally never allow them to run over boulders, tide pools, rocks, etc. Especially the intense GSD versions are prone to injury. Call yourself lucky so far.
 
#13 ·
Wolfydog I basically agree with you. I don't "allow" him to do dangerous stuff either....I mean everything I mentioned is inside my fenced yard (and the rest of my mountainous property).

I was CONSTANTLY up his butt trying to be sure he didn't do anything stupid but it seemed like every maybe 6 months the stars would align against me and he would get an attack of zoomies in the wrong spot or my husband would do something he shouldn't have done with him. (like take him up to the woodshed without telling me then I walk out of the house, pup sees me from the woodshed and the shortest way from him to me is down the big Rock retaining wall) We had many arguments about this sort of thing. I finally went so far as to ask my vet to speak to my husband for me because he wouldn't listen to me and kept saying "just let him be a dog" and so on.

He hurt his leg once on his one deer chase which prompted me to e collar train him so that would never happen again (and it hasnt). So don't get me wrong, I am not condoning just let your dog do whatever stupid dangerous thing they wanted to do.
 
#14 ·
I understand the husband-thing. Mine let out Deja when the UPS driver was at the door. She chased him. For me she sits at the door and I can take the package without her getting up even and she waits for a treat. I fumed when he told me that but I think he got it now. I talked about insurance, liability etc.
Ask your vet for a few estimates for surgery and your DH may get it too.
 
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