[Bailey's Dad]

I wanted to take a few moments to say thank you to BowWowMeow and Kelso for taking the time to help me out yesterday. Bailey was in alot of pain and I came to you guys for some advice before I went to the vet. You guys told me that you thought it was Panosteitis from the description I gave about bailey. This afternoon I took Bailey to the vet and I told them about the GSD website and the forums and I told her what you guys said it sounded like. I showed the vet where his pain was and she said that the people who gave you the advice were right on and it was nice to know that you guys were educated and knew what it could be. She was ready with some info about Pano and checked out Bailey and gave me a prescription of Rimadyl for the pain and discomfort and she gave him an injection of the medication to get rid of the pain right now.

Thank you again for taking the time to help us out and for being educated and willing to pass GOOD information on to others

Also the vet was very cool and she refused to charge us anything for the visit or the meds. She gave me two sample bottles of the rimadyl and didn't even charge for the shot. It was a very nice experience and a freebie day too LOL

 

[middleofnowhere]

I'm glad it was nothing more serious with Bailey (it is serious and you do have to watch it but it can be managed, they recouperate and go on to be pain free and healthy). Now, be sure to circle the date and celebrate it because that free visit at the vet isn't going to happen again soon!

 

[Bailey's Dad]

the inital visit for walking in is $45 and any xrays are $75 a pop and then the cost of the meds?!?!?! I could have been really screwed. The VPI insurance application is with the underwriters right now and in 3 weeks Bailey ill have coverage.

When i was at the vet she was talking to me about nuetering bailey and being the typical guy I said " oh I don't know if i want to go that route" and blah blah and gave her the whole line about how i didn't want his growth to be limited because of nuetering him too soon. Then she got on the topic of the differant types of cancer and diseases Bailey could get and dogs in general and that stuff really opened my eyes. I said to her that I wasn't even aware that the risks of cancers and other such life threatening disorders was so much rgeater then it is for humans. She talked to me a bit more about it and then asked me if I had a strong stomach..... I said "yeah sure my stomach can handle anything". She turns to the assistant and says go get it" and the assistant says "are you sure?" and She said "yeah as long as he can handle it then there is nothing wrong with it." The assistant leaves the room and comes back a minute later with this plastic basin like the kind you use in a kitchen sink and there is a towel covering it and she says " We just got finished 15 minutes ago removing this pitbulls uterus because she had cancer and the uterus was enflamed and full of puss. she explained that this dog got cancer because the owners didn't pay much mind to the symptoms the dog was showing and as a result the dog got sick. She showed me using her hands how small a typical dogs uterus is and how it is shaped and Just before she pulled the towel away I said "is there a uterus in that basin?" and she said "Yes there is, do you still want to see?" I said "yes please by all means." She uncovered the basin and inside was this organ sitting there and it was about 10 to 12 inches long and swollen to the thickness of a tennis ball from one end to the other. It wasn't sickening to me but it really made me think alot. I mean this uterus was so huge that it filled the bottom of the pan.
I thanked the vet for taking the time to educate me properly and not blow smoke up my rear end. Once Bailey's VPI benifits come in i'll get him in to have him DE-nutted LOL


We went with the superior plan with the core wellness add-on with the option to upgrade it

 

[Kayos and Havoc]

Glad Bailey is okay!!! Pano is not serious but it is uncomfortable. Sounds like you have a good vet.

Neutering a dog is the best thing for them unless you plan on breeding. And of course only those dogs that meet the breed standard for temperament, health and conformation should be bred. That number is really pretty small. Neuter Bailey when he is over 12 months. He does need his hormones to insure good development.

Havoc, my pup will be neutered in 3 weeks. He will 12.5 months old.

 

[kelso]

Glad to hear everything went well

 

[JenM66]

Know that Bailey can have episodes of pano until he's over a year. Gracie had several bouts starting at 4-5 months through about 11 months. I've read they can experience pano up to around 14 months. It can move from leg to leg - sometimes left hind, sometimes right front and so on! It has to do with the fact that these dogs grow so fast (there were weeks Gracie was putting on 6 pounds). I fed a low protein food so it wasn't that - she just grew like a weed! Make sure you rest Bailey.

The meds will make him feel better but that leg isn't better yet. I recommend no stairs, jumping, getting off/on the couch, getting in/out of the car, and no sudden stop/turns (like when throwing on the breaks to get his ball) for a while.

And - one more thing - if this keeps up, have them run a tick panel .... just in case. When Gracie had her last episode, the vet did what was called a 4DX (it's the test for heartworm but it also checks for tick borne illnesses). It's a simple blood draw and the results are back in 10 minutes. He vet wanted to make sure that he wasn't missing anything .... just in case. It wasn't her regular vet and I liked that he was being careful. In NJ you can never be sure about ticks, even with monthly Frontline application.