Panosteitis is an idiopathic and self-resolving health condition characterized by sudden lameness and pain in one or more legs. It usually affects large dog breeds, but can occur in any dog. People also refer to panosteitis as “growing pains” or just “Pano”. Even though the word “panosteitis” literally translates into “all-bone-inflammation,” it is not a real “bacterial inflammation”. Panosteitis is actually the degeneration of the bone marrow cells called adipocytes and their replacement with fibrous tissue.
Why Does Panosteitis Happen?
There is no certain medical explanation of why panosteitis develops. There are some theories, but without proof. One theory about the pain that is one of the panosteitis symptoms is that the pressure builds up in the bones and presses on the nerve endings, which leads to painful sensations.
Why it happens at all is still a mystery. Some reasons might be: stress, genetics, metabolism, nutrition, and infections.
What Are The Symptoms?
The symptoms of Panosteitis start suddenly. This situation often puzzles owners because there are no obvious signs.
The symptoms include:
- Sudden, unexplained pain
- Lameness (caused by the pain)
- The affected bone is most often the humerus (upper arm) but it can happen on other bones, too
- The bone is painful to the touch
- Tiredness
- Loss of appetite
- Fever
How To Treat Panosteitis In Dogs?
There is nothing doctors can do to actually cure panosteitis, as the disease goes away on its own. However, because it’s quite painful, vets will prescribe painkillers to help your dog go through this period as painlessly as possible.
Vets will prescribe analgesics (pain medications), and sometimes analgesics in combination with anti-inflammatory drugs. The vet will decide which drug to use, considering the current situation, your dog’s health, and whether the drug is effective for your dog. Just like people, dogs respond differently to different painkillers.
Panosteitis goes away on its own after 2 to 3 weeks. The dog should be fully recovered by the time it is 18 to 24 months of age.
What If The Pain Doesn’t Go Away?
Sometimes, lameness and pain can be symptoms of another health issue. That’s why the common procedure is to do an X-ray of the affected leg. That’s how doctors can determine if the dog has other issues or if it’s just panosteitis.
Doctors can see specific Panosteitis lesions in bones on the X-ray of the affected leg. This process is used to make a diagnosis and eliminate other possible illnesses.
However, if the pain doesn’t go away, it is a sign of another underlying issue. Apart from the X-rays, the veterinarian will probably do some bloodwork or other types of tests to try to find the cause of prolonged pain.
German Shepherds and Panosteitis
According to the study, the German Shepherd Dog is one of the dog breeds most commonly affected by Panosteitis and is predisposed to this health condition.
Even though it is common in German Shepherds, there is no proof of Panosteitis being a hereditary condition.
As mentioned, other dog breeds can be affected, especially large dog breeds such as Great Danes, Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Doberman Pinschers, Rottweilers, and so on.
Final Thoughts
Panosteitis is a sudden health condition often affecting German Shepherds, but can be seen in other young dogs, especially of large breeds. The condition is painful and can be quite hard to watch your dog struggle, but it goes on its own after 2 to 3 weeks. Vets can help dogs by prescribing painkillers. But that’s all they could do. As mentioned, all should go away on their own, and by the time a dog is 18 to 24 months of age, Panosteitis is gone and dogs fully recover. If the pain and lameness persist over 3 weeks, it is possible it’s another health condition altogether.
Cover photo by Michael G
