My dog has leg pain. What is panosteitis and are joint supplements safe?

Panosteitis is not an infection and therefore anti-infection medicine (antibiotics) will not work. Panosteitis is treated with NSAIDs for dogs. (Please do not give him Ibuprofen or Paracetamol as this is poisonous to dogs). Panosteitis will go away by itself after a few months. If the x-ray of his legs was normal,. then he likely does not have panosteitis, as this would show very clearly on x-rays. Mailo may have a viral infection such as borreliosis or pains from growing too fast. Please do not try to diagnose Mailo yourself. I realize that the situation in Syria is difficult. But maybe you can find a veterinarian to look at Mailo and help.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Thankfully panosteitis is a self limiting disease and will resolve. The hip / elbow dysplasia can be quite uncomfortable and may need surgical intervention if severe enough by an orthopedic surgeon. NSAIDs are ok to give short term but long term is where you may see liver damage. I always start with a conservative approach for arthritis / joint discomfort. Below are the products I would recommend for Rogue and starting these early may be beneficial in the long run. Some of these products you will only be able to purchase from your vet. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. 1. Fish Oil- Wellactin- Omega 3 fatty acids (DHA) is recommended for arthritis. This is especially important with arthritis patients with kidney disease. Very safe, in overdosage may cause acid reflux or diarrhea. If used in very high doses (especially with aspirin products) may cause prolonged bleeding. Dose is generally 100 mg per 10 pounds. 2. Glycoflex- Glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM supplements are beneficial for multiple types of arthritis and appear to aid in cartilage health. Generally 100 mg/ 10 pounds of body weight is the recommended dosing for glucosamine. Glucosamine products should be used cautiously with diabetic patients. 3. Cetyl-M- This joint supplement uses Cetyl Myristoleate as the main ingredient. This supplement helps in lubricating the joints. This is highly recommended for hip, knee, shoulder, elbow, and carpus arthritis. This supplement is very effective for arthritis/tendon sheath pain. This is commonly used for animals that are chewing over a joint. 4. Duralactin- This product uses milk proteins to reduce inflammation in the body. This product is very safe and has been used in most species of animals with almost no side effects. This is highly recommended for back arthritis/pain. 5. Niacinamide- This is one of the B vitamins and appears to help with arthritis- the dose is 500 mg for dogs over 25 pounds, and 250 mg under 25 pounds. Give the dose 3 times per day. This product is very safe and inexpensive. 6. Adequan Injections - This is an injectable product that can help especially with spinal arthritis in many species of animals. This is an injectable form of chondroitin and works much more rapidly than oral forms of chondroitin. Should not be used with bleeding disorders. This injection is given every 1-4 weeks to help with arthritis. LIFESTYLE CHANGES - Weight loss and exercise are critical to the management of arthritis. If your pet is overweight, changes such as decreasing treats, changing to a diet or prescription weight-loss food, and increasing the amount of low-impact exercise such as swimming, will help to decrease pain and support the joints. PRESCRIPTION DIET - Prescription formulation diets are recommended to provide fish oil, glucosamine, chondroitin and other supplements. This is an especially good option for patients that may be difficult to medicate. Royal Canin Mobility Support and Hills j/d are excellent options for joint supplementation. Reevaluate how much food you are giving each day as these foods are high in fat (fish oil) and may cause weight gain. COLD LASER THERAPY- These treatments stimulate stem cells to re-activate and continue the healing process. This also appears to aid in blood flow and reduce muscle spasms in the area. These treatments are performed weekly for one month, then once monthly as needed. These especially help during the cold winter months when arthritis flairs up. ACUPUNCTURE- can be used to stimulate blood flow and pain release with arthritis.

Poor Rosco! I'm sorry to hear that he's experiencing panosteitis and pain! Unfortunately a compression brace will not help this issue and could actually cause more pain for him. Rosco should be allowed to rest and you will need your veterinarian to prescribe pain medication for him if he is not already on pain meds. If he is on pain medications you pain want to contact your veterinarian to see if there are any other medications they can prescribe. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Roscoe is on the mend soon!

Hi and thank you for your question on Pet Coach! The short answer to your question is no, you need not be concerned. Panosteitis in dogs is a self limiting condition (it will eventually go away) and may spontaneously resolve. Because of this, it is hard to say when it will pass, but the episode should not last more than 3-4 weeks. If 4 weeks have passed and no improvement is seen, I would revisit with your veterinarian. It could be Jax has another bone disease causing the pain. I hope this helps!

Handsome boy! Those are good products for joint health and inflammation. I recommend a veterinary exam to diagnosis the lameness. It is common for large breeds to have a cruciate ligament injury in the knee. He also may have hip dysplasia. Knowing the reason for the lameness will help you decide the treatment that is best to have him recover from the lameness. Please don't run him again until the lameness resolves or it could become worse. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Lugosi.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If Poncho is lame in one of his legs, he could have an injury ranging from a problem with his toes to something in his shoulder (front leg) or his hips (hind leg). If this is a chronic issue, it is possible Poncho has some arthritis in his joints, which may benefit from a joint supplement. However, if Poncho has a soft tissue injury or something like a fracture or dislocation of any of his bones or joints, a supplement will not help. I recommend restricting Poncho's activity for 3-5 days and see if this helps his lameness. If he is no longer limping on the leg after this rest, this may have just been a soft tissue injury that needed time to heal. If his lameness does not improve or worsens over this time, I recommend having Poncho seen by a veterinarian. He/she can perform a full physical exam and orthopedic exam to localize his pain and determine the best course of treatment. As a reminder, NEVER give dogs pain medication that is intended for humans, as these can be fatally toxic to dogs. I hope this is helpful!

Use caution when giving any fatty supplement to a pet with a history of pancreatitis. Too much may cause a flare up or aggravate an existing case of pancreatitis. Cosequin DS or Dasuquin are excellent joint supplements that can be given to dogs. Search www.pet360.com for products. Discuss an appropriate pain management protocol with your vet to provide relief if your dog has difficulty moving around.