Panosteitis in the GSD

Panosteitis in the German Shepherd Dog

It is characterized by lameness that comes and goes from day to day and changes from leg to leg - and is not associated with any kind of trauma or injury.

Quite literally, "pano" means "inflammation of all bones" eventhough the precise cause of the disease is unknown. I have also heard it compared to the "growing pains" that often happens in human teenagers and this seems to be a very accurate analogy.

Panosteitis in the GSD can be debilitating but with proper care most dogs will make a full recovery. For some reason males are more commonly affected than females with Panosteitis. Additionally, when it does occur in females it often happens in association with the first heat cycle.

Panosteitis in the GSD can be painful and can last as long as 18 months. Usually though, most pano "attacks" last from 2 to 3 weeks. On a good note, this disease is self-limiting and there are very few long-term side effects or need for further treatment once it has run its course.

Whenever I have a German Shepherd suffering from a bout of pano I confine them to as small an area as possible, cut out all unnecessary exercise (other than going out to the bathroom and eating) and try to keep them as quiet as possible for several days. Supervised crating for small periods of time may be necessary as well if your GSD cannot relax or be calm on its own.

There is no known cause for Pano in the German Shepherd Dog but diet is thought to play a part as well. It has not been shown to be genetic but I think that heredity can't be ruled out at this time either.

Overall the long-term prognosis for a dog with panosteitis is very good. Recurrence of clinical signs and lameness is very common and possible up until the GSD is two years of age. While clinical signs of lameness and soreness may last several weeks, complete recovery from pano is typical.

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