Limping 5 Month Old

[Denali's Mama]

Denali started limping over a week ago. He has been favoring his front right leg. We took him to the vet last week Monday and the vet claimed that in giant breed dogs they can have tenderness or sensitivity during growth spurts/during the more intense growth period and that it is typical. He prescribed us a mild pain med and sent us home.

Denali is 5 months old weighs 65 lbs and was small when we got him but recently had a big growth spurt between 4 months to 5 months and has now tapered off again. He grew about 25 lbs this past month. I know slow and steady is key, but he basically looks like someone stretched him out from top to bottom and side to side. He's not fat by any means, he's actually pretty lanky. He has now been 65 lbs steadily for a week a half so I'm assuming he has slowed down again. He gets daily exercise but not anything extreme.

Anyways, has anyone experienced a limping newf during this age period? Is it common? I'm scheduling another appointment with a different vet at the clinic we go to, to get a second opinion since it's been a week on pain meds and he's still limping, favoring his front right leg. Any thoughts/suggestions are welcomed! Thank you so so much!

 

[lmfoltyn]

I would just make sure he rested and not ran or jumped for a few days to see if what the vet said was true...no stairs either...sometimes they can hit their leg on something and it will be sore and they will favor that leg. If it doesn't get better, take him back and insist on further investigation. Just like us humans, we have to be proactive with our vets at times...

 

[victoria1140]

Limit exuberant play for a bit.l made a ladder so they learn to place their feet better.lots of joint rotation and massage.

I have one that had to have surgery and another who has built up her muscles and is ok.

Also non slip mats everywhere and no stairs if possible.

 

[wrknnwf]

Google and ask your vet about panostenitis...

From www.petmd.com..."Panosteitis refers to a short-lived (self-limiting) and painful condition characterized by limping and lameness. It is a condition that affects the long bones in the legs of young dogs, usually between the ages of 5 to 18 months. It can occur with any breed, but it is more common in medium- to large-sized dog breeds."

 

[Jeannie]

My Chase had Panostienitis (Pano) at that age. My vet had me put her on a very low protein food. The best thing is to slow the growth. Feeding puppy food can cause them to grow too fast. More importantly is the calcium levels need to be under 3%.

 

[Jeannie]

Another thing. As a general rule a growing newf should weigh 10 lbs for every month of age. So a 5 month old should weight about 50 lbs. Depending on the dog they may be a bit over or under that general rule. My Adam was always 5 over and Chase always 5 under. You said your newf was 5 months and 65 lbs. I think 15 lbs is a bit heavy. It is much better to keep them on the thin side while growing. You should be able to easily feel the ribs but not the spine. If you feel a cushy layer over the ribs that means they are too heavy. Most vets will not tell someone that their dog is too heavy.

 

[Denali's Mama]

Thank you so much everyone!! This was all very helpful!! We have definitely been limiting his activity and he's been resting a lot more which is great! We took him to the vet this morning and unfortunately their computers were down in the office, which also meant he could not get an x-ray done. The vet checked him and noted two things: Denali does not like his left shoulder to be pressed on and he is favoring his right leg. We are taking him back tomorrow to have x-rays done because the vet shared that he has concerns about Denali's cartilage, joints, and bone growth. Denali is currently on Canidae dog food and the vet suggested that we switch him to Pro Plan so we will be slowly doing that the rest of the week. Thank you again for the suggestions, we really appreciate it as this is our first newf

 

[wrknnwf]

Let us know how his xrays come out.

And please be aware that not all vets do xrays properly. So if you are having his hips and elbows done, be sure your vet has taken OFA style xrays and has submitted them to the OFA for evaluation before. There are a number of posts on here about poorly done xrays. Positioning is PARAMOUNT. I want you to realize the importance of positioning for xrays and be armed with knowledge when you go.

Also go to the OFA website. www.offa.org and do some extensive research. Knowledge is your friend.

Also, (and I am hoping for the best) if you don't get the greatest news, just remember that you have many options. Don't jump at the first suggestion for surgery by your vet. Please check here first before making any final decisions. We will try to give you as much information as we can.

 

[Denali's Mama]

Thank you! So we went in today and they took a bunch of radio graphs of Denali's shoulders down to his paws on both front legs. Our vet shared that there wasn't anything "significant" that he could see from looking at the graphs and that he believes it could be Panostienitis. He has a specialist coming into the clinic tomorrow and has asked us to drop Denali off tomorrow and that they will take more radio graphs if need be as well if the specialist recommends it. So I will definitely keep everyone updated! Thank you so so much!

 

[wrknnwf]

Not that I want your pup to be in pain, but that is potentially good news! Keeping my fingers crossed. Also remember that most pups have joint laxity at this age, so xrays taken now, are not necessarily conclusive. Again, don't be alarmed or jump into anything. Best of luck.

 

[Denali's Mama]

Not that I want your pup to be in pain, but that is potentially good news! Keeping my fingers crossed. Also remember that most pups have joint laxity at this age, so xrays taken now, are not necessarily conclusive. Again, don't be alarmed or jump into anything. Best of luck.

Yes!! That's what the specialist said today! So here's the report:

"Radiographs of the shoulder, lateral, and the elbows, lateral, and the AP of the carpus were taken. The only abnormality noted is a very small sliver of retained cartilage core in the left distal ulnar growth plate, this should not cause a problem, and the roughened surface of the Greater Tubercle of the Humerus is bilateral and unlikely of any clinical problem, rather just remodeling, and where the supraspinati insert.

There is some deviation of the front paws, carpal valgus, left slightly worse than the right. The hips palate stable at this time. No clinical or radiographic evidence of panosteitis at this time. Radiographic evidence can lag behind clinical evidence, but I cannot give a diagnosis at this time. No abnormalities detected."

Dr. Willer's suggestion is that we return for monthly radiographs just for the next few months, especially if Denali continues to limp. He also suggests that we monitor his wrists closely because Denali's paws currently turn outwards a little (like a duck) but not enough where they felt it was significant. They suggested that his ulna bone will catch up with his radius. Dr. Willer also suggests that we monitor his elbows closely for elbow dysplasia. He suggested we slow his growth by switching him to either high quality puppy food or adult food for large breeds. He is currently on Canidae which I learned has 1.00% calcium .80% phosphorus and 22% crude protein with about ME 3600 kcal/kg (calories) and when comparing it to other dog brands it seems pretty good. His growth has slowed down a bit since we switched him to Canidae about two weeks ago (he was previously on Nutro Natural Choice, which we think is the culprit for his significant growth last month, which may also be the cause of his limp).

Anyways, this is where we are at for now! We scheduled an appointment for next month to have follow-up radiographs so hopefully he will continue to get better and his limp will dissipate as he is more consistent on this better dog food and his growth slows down!

 

[Denali's Mama]

Here are some photos of him with his german shepherd friend Berlin, lounging inside, waiting at the doctor's office, and going for a swim!

 

[wrknnwf]

Great news! Be sure to search here for elbow anomaly so that you will be informed. Always good to have some knowledge so you can have informed conversations with the vet. (and they are always impressed...LOL) Often, Newf pups are "down" in the wrists at this age and can catch up later. These are reasons for keeping his growth slow, so his bones are given an opportunity to develop properly. You can also search here for "down in the pasterns". I think that should bring up a few posts. If not, someone will probably chime in. A few members have come up with some exercises that might help, if that is a problem for him.

And...he's adorable. So is Berlin. What a cute pair.

 

[Ginny]

Looking at the photo of him sitting, I'd also be concerned about forelimb anomaly. There's a Newfoundland Forelimb Anomaly group on Facebook replete with pictures and information. I hope it's not what your dealing with, but as Jane said, knowledge is key.

 

[Jeannie]

Looking at the photo of him sitting, I'd also be concerned about forelimb anomaly.

I thought the same thing.

 

[Denali's Mama]

Thank you! I was actually reading up about all kinds of problems Newfs can have with their front legs and spoke to the vet about all of my concerns. He noted that since Denali's legs are not bowing out at this time, but that his wrists are turned outward, he is hoping that Denali's ulna will catch up with his radius. I hope! But if Denali's leg get worst or start to bow further up from his wrists then of course they will check him again and figure out what we need to do. Thank you so much everyone for all the suggestions, tips, and helpful info!! I will be sure to continue my research and I will be diligent about taking Denali for follow-ups to monitor his legs Thank you again!!

 

[Denali's Mama]

Denali supervising us from in the shade while we did yard work today