[pyrnet] Fw: (Fwd) Panosteitis

["Barb Bowes" <greatpyr@enter.net>]

This email was forwarded to me by the original author and I was asked to 
forward it to the list, so I am doing so. Email is below my signature line.

Barb Bowes
Chelsea (Pyr)  Twister (Pyr)
Flopsy (Pyrenean Shepherd)
The more people I meet, the more I like my dog!
greatpyr@enter.net
http://www.penndutchrescue.org
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/PA364.html

Copy of a 1995 e-mail.
Nothing has changed to modify the recommendations.
________________________________

Just before the National Specialty, there was a brief discussion of
the disease Panosteitis (Pano, wandering lameness, growing pains,
puppy limp). I was reluctant at the time to publicly recommend
treatment other than mild anti-inflamatories and moderated activity. I
forgot to talk to Joe about it in WA, but other discussions have finally
convinced me to go public with additional information. I know this will be
long, but I believe it to be very important.

 - The disclaimers -
I have to take a deep breath here because this is a real departure for me.
I don't follow or advocate any treatment/supplement fads. I have never
given a regular supliment or medication, including vitamins,  to any of my
dogs other than to treat a specific, acute, short-term condition. We have
been very, very lucky so far to only have needed love, good food,
exercise, and some first-aid. Oh, and good genes. So, to recommend a
medication which has not undergone wide-spread and repeated scientific
study goes against my nature and practise. Until it has passed such tests,
I encourage all to aproach this informationion with healthly caution.

First, Pano is a disease that typicaly hits puppies between 4 and 12
months of age. Though far too common in Pyrs, Pano is rampant in
breeds such as German Shepards. There is a definite breed
predisposition and a strong prevelance for it to appear more often
within given littermates and/or kennels. The pup will limp on one or
more legs and the limp may shift from one leg to another. Lessions
usually appear in the nutrient formation layer on the long bones of
the legs. As new bone is formed, the pressure on these ares becomes
very painful. X-rays will often show the bone in the affected areas to be
"spongy". Cases can range from a week of discomfort with no lasting
effects to a pup that is severly ill for months, feverish and wasting,
which may seem to never regain proper strength and development.

We had had a couple of moderate cases, trying all the standard
treatments, which just seemed to ignore us and go away in it's own
good time. But in '89 we had a very promising puppy come down with a
severe case. We attacked every resource we could find on the subject
and became furious at the vet community for seeming to treat this
disease so lightly. This dog was SICK! His owners, and we, cried for 3
months before he came out of it, bearing the physical and, it seems,
psychological scars of it for the rest of his life. But, since the cause
was unknown and it was self-limiting, all recommended treatments were only
for symtoms and completely optional. It remains the same today. No money
for Pano research because it goes away. But many vets will attest to
seeing severe cases screw a dog up for life.

Anyway, while moving his office and knowing well of our Pano info
hunt, one of our vets saw an old report of a 1960's study, from Cornel he
thought, indicating a positive response in Pano cases to the sulfa drug,
sulfadimethoxine. He made a mental note of it and told us of it when we
saw him some months later. When our next case came up, we tried it;
anything to avoid a repeat of the last puppy. The Pano disappeared 2-3
days after treatment started. The next 3 cases cleared up in the same way.
Since one never knows how long a bout of Pano might last, it was still far
too early to conclude that the drug had had any real impact at all, but it
was promising. Over the next year we cautiously recommended it in about 15
other cases. All but 2 cleared up in about 3 days.

To back up a bit, sulfadimethoxine is an antibacterial drug with
multiple applications in animals. It is mostly seen under the name
"Albon" and is used for hoof rot and pneumonia in cattle. It's most
common application in dogs is for the treatment of coccidiosis, a
nasty protozoan that can hit young puppies very hard. To believe that
sulfadimethoxine is an effective Pano treatment, one has to conclude that
the cause of the disease is bacterial versus  metabolic, viral, or
dietary. Such a bacterial etiology is perfectly consistant with the
disease, with the observation that there seems to be a genetic component
as well; that some breeds/lines/litters may share a decreased ability to
fight off the infection. This is a common situation comparable to say,
demodectic mange, where while the mites are present in most all dogs,
there is a hereditary link in the ability to resist the mites from causing
an infectious outbreak of the disease.

In '91 we ran our findings past Dr. Bob Brown, DVM. For those not
familiar with our "Dr. Bob", he started STARLAXY kennels in '65 and
many of today's finest Pyrs have that name in their pedigrees. He has been
President of the GPCA, chaired the committee for the revision of the Pyr
Standard, is the GPCA's AKC delegate, is a group judge, and judge of the
GPCA National Specialty in '82, '90, and in WA in this year. He has been
the Vet-to-the-Pyrs for years. Bob began trying the Albon treatment in his
own vet practise. Checking in with him in '92, he said that it was no
longer a matter of "study" for him, the stuff just worked. When I asked
him last week at the National if he still prescribed the Albon, he assured
me that there still "just isn't anything else" and said that he needed to
thank me for helping him become a "hero to the Doberman breed". It seems
that Bob had recently written some health arcticles for the Doberman club
and mentioned the Albon treatment. He said the deluge of positive result
letters from Dobbie breeders has been overwhelming and it seemed to be
practicaly 100% effective in Dobes. Bob's endorsment, on top of reports of
3 Pano Pyr pups at the National, is what has finaly gotten me talking
about it.

To add additional anecdotal evidence, after having multiple Pano pups in
our first 3 or 4 litters, we "baby-sat" a singleton puppy from another
breeder with our pups. The visitor brought our pups coccidia, which was
treated with Albon. Almost every litter we had after that had coccidia as
well since a mother that had it as a pup will pass it on to her puppies.
They were all treated with Albon and '90 was the last case of Pano we've
had, 7 litters later.

It is not 100% effective. From our observation, well over 80% is more like
it with it seeming to work much better if given as soon as symptoms
appear. Once a bad case becomes established, it might clrear up quickly;
or not. It could just be a dosage issue. The recommended treatment is the
same as for coccidia. 25mg per lb. of body weight on the first day; half
that amount for 9 additional days. No, I've never been able to track down 
the
"Cornel study" that supposedly started this.

"A Healthy Pyr is a Happy Pyr" - motto of the GPCA Health Committee

Dave & Maureen

------- End of forwarded message -------
Maureen & Dave Simon              msimon@ptd.net
Whitehope Great Pyrenees
7430 Jonestown Rd.
Harrisburg, PA 17112 717-545-4477