Working a dog with Pano - Page 3

I've had 3 dogs with Pano in the past 25 years with GSD's. One is still only a pup and it has already passed but the other 2 went on to have great hips and elbows as adults.

I know what it's like to have stir crazy dogs that you cant work because of pano. The ONLY physical exercise that I would recommend is swimming. It tires them out really well in only a short period of time and puts no stress on the already inflammed growth plates.

The other thing is to keep him quiet through mental stimulation - lots of short obedience training lessons when he is most sore and cant be allowed to exercise. Puppy pushups (sit-drop-sit) with a few stands thrown in usually keeps them quiet for a while. If you are a clicker training person, you could try playing games and teaching tricks, they usually get them mentally tired and off to sleep!

Keep his weight down and crate him when he is most sore so that he cant do himself any more damage by bouncing around in his pen/kennel.

Good luck!

Clicker training is a good suggestion - I used to think  it was weanies - but it has a strong value.  If you use the clicker to "teach" dumb tricks to your dog (shake, roll over) what you are really teaching them is the process of learning and expementing with behaviors to get what they want.  I did some clicker training when it was really cold with my puppy and I believe it has made her quicker to offer behavior and "seek" to find what the hell it is that I want her to versus waiting for me to show it.  It might be owrth playing around with.  The most important part is hat *it cannot do any harm.*

-Calvin

first off, some dogs do not make good kennel dogs.  they tear themselves up from constant activity........pacing, bouncing.  you need to determine for certain that it is pano as it could just as easily be ununited anconeal process.  in either case, activity should be limited to avoid injury.  yes, raw (barf) diet does help, but i would be careful with the painkillers.  some dogs do not tollerate them well and there is often side affects.  ideally, the pain should prevent the dog from "overdoing" but i know dogs (have one) that can go thru the pain and still tear herself apart.  i do not recommend working a dog while they are in pain.  first off, it will not be a good session and sets the stage for subsequent sessions.  even high drive dogs can become reluctant to train when  something has hurt them.  get the dog healthy first, then focus on training.  good luck.

pjp

Just for informational purposes the Pano was confirmed by the vet and I have only given coated aspirin 2 times. As was stated in the original post, this dog has a huge pain tolerence and I would rather have him tough it out than screw up his organs with meds. I fear he will do more damage to himeslf, if I made the pain go away. It's the only real way I have to slow him down somewhat.

He has a Kong I stuff daily and a Nylabone. I let him out free in the yard a couple times a day to lay in the grass, roam and chew his soccer or Jolly ball. We walk nightly for about 30 minutes and this seems to help the limping. He also gets crated a couple times a day for 3-4 hours at a time to keep quiet. If left in his kennel too long without some sort of stimuli he will start pacing and spinning.

Lay him off till the pano passes. He's young, you have time. Why would you want to risk damaging fevered, growing joints by working him?

Doesn't make sense to me.

SS

activity and excercise is not the same thing as training........obviously.  walking, swimming, low impact play, etc is good for the dog, but the title of this thread is "working a dog with pano"  and that is what i was responding to.  jmho, but i don't think its wise to work a dog that is in pain.  i think more damage than good could be done there.  (and i know some folks who do anyway)

pjp

That would be why the one who works him asked. He hasn't been doing any "bitework" in 2 weeks and then it was just once and another 2 weeks of nothing. I'm not even doing any "formal" OB with him when he shows limping. Pretty much I just make him focus, fuss for a few seconds, sit, down and we are done. Just making sure he doesn't lose what we have. I'm not worried about him lacking in the bitework phase. Dogstock is coming up and I think GARD was feeling out , whether to take him or leave him home. If Baden isn't feeling up to it, I don't mind watching from the sidelines.  I need to work on my handling skills anyway before I make a coplete idiot out of myself in front of everybody. LOL Oops too late! The dog never fails to look good. I'm the problem.