Deanna, what dosage are you using with the ascriptin? I'm using rimadyl at present, would like to try the ascriptin.
Thanks,

Regular strength ascriptin... the vet offered it as a second choice, but it is safer in the long run to use on your dog. The pills are 325 mg each and I gave one morning and one at night as needed...

It didn't last too long. I throw one at the schnauzer(if it is airborn, it is food) when she is having a bad day and it helps with her HD too...

Piroxicam, that is what you want.... 3 doses of 15 CC and it was all over.

(Edited part) This is for Pano.....

Word to the wise- You CAN NOT use Rimadyl or Piroxicam(aka Feldene) with ascriptin. If you are going to switch to any of these drugs be sure to wait at least a day or two before starting on another anti-inflammatory. These drugs can cause serious interactions. Trust me I've used them all on a dog of mine a long time ago (not at the same time of course). Piroxicam must be used with food (actually any of them really) and I would suggest tagament as well. It can cause ulcers but this drug is highly effective on inflammation and pain. Just remember with any inflammation you must reduce this first in order to have healing. As long as inflammation is there the body can't heal.

I think it was Melissa that suggested a possible knee injury. That was my thinking also. Make sure the knees are looked at and x-rayed as well. Dogs that have partial ACL tears will look normal with a slight limp or reluctant to do things then when they blow it out then they are hobbling on three legs.

Keep us posted and hoping it's nothing major

THanks everyone for your caring and replies, I really appreciate it! I was curious about the pano, I checked it out on Ed's site. I am not sure it fits my situation though. Nero is very happy all of the time and he isn't in any pain at all, not even when he was off on the rt. hind leg. He does seem to always sit on one side or the other, never right on the butt!!

How would you describe the bunny hopping? I'm not sure, but I do think he does this too.

I had checked his paw immediately, it was fine.

He seems ok now, and I am truly ggreatful to all of the suggestions that I take a deep breath and relax!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> I should do that more often really!!LOL!!I feel a little better too that is it is HD that it isn't a death sentance for him. I always thought that HD is crippling and would leave him in pain and so on and so on until I would have to put him down eventually! SO you could see why I was so upset..... I will keep evryone posted on what happens w/ Dr. Whitfields evaluation.He is greatly respected in the ortho field and a top surgeon for many years so I know he will be able to swiftly and accurately diagnose any problem that may be going on....

Thanks again all <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

OK another question, this time about Pano. I e-mailed the breeder and let her know what happened( in a much calmer manner than I did here I might add! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> )and that I was gonna take him to the vet etc...

Well, she flipped out on me and started going on and on about all of the pups that she has around that are going through Pano now or did already ( among other thing that she ranted about).I will post part of what she wrote to me(kinda long,sorry!!):

Quote "God please be careful of what you do!!!
He most likely has "PANO"!!!!......this is long bone growth
and starts to happen especially in males around 6-7 mos old
and can continue up until he is 18 mos old and it will shift
from one leg to another to the front and he will hurt and there
is NOTHING you can do other than give him buffered aspirin
and kind of watch how much excersise he is getting. HE
WILL GROW OUT OF PANO!!! If you want to talk to other
clients that have my puppies and have gone through the pano,
I will give you their names and phone numbers.

You must be careful of what you do. You are not a vet and you
also do not have the experience of 18yrs with animals like myself
and 7 years of breeding and 5 years prior to breeding studying
like crazy the bloodlines of the West German Dogs.

If Dr. Whitefield knows what he is doing, and he usually does,
tell him you may think it is pano!!! Sometimes they can do an
x-ray and it shows up on the x-ray and he will tell you the same
thing I am telling you that it shifts....you may think he is favoring
one leg now and it can shift to another in a week or a month and
they do grow out of it.

Females can get it too but seems to my experiences with the pups
that have had it, most where all males that got it and I believe one
client had a female too but it didn't last very long.

I have a long-coat male out of my previous litter with Lolly and Disko
Hasenborn
that the male has pano right now too and another in Hyde Park had
it but I don't think he has grown out of it yet and you could talk to them
too. They are very good people and would talk to you to let you know
they have gone through.

Please do not freak out so quickly. If he had a hip problem, he would
also bunny hop, and no this doesn't happen all the time, but you should
get Fred Lantings book on hip dysplasia so you can understand better
than what you think.

You just do not have the experience and I know how you think because
you agreed with me on the phone one day that you are very stubborn
and think you know a lot when you don't have the experience and that
isn't bad because we all have to learn. You just do it in a very bad way
not accepting or taking the advise of the breeder of the dog, ME!!! and
you didn't before either about his testicle when I had advised you that
it most likely wouldn't come down but you still wouldn't listen when I'm
the one with the experience. The other Shepherd you purchased is nothing
like these dogs and I do the best breedings possible for my dogs and the
pups." End Quote....

So I was wondering if Pano is such a common thing for GSD's to get. What is the percentage of dogs that will develop it? She said it is mostly male dogs that get it.

I was thinking that it is somewhat suspect that she has alot of pups that had it, am I wrong??

She also actually said to me that her guarantee is only for severe crippling HD, and that if it is mild to moderate or suluxated that it is not disabling for years if at all, and that I "jump too much and don't know a darn thing about breeding"

( I don't care about her shitty guarantee anyway, we are keeping the dog no matter what)

She then went on about other dogs she's had that were mild HD that she sold for 1200 plus dollars as pets because she couldn't use them as breeding stock. I'll post that too, not as long as the first......

Quote"Oh, shit I forgot, I kept my first
female out of Lolly and VA1-Ulk von Arlett one of the most finest producers
in Germany!!! and Britta went SG-5 in the 1998 US Sieger Show out of
33 females in the 18-24 mos. class and because I didn't x-ray her when
I should had at 12 mos, I had people that wanted to buy her at the show
after placing so well just as a wonderful pet, but I needed her as my
future show/breeding female and Britta was diagnosed with mild also
so I sold her also for $1800(usually would had been $3000 at the show
and $2500 normal) to nice man in MA."End quote.

Needless to say I am very upset by her response.

I know that my dog was from an accidental inbreeding(brother to sister)and that he was one of 3 pups in the litter. He was monocryptorchid and one of his sisters had to be destroyed due to a severe heart murmur, so I had suggested to her to consider holding off a repeat breeding of the same dogs( this time would be intentional) until I find out if his hips are ok...I think that is what set her off......

Am I wrong or what?? I need some feedback from you more experienced dog professionals!!!!!.....Thanks alot
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

PS.- I was told by the vet that she could feel the testicle , but it was way up. The vet advised waitng a little to see if it would drop, but it didn't, so he was neutered 3 weeks ago. The breeder refused to release his reg. papers until I had him neutered anyway, and she told me if they did both come down that she wanted to have me let her show him!!!!!! GO figure???

A professional breeder that had an accidental breeding, isn't very professional in my books. I was involved with AKC showing for over 15yrs and even with some of those inbred clones, a brother to sister breeding is (almost) unheard of. I'm not knocking all show breeders because I had some really nice dogs, but a lot of them put to much emphasis on looks at the expense of health and temperment.

From what I remember her telling me, this breeding was not her only accidental breeding. She has all of her dogs(6 or 7) running loose together and in her house.

Does anyone know any of the answers to my pano inquiries? I realize the post was so long that alot of my questions my have been lost in there!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Both of my two most recent male GSD's had pano. The older one had it off and on for
about six months. One of the most noticeable things to me is what is sometimes
called 'floating lameness'- the soreness goes from one leg to another- usually
rear legs. One week sore, next week ok. I lightened up on exercise, treated with
aspirin. They DO grow out of it with no ill affects! Sometimes they go off their
food, too.
You asked about the 'bunny hopping'. That is when a dog runs with both hind legs
together- lifting them up and 'hopping' them forward; like a rabbit instead of
perhaps comparing it to the normal movement of a horse. I think it is always a sign
of dyplasia or some other pretty painful condition of the hips.
Hope that helps,
Cindy