Growth plates fuse at different ages in different breeds, different lines,
and different dogs. There is sometimes a problem with them closing too
early, in which case it is called "premature closure," which is somewhat
disfiguring and seems to happen more often in short legged, heavier dogs
such as Skye Terriers and Corgis...most of the time people don't even notice
it, judging by how many I've had entered to me at dog shows. It's easy to
feel when you've felt it once.
Late or slow closure can result in what people call "pano," or "long
bone," which is correctly called Panosteitis. While this usually occurs in
large, fast growing breeds, it can occur in smaller dogs. I had a Corgi
with it, for example. If you have to have a bone disease, this is the one
you want, as this one goes away. It is self-limiting...you can call it
"growing pains." Pano is one of the results of too much protein (why many
breeders don't feed puppy food)...it is painful and the dogs limp, and it
can move from one leg to the other. I'm not completely sure that this is
the only cause of pano, but it is one...the long bones are growing too fast
and the growth plates are unable to close. Pano can happen from about 4 to
6 months up to 18-20 months...usually the owner notices it and rushes off to
the vet....but it isn't an injury, just a condition. Exercise is limited
and the dog can be given an aspirin or some other mild pain reliever. It is
not recommended to give strong meds for pano.
Anyway, almost anyone who has experience with a breed that is prone to
pano (German Shepherds, Great Danes, etc.) will not raise a puppy entirely
on puppy food, but will go to a regular diet asap, because too much growth
too soon isn't good for the little dogs, either.
Hope this helps.
Peggy the Wicked
http://www.atlastcavaliers.com
DC UNITED FOREVER!!!
=========================================================
"Magic Commands":
to stop receiving mail for awhile, click here and send the email:
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20NOMAIL
to start it up gain click here:
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20MAIL
E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] for assistance.
Search the Archives... http://apple.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ckcs-l.html
All e-mail sent through CKCS-L is Copyright 2002 by its original author.
