stress fracture
Is this common? I have never had another dog have this problem, but I have never been owned an oes before either. |
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maximusmom wrote: My 9 month old eos was just diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left front leg.
Is this common? I have never had another dog have this problem, but I have never been owned an oes before either. No, to the best of my knowledge it's not common. In fact, I've never heard of it in an OES before. What happened to the poor little guy? 
Kristine |
| Nothing as far as I know. He was just the active guy he has always been. He started limping 1 1/2 weeks ago so I cut back his walk and tried to keep a closer eye on his playing with the 11 month old shepherd. But after a week he was still not better so we took him to the vet. She had to send the xrays to the specialist and that was his finding.
That was why I was suprised, nothing new in his playing or exercise habits. |
| Odd.
How are they treating it and what is the prognosis? Just out of curiousity: 1) how big is he (weight and also height at withers/top of shoulder blades)? 2) what are you and have you been feeding him? (type of food?) 3) is he neutered and if so at what age? 4) did they rule out osteosarcoma? 5) has he had any other limping episodes before? 6) in which bone did the stress fracture occur? As an aside, if you go to http://www.oeshealth.org/ you'll see links to the ongoing Old English Sheepdog Club of America's online breedwide health survey. It's open to all OES owners. The health surveys are issued at regular intervals aimed at giving the club the opportunity to track health trends in the breed and also to help them decide how to best spend their health research dollars. Please consider participating. I hope he feels better soon. Sorry we don't appear to be able to shed much light on what happened to him. Kristine |
| you know - stress fractures often go undiagnosed in active people. I wonder how likely it is they go undiagnosed in dogs as well. we have all (I bet) had incidences when the vet just said - they are puppies they get pulls, growing pains, etc etc. I wonder if this vet is just more proactive with taking an xray. |
kerry wrote: you know - stress fractures often go undiagnosed in active people. I wonder how likely it is they go undiagnosed in dogs as well. we have all (I bet) had incidences when the vet just said - they are puppies they get pulls, growing pains, etc etc. I wonder if this vet is just more proactive with taking an xray.
You think? If any of my dogs puts one foot wrong I'm all over it and the first thing most of the vets I know do is x-ray. My first thought was mechanical - foot in a gopher hole kind of thing. Are stress fractures really that common in dogs? Sheesh, you know agility folks. If any dogs were going to be susceptible and if any group of people is going to be absolutely fanatical about following up, and yet the only cases I've heard of that I can think of off the top of my head have been toes. Some racing/sight hounds can be susceptible, but a normal OES for no apparent reason? It just strikes me as very curious. Unless he was rough-housing and it was somehow missed. But even then. Odd. Kristine |
| see our vets aren't as quick to xray. in all the years I have had dogs I have had maybe two xrays other than the OFAs, they never even suggest them. and I have taken young dogs (and Morgan) in for sore feet, sore leg issues. and i have had at least four vets over the years so it isn't one practice.
Like you say, odd. |
| I'm a little surprised by this diagnosis. Usually the bones are still pretty pliable and a stress fracture is more related to older, mature bones put under great and sudden force or repeditive stress....think sled dogs for example.
In pups the damage may be OCD........no, that OCD (tho a young OES can be rather compulsive  ). I mean Osteochondrosis which is a term applied to a number of similar disorders of the joints where bone (osteo-) and cartilage (chondro-) are involved.
What did the vet recommend? Rest? In some cases surgery is required to prevent a lifetime of problems with the displaced bone (with a fracture) or cartilage with OCD. If it truly is a stress fracture, your pup did something major when you weren't looking....sometimes they do think they can fly.......... |
SheepieBoss wrote: sometimes they do think they can fly..........
Shh don't tell Marley - she is three and still thinks she can |
| I was very shocked to see my 11-month old pup, who's a stocky 95 lbs male, jump 4 or 5 feet in the air while going after someone's frisbee at the dog park. It freaked me out! I did worry about his joints and bones giving up. He gets regular exercise, glucosamin enriched dog food, and a fish oil capsule daily. What else can I do to prevent bone/joint problems later in life? |
Cadenza wrote: I was very shocked to see my 11-month old pup, who's a stocky 95 lbs male, jump 4 or 5 feet in the air while going after someone's frisbee at the dog park. It freaked me out! I did worry about his joints and bones giving up. He gets regular exercise, glucosamin enriched dog food, and a fish oil capsule daily. What else can I do to prevent bone/joint problems later in life?
Not much really. If he's nicely muscled and not carrying any blubber, then you're doing all the right things. I wouldn't be intentionally throwing a dog that age a frisbee and asking him to to catch it in air like the disc dogs do, because, yes, then you're asking for trouble. But an occasional snatch from the air when he's playing? We have to let them be dogs too. The biggest thing you can do to prevent joint damage is to keep a dog well muscled, make sure he doesn't carry any excess weight, and don't ask him to do things that could cause repetitive stress injuries to growing joints. The muscle supports the joint, whereas the fat is just dead weight. As for the exercise issue, when people ask me, for instance, about starting puppies in agility and I give them the whole "you don't jump them at full height until the growth plates have closed, and you don't jump them repetitively - and by that I mean drill them - even at lower heights as puppies" about half the time they'll look at me in horror (or disbelief, depending on their personality  )
"But he jumps on and off our <fill in the blank> with no problem". "Yes, I'm sure he does and there's nothing wrong with that. It's voluntary and it isn't 30 times a day" (usually) When Sybil had just started puppy agility class a person she's extremely fond of (Lucali on the forum as a matter of fact) walked into the building with a dog she's also very fond of (her uncle, as it happens) and before I knew it she had leaped over the ring gating, which, at 24" tall, didn't fit the fact that in class itself we weren't asking her to jump anything over elbow height because of her age. I didn't drop into a dead faint (Sunny may have when Sybil greeted her by trying to leap onto her head) because it was one jump. They're still dogs. I think a fair amount of elective, non-repetitive exercise is really good for their developing bodies. As for supplements one thing you may want to consider adding is 1000 mg Ester C twice a day. I give that to all of mine because my holistic vet loves the stuff. In addition to helping protect the joints it's also supposed to have immune boosting properties. Is it critical? Probably not. It's one of those "can't hurt" kind of things. Kristine |
| our newfie breeder is a big believer in the power of vit c. we were skipping it and she took one look at beowulf and knew - I swear. she said get him on the vit c and he will pick up in the hocks. and he did like you wouldn't believe. they all get it now (well actually not right now cause I am out again)
(i have decided i no longer have the energy to capitalize ) |
Cadenza wrote: I was very shocked to see my 11-month old pup, who's a stocky 95 lbs male, jump 4 or 5 feet in the air while going after someone's frisbee at the dog park. It freaked me out! I did worry about his joints and bones giving up. He gets regular exercise, glucosamin enriched dog food, and a fish oil capsule daily. What else can I do to prevent bone/joint problems later in life?
Do you call your dog "Big Bear?"
That's what we call ours, and she is 50 lbs LESS then your big baby!!!! |
95 lb 11 month old puppy?  I'd call him "Look Out, here he comes!!"
That does seem excessive for that age. Please make sure it's muscle not padding. Muscle is in the back legs and hips, not the belly and ribs. |
Thanks for all the information, only managed to start reading some of it before I thought I better answer. 
The puppy is supposed to be restiing as much as possible, which is very hard. He is 70 pounds and is 23 inches at the shoulder. He has not been doing anything different in the last few weeks. He has an eleven month old shepherd to play with, and they are quite evenly matched in temperment and energy. Their play is almost always supervised, but they do run and tumble. He is on Eagle Brand large breed puppy food and has been since we got him at 6 weeks. He did start limping (slightly) on evening so I cut back the amount of play and his walks (distance in 1/2) this seemed to help. Then on Thursday I took him on a regular length walk, perhaps 1/2 hour tops and 1/2 block from home the limping became very pronounced. He rested the rest of the night and the limp was slight by morning, but we didn't want to take a chance and took him in to a vet. He has never had any other injuries. The vet was going to go with a sprain and have my husband bring him back in a week if he was not better. He asked for the xray now as we are some distance to the vet. The xray was sent to a specialist in Calgary for reading. |
| sorry I forgot the rest of the questions.
he was nutured at 6 months and does think he can fly, he does some leaps off the 1 1/2 foot deck, but usually just following the shepherds. At the time I noticed the limp he was not in the yard with the deck but in the back yard that only has a 6" high deck and minimal running room. the vet did not check for anything else but the specialist was sure of his reading (the vet saw the line as well) and wants another view in a week or so. It is in the ulna. |
| Good vet! I would have guessed pano and still taken an x-ray. And pano will show up, but if they say stress fracture, stress fracture it is.
Just a thought: you probably want to take him off the large breed puppy food. I get mine off of it by 5 mos at the latest. Large breed puppy food isn't as bad as regular puppy food, but really, he doesn't need it. And especially now that he's supposed to be resting (been there, done that with a puppy; you're in my prayers )
The Eagle's fine. But the regular kind is all the protein and calcium etc he needs. Large breed puppies are funny that way. Please keep us posted on how he's doing. Best, Kristine |
| not that it impacts the stress fracture conversation but where did you get a 6 week puppy? OESCA breeders can't let puppies go before 8 weeks.
at his age he may also be doing too much walking. I don't envy you trying to keep him quiet though. did you ask the vet how common such fractures are in dogs in general? good luck with trying to keep him rested. |
| sorry slip of the key he was 8 weeks old when we got him.
Quiet is how he is when he is sleeping or thinking about stealing socks. We call him monster most of the time. He does not really like long walks so we do a medium sized one that I break iwith some heeling and staying, figure 8's. I really have not taken him on any long ones. I will slowly change him over to the regular dog food (mix this next bag), it is a good idea. Thanks |
| had max to our usually vet last week. She used the traditional x-ray equipment and sent for the report from the other vet and the specialist. She then took another x-ray. She showed me the x-ray, the bone is healing but it is the front bone rather than the bone in the rear of the leg. I quess two somebodies did not do well in anatomy class.
So Max has to wait until next Saturday to get to have a 10 minute walk. Is limping is now only pronounced if he plays too much. He managed to gain almost 5 pounds this months, so the exercise can't start soon enough! |
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