Panosteitis pain management/nutrition help-Thanks in advance

Question
Hello Jana and thanks in advance for your time/help. My 1 year old German Shepherd puppy just got diagnosed with Panosteitis, which showed up in his right rear leg. I was given an anti-inflammatory medication, but after researching it and seeing many horror stories about it I don't feel comfortable giving it to him. What is a supplement and/or food products I can give him that have anti-inflammatory properties? He has been eating "Taste of the Wild" "Pacific Stream Adult Formula" (Salmon/Sweet Potato/Whitefish based) as recommended by the vet earlier in his puppyhood due to allergies. Now after getting his diagnosis I've read on German Shepherd forums that this might have too much calcium and could have contributed to his problem. Can you offer any advice on what I should do? Thanks!

Answer
I don't know what kind of anti-inflammatory you were given,so I cannot comment on it at all. Most of the time, a short course of any type of NSAID won't hurt your dog. I mean the medication your vet prescribed, not the over-the-counter type. If it was steroids, those won't hurt him either in the short term. Panosteitis is very painful, and if the inflammation is reduced it helps with the pain tremendously. Don't use Dr. Google to look up horror stories that you have no way of validating are true.

So use the medication he gave you but you can add a fish oil capsule once a day as well to help with the inflammation. It might not do much but it won't hurt. I use Salmon oil myself for the same thing.

The second thing you need to do is get him on Hills Science Diet LARGE BREED puppy formula. This food was researched for years with studies conducted by Hills long before all these fad diets became popular. Hills knew there had to be a connection to calcium, joint and hip problems as well as growth rate issues of bones via diet so they did a three year study on hundreds of large breed puppies.  What they found was the basis of their large breed line of food for puppies and adults.

This food has the PROPER balance of calcium to phosphorous, which is the main culprit in the overall ratio to protein etc., in causing these kind of bone problems in fast growing large breeds.

I would get him a 30 lb. bag and start him on it slowly by transiting him over a seven day period. He won't stop growing for another two years (the last years is more internal than what you see) so this food will really help him lay down a good foundation for long term health.

In my research, and I have done a LOT of research on all the commercial brands of food, most every one of them that are on non-fixed formulations are way too high in calcium, phosphorous, protein and grains.

I have been feeding and recommending Science Diet and Hills foods for over 35 years and I can tell you that I have only seen pets get well on it and live much longer and healthier lives than the pets on commercial grocery store brands.

We are what we eat and so are out pets. Give him his course of medication and change over his diet and he will be back on course.