Growing Pains in Boerboels: Understanding Panosteitis, Limping, and Healthy Growth

Cold River

5 days ago

9 min read

Short answer: In dogs, "growing pains" usually means panosteitis, or "pano." It is a painful inflammation inside the long bones of the legs in young large and giant breed dogs, most often between about 5 and 16 months of age. The classic sign is a limp that shifts from leg to leg. Pano usually settles with time, but a limp still needs a veterinary diagnosis, because other growth problems can look the same.

This page is education, not veterinary advice. If your dog is limping, call your veterinarian.

What are "growing pains" in dogs?

"Growing pains" is the everyday name for panosteitis. It is a painful condition of the long bones of the legs, seen mostly in young, fast-growing large and giant breed dogs. The MSD Veterinary Manual describes typical cases in dogs 6 to 16 months old (MSD Veterinary Manual). Cornell's Riney Canine Health Center gives 5 to 16 months, and notes it can occasionally show up in dogs up to two years old (Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine). Those ranges are typical, not hard cutoffs.

The name makes it sound minor. It isn't imaginary. Veterinary descriptions include damage to the fatty marrow inside the bone, extra production of new bone material, and congested blood vessels (MSD Veterinary Manual). The pain is real, and it deserves real care.

Why it matters for Boerboels

A Boerboel is a big dog that grows for a long time, which puts it in the group of breeds where pano is most often seen. That said, none of the sources we reviewed gives a Boerboel-specific rate. We won't tell you most Boerboels get it, because no one has shown that.

What might owners notice?

Common signs include (Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine):

A limp that appears suddenly, often with no injury you can point to.
Lameness that shifts from one leg to another over time.
Reduced activity or reluctance to exercise.
Pain when a veterinarian firmly presses the shaft of a long bone.
In more painful episodes: low energy, poor appetite, crying out, or a low fever.

Some dogs have a mild, barely noticeable limp. Others are clearly painful and don't want to put weight on the leg. These signs can point toward pano, but they don't confirm it.

Pano at a glance

Question	What the veterinary sources say
Who gets it?	Young, fast-growing large and giant breed dogs
Typical age	About 5 to 16 months, occasionally up to 2 years
Classic sign	A sudden limp that can shift between legs
How long an episode lasts	Often 2 days to 2 weeks, rarely up to 3 weeks
Can it come back?	Yes, often in a different leg, during growth
Cause	Unknown
Outlook	Generally excellent once confirmed

Sources for this table: Cornell, MSD Veterinary Manual, and IVIS, Mechanisms of Disease in Small Animal Surgery.

What causes panosteitis?

The exact cause is unknown. Genetics, stress, infection, and nutritional, metabolic and immune causes have all been suspected (MSD Veterinary Manual). "Suspected" is the key word. None of these is a proven cause.

One of the more detailed research papers is Schawalder and colleagues' 2002 study, "Canine panosteitis: an idiopathic bone disease investigated in the light of a new hypothesis concerning pathogenesis. Part 1: Clinical and diagnostic aspects" (PubMed). The authors proposed an "osseous compartment syndrome." The idea is that fluid builds up inside the bone, and because bone is rigid, pressure rises, blood vessels are squeezed, and circulation inside the bone suffers. That could help explain why pano hurts. Their pilot work used imaging and measured pressure inside the bone.

The same paper also pointed to protein-rich, high-calorie dog foods, based on clinical observation. We're telling you that up front because you'll see it quoted. But the abstract presents it as a hypothesis from a pilot study. It isn't proof that high-protein food causes pano.

Does high protein cause growing pains?

Owners hear conflicting claims about this, so we'll be careful.

In 1991, Nap and colleagues fed 17 Great Dane puppies diets with 31.6%, 23.1% or 14.6% protein (dry-matter basis) for 18 weeks. The differences in protein intake had no demonstrable effect on calcium metabolism or skeletal development. The researchers wrote that a causative role for dietary protein in osteochondrosis is unlikely (PubMed).

That study wasn't designed to test whether protein causes or prevents panosteitis. What it does do is challenge the blanket claim that higher protein damages a growing puppy's skeleton. It doesn't settle every nutrition question about pano.

Where the evidence is stronger is calories and minerals, covered in the next section. Put simply: the research points more at how much a puppy is fed, and how much calcium it gets, than at the protein percentage on the bag.

Our experience at Cold River

We get asked about protein constantly, so here is where we stand. Our dogs are raised and campaigned on a higher-protein, high-calorie diet. Our base food is Bully Max Pro Series 31/25 High Calorie, and we portion it to each dog's growth rate, body condition and workload. You can see exactly what we feed, and how much, on our Nutrition page.

Cold River's Sun Wukong and Cold River's Mr. Wednesday are littermates raised in our program. On May 9, 2026, at a UPF event, each one pulled 22,039 lb, the heaviest pull in any weight-pull federation's published results. The full results and evidence are on our 22,039 lb world record page. You can meet the dogs on Cold River's Sun Wukong and Cold River's Mr. Wednesday pages.

That is our experience, not a clinical trial. It doesn't prove anything about panosteitis in other dogs, and it is never a reason to skip the vet when a puppy limps. What it does show is that a well-managed, higher-protein program and a sound, record-setting adult Boerboel are not opposites. With a calorie-dense food, the portion is the part that matters most, and that is where we put our attention with growing puppies. We also don't add calcium or vitamin D on top of their diet.

Cold River Boerboels is sponsored by Bully Max.

What about calcium, calories, and supplements?

Here the evidence is stronger. Getting minerals wrong can disrupt how a puppy's skeleton develops.

In her 2011 review, "Factors that modify the effect of excess calcium on skeletal development in puppies," Britta Dobenecker found that in most clinical trials, excess calcium was linked to changes in normal skeletal development. Some dogs showed severe signs, some showed changes only on X-rays or under the microscope, and some showed nothing visible. She also proposed that phosphorus intake can make the effect of excess calcium better or worse (British Journal of Nutrition). Growth rate, calorie intake and breed also influence developmental bone and joint problems.

The MSD Veterinary Manual is direct: excess calories and supplements, including calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D, should be avoided in young, growing dogs (MSD Veterinary Manual).

What that means for an owner:

Feed a complete diet suitable for growth, and check the bag's nutrition statement with your veterinarian.
Don't add calcium, vitamin D or extra calories to "strengthen" a growing dog's bones.
Keep your puppy lean. A fast, heavy puppy isn't the goal. Steady, sound growth is.

This is guidance for healthy skeletal development. It isn't a proven way to prevent or cure pano.

How is panosteitis diagnosed?

A veterinarian puts together the dog's history, an orthopedic exam and X-rays. One catch: X-ray changes commonly lag 10 to 14 days behind the first signs, so early X-rays can look normal even when the dog is clearly in pain (Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine). Depending on what the vet finds and how the dog does, repeat X-rays or other tests may make sense.

Pano can look like other causes of lameness in young large breed dogs, including hip or elbow dysplasia, osteochondritis dissecans (OCD), hypertrophic osteodystrophy and immune-mediated joint disease (Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine). A pano diagnosis also doesn't rule out a second problem, since other orthopedic disease can occur alongside it (IVIS). That is why a complete exam matters more than the first easy explanation.

Pano is not the same as HOD

Hypertrophic osteodystrophy (HOD) is a separate bone condition of young dogs. A 2021 veterinary review by Nina Kieves covers both. It notes that both tend to settle with a good long-term outlook, but that severe cases of HOD can lead to limb deformities and may even be fatal (PubMed). That is one more reason "growing pains" should never be a reassuring label put on a limp without an exam.

What should I do if I suspect growing pains?

Call your veterinarian. Write down when the limp started, which leg looks affected, and whether it changes. A short video of your dog moving naturally at home is extremely helpful, because it shows things the vet may not see in the exam room (Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine).
Stop hard work while the dog is sore. For a young performance prospect, that means no weight pulling, no resisted dragging, no sprint work, no jumping drills and no treadmill conditioning until your veterinarian says otherwise.
Follow the vet's pain and activity plan. Treatment usually means pain medication prescribed by your vet, rest during flare-ups and a gradual return to exercise.
Get persistent or changing signs rechecked. A limp that gets better with rest still hasn't been diagnosed.

Never give human pain relievers, or another dog's leftover prescription, unless your veterinarian tells you to. The FDA warns that aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen and acetaminophen can harm dogs. Human NSAIDs can last longer, be processed differently and reach higher blood levels in dogs, and acetaminophen can cause liver damage (U.S. Food and Drug Administration).

When should I act quickly?

Cornell's advice is simple. If your dog has been limping for more than a day or two, or the pain is severe, sudden or getting worse, don't wait (Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine). A dog that won't put weight on a leg, or a limping puppy that also has a fever or won't eat, counts as severe. Call the same day.

Pano and the young performance prospect

Pano shows up in exactly the age window when owners start getting excited about a big, strong young dog. That is why we're conservative with young dogs. In our dog weight pulling guide, we keep puppies to harness comfort, confidence and fun, weight-free pulling games. We save real loads for a dog that is physically mature and cleared by a veterinarian.

If a young dog has a pano episode, the plan is the same: rest, the vet's pain plan and a gradual return. Building tendons, ligaments and conditioning takes months, not weeks, and a few weeks off during growth costs a future competitor nothing.

Will my dog recover?

For confirmed panosteitis, the outlook is generally excellent. Episodes often last from 2 days to 2 weeks, rarely up to 3 weeks, and later episodes often show up in a different leg. Recurrences are common up to about 18 months of age, and a small share of cases occur in dogs over 2 years old (IVIS). Pano usually resolves as the dog reaches skeletal maturity (MSD Veterinary Manual). We won't promise that every Boerboel is done with it by a certain birthday.

The Cold River bottom line

Take the limp seriously, identify the cause, and give the growing dog the care it needs.

Growing pains FAQ

Why does my Boerboel puppy's limp move from leg to leg?

A limp that shifts between legs is the classic sign of panosteitis, which can affect one long bone and then another during growth. Other conditions can cause limping too, so a shifting limp still needs a veterinary exam.

My puppy's X-rays were normal. Can it still be panosteitis?

Yes. X-ray changes commonly lag 10 to 14 days behind the first signs, so early X-rays can look normal. Your veterinarian may recommend repeat X-rays if the limp continues or changes.

Does high-protein food cause panosteitis?

That hasn't been proven. One 2002 pilot study suspected protein-rich, high-calorie foods, but presented it as a hypothesis. A 1991 study in Great Dane puppies found protein levels up to 31.6% had no demonstrable effect on skeletal development. Stronger evidence points to excess calories and calcium.

Should I give my Boerboel puppy calcium or other supplements for growing pains?

No, not unless your veterinarian prescribes them. Veterinary guidance says to avoid adding calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D or extra calories for young, growing dogs. Feed a complete diet suitable for growth and keep the puppy lean.

Can my Boerboel puppy exercise or weight pull with panosteitis?

Not during a painful episode. Stop weight pulling, dragging, sprinting, jumping and treadmill work, follow your veterinarian's rest plan, and return to exercise gradually. Puppies shouldn't pull real loads anyway until they're physically mature.

Can I give my dog ibuprofen or aspirin for growing pains?

No. The FDA warns that human pain relievers, including aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen and acetaminophen, can harm dogs. Use only medication your veterinarian prescribes for your dog.

When should I take a limping Boerboel puppy to the vet?

If the limp lasts more than a day or two, or the pain is severe, sudden or getting worse. A puppy that won't bear weight, or that also has a fever or won't eat, should be seen the same day.

Will my Boerboel grow out of panosteitis?

Usually. The long-term outlook is excellent, and pano typically resolves as the dog reaches skeletal maturity. Episodes can recur during growth, often up to about 18 months of age.