Panosteitis is a little known disease that seems to appear at random, and can disappear and return with little provocation. The disease manifests as a sudden lameness in one leg, without any of the problems usually associated with lameness and usually appears first in one of the front legs, moving randomly to another leg.

Due to the mysteriousness of the disease, it is misdiagnosed. However, X-Rays can reveal a greater bone density in animals that carry the disease. Another symptom besides the dog's obvious tenderness in the affected leg is a pain response to light pressure on the long bones in the leg. Once the disease manifests, the pain can remain for a few months but may continue to return and disappear for no apparent reason throughout the whole year.

Treatment is usually limited to pain management, however there is some belief that a low calcium and low protein diet may help to counteract the increase in bone density, thereby relieving the disease. Unfortunately, these types of diets can also cause younger dogs to eat more to attain the same energy levels they would with a balanced diet and may result in obesity or heart problems which can be more serious conditions than panosteitis.

The good news is that panosteitits is a "self-limiting" disease and will eventually disappear. If your dog is unfortunate enough to get this mysterious disease, the best solution is to manage the pain and ensure they are maintaining a regular exercise routine until the disease goes away.