Great Dane Club of America - Breeder Education 2009

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Question #1
My 9 week old Great Dane was recently diagnosed with HOD. I was wondering if you have encountered this issue in any of your dogs and if so, whether you have any thoughts or recommendations for us?

Response:
This information is what my vet has prescribed for a puppy with HOD. Unfortunately, it is not exact measurements because he is gone this week and I don't have pertinent information at my house. Once the diagnosis is made (with x-rays), immediate action is required. A loading dose of pred (injectible) is given, along with an antibiotic such as Antirobe, and an injection of Dyperone for the fever. The pred dose is SLOWLY reduced over a few weeks. The loading dose is influenced by weight. You must curtail their activity, put them on a dog food that is no more than 22% protein, low caloric intake, and a balance of calcium/phosphorous of 1.2/1.0 (approx.) They will go into remission, then the fever spikes again, etc. You can give an injectible of dyperone - but only when the fever is 104 degrees and over. This back and forth can occur three to four times, until you can get to 21 days with no relapse. Restricting activity is very important.

Response:
Get that puppy on a kibble with the lowest possible protein % immediately!!! 16% thereabouts.........and keep it as quiet as possible. I hate to use cortisone drugs but, they will help. If all else fails.......Banamine (a horse med) will help a lot. use in a ratio to the weight of the dog...........a pain killer too. and no exercise for now!!!

Response:
Several years ago I came across the attached information from a vet in Maryland using Azithromycin - also attached some things from one of the lists as well as paper on Vac induced v diet induced (old stuff)

Canine auto-inflammatory (hyper-inflammatory) diseases.
Hyper-inflammatory syndrome in the Weimaraner Recurrent fever episodes associated with systemic inflammatory signs have been recognized in the Weimaraner breed for several years. Hyperinflammatory syndrome was coined for this breed, with manifestations including hypertrophic osteodystrophy, aseptic meningitis, post-vaccinal reactions with high fever and/or nodular skin disease and immunodeficiency syndrome. There is likely to be a common underlying cause for these hyperinflammatory diseases that is yet to be defined.

Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy (HOD) A major manifestation of the hyper-inflammatory syndrome is hypertrophic osteodystrophy (HOD), which causes pain and lameness associated with swelling of the growth plates in the long bones. Diagnosis of HOD relies on the typical history, clinical signs, and the presence of characteristic radiographic findings showing changes at the growth plate of long bones. Appropriate clinical signs include swollen, painful metaphyses; fever; lameness and reduced appetite. Many dogs have self-limiting small bowel diarrhoea coincident with the onset of the fever and joint pain. Males and females are equally affected, and the age of onset is typically 8-16 weeks of age.

The cause of HOD remains unknown, with earlier speculations of vitamin C deficiency or over-nutrition discounted in more recent times. Low levels of blood antibody IgA, IgM, or IgA are documented inconsistently in HOD affected dogs. A high heritability for HOD (0.68; 95% confidence interval of (0.65 - 0.71) suggests a significant genetic effect, and a molecular analysis is in progress to further our understanding of this disease.

Approximately 70% of the Weimaraners diagnosed with HOD have received a recent multi-valent vaccine within 1-2 weeks of the disease onset. Most of these would have been vaccinated within 2-3 days of disease onset. It is important to note that there have been Weimaraners with HOD not receiving vaccines within the previous 3 weeks. This indicates that vaccination is one trigger for the HOD disease on a susceptible genetic background. Treatment of HOD in other breeds has traditionally relied on rest, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and opiate analgesics as necessary. In most cases, the disease is self-limiting, and most dogs recover in several weeks. The disease in the Weimaraner is different. Practitioners should rapidly rule out infectious causes for the fever and bone pain. NSAIDs and rest are appropriate for self-limiting disease, but corticosteroids should be used with severe, progressive disease when radiographic changes in the growth plates are consistent with HOD. Prompt recognition of the disease and appropriate treatment are the keys to a good outcome.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by breeders in response to questions of general interest reflect their opinions based on their individual experiences within the breed and are not necessarily the opinion of the GDCA. It is imperative that anyone with a Dane puppy that shows signs of illness or injury obtain an immediate examination and diagnosis by a veterinarian.

Recommendations or ideas expressed by the breeders in Breeder's Ed. should be discussed with your veterinarian in detail. It is strongly recommended that a veterinarian experienced with Great Danes and other large breeds be contacted whenever possible.

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