Osteomyelitis is a serious bone infection in dogs causing intense pain and lameness that requires aggressive antibiotic therapy and often surgical intervention to preserve limb function.
Dogs with osteomyelitis experience severe, constant pain from bone infection that is often undertreated because owners may attribute lameness to other causes. The pain intensity of bone infection rivals any condition in veterinary medicine. Effective pain management must accompany antibiotic therapy and surgical debridement. Long treatment courses require commitment from owners, and financial assistance programs should be explored for dogs in need to prevent premature euthanasia of treatable cases.