My 5 month old lab puppy was just given a suspected diagnosis of CMO earlier this week. I rushed him to the emergency vet on Sunday for sudden lethargy/bony lump under his chin. He spent 2 nights in the icu. He presented with a high fever and high white blood count at the vet. His fever came down by Sunday evening with antibiotics and iv fluids. On Monday they xrayed his skull and the radiologist suspects CMO but the results are not “classic” because it’s not presenting bilaterally. Monday evening they did a chest X-ray and found he has pneumonia. They sent out his bloodwork to a specialist and found no overt signs of cancer. I brought my puppy home on Tuesday. He is on medications for the pneumonia and is doing well with recovery. He will have another chest X-ray next Friday to check his progress. My bigger issue is the CMO. My puppy can’t undergo further testing (CT scan/biopsy) at this point due to the pneumonia. He can’t be sedated for the tests until his lungs are clear. My regular vet has not heard of CMO but he has been researching as have I. (The emergency vet has seen very very few cases and they were very doom and gloom.) We’ve both read the bony growth can continue to grow until the puppy stops growing but then there can be regression. I found an old post on a retriever forum from 2008 where the dog had a good outcome with CMO. This is such a rare disease that I can’t find much information on it. Has anyone had this diagnosis? How did you manage it? I need hope!
Your poor puppy - how horribly worrying for you. First up - amazing job noticing the problem and getting your pup the emergency care he needed - well done! I don't have experience of CMO myself, sorry - but I'm sending your pup lots of good vibes - and sending hugs for you too. xx
So update on my precious puppy…good news-he had follow up chest x-rays and the pneumonia is gone from his lungs! We are getting back to our normal routine of walks etc. As for the lump on his jawbone…my husband and I think it may have shrunk a little. My regular vet was able to see and measure the lump last week. The vet wants to take a “watch and wait” approach for now. In case the antibiotics are having an effect, we are going to continue them for 2 more weeks and re evaluate. If the lump starts growing, my vet will help me get a second opinion at Ohio State University or Metropolitan Hospital in Akron. (I live in Ohio). My puppy is otherwise doing really well. No pain at the lump, eats and plays normally. You’d never know it’s there-it’s not visible under his chin. Thanks for reading!! Again if anyone has experience with CMO, please reach out to me. My puppy could use all the good thoughts and prayers that this resolves itself. He is so so sweet-we love him so much and will do whatever’s necessary to help him.
That's wonderful news, I'm so pleased to read it! Once you've recovered from the shock of diagnosis, do let your puppy's breeder know about this, if you haven't already. CMO is a recessive inherited condition, meaning both his parents must have carried the faulty gene which causes it. It's likely that some of his siblings are now carriers as well. If any of them are going to be used for further breeding, it's important that their owner is aware of their genetic status, and pairs them with a sire/dam who doesn't carry the faulty gene, to protect future puppies and their human parents from going through what you've just been through. I hope your puppy continues to recover and heal Sarah
I’ve been in close contact with the breeder. Both parents were clear for CMO according to genetic testing. Could the parents be carriers even if they were clear on the testing?
