Terrier Club Pet_Care Forum Westie with CMO...Help!!!!  From:  Message: Valerie April 16 at 11:44 Westie with CMO...Help!!!! On the 16th of March, at 11 weeks of age, my Westie, Prissephanie, woke up yawned and then screamed as if she had been hit by a car!!! I took her to her Dr. He gave her a shot of Steroids and sent us home as he wanted to read up on a few things. A week later the pain returned, back in for another shot. He said that she either had CMO or MMM!!! I asked if there were test to tell which it was.....He said they would not tell him any thing. A litter-mate of Stephie's has the same symptoms. I got a second opinion on April the 2nd, no tests or x-rays done there either. The new vet is sure that she has CMO and has her on a NON-steroidal anti-inflammitory drug called Metacam and NOTHING more. She had 2 small pain-attacks on Saturday, April the 10th but nothing more. I am worried that Stephie may not be getting the proper treatment. Is there any one out there who can help???? PLEASE?!?!?! Lynda and the Minkies April 16 at 12:56 Re: Westie with CMO...Help!!!! I don't know what CMO is...try doing a search on Google for more information. My Sparky was on Metacam for arthritis and it worked wonders. XXX. The Oregon Girlies... April 16 at 13:08 Re: Westie with CMO...Help!!!! There are dogs here that have had CMO. One that comes to mind is Tosh. The treatment they use seems to be very effective and most do grow out of it. xxxBetty and the Girlies... Mac'N'Me April 16 at 18:12 Re: Westie with CMO...Help!!!! Its true the diagnosis can be confirmed with xrays - but its pretty clinically definitive, and xrays are expensive, exp. if the dog is so painful anesthesia is required. I am an "old fart", I always treated with prednisone, and the dogs always come out of it, it takes about 4 months usually, and then they are fine. Dogs with CMO should not be bred - it is related to breeding for the big blocky head and large jaw. Go to the WHWTCA web site, there are links to 5 or 6 very good articles which are easy to understand. Valerie April 17 at 09:50 Re: Westie with CMO...Help!!!! I have been in touch with Mrs. Sanders since this began. She, as well as others, from the WHWTCA have been a great support team. I am sure I would have gone insane if it had not been for all of them. They have been trying to find help for me but there is no one in my area. Well, almost no one. I finally got in touch with a vet near me yesterday evening. He told me to switch her to the Perdnesone and to try adult dog food. He said that the adult food along with the Pred. may help to slow her growth and help keep the pain down a bit more. He also asked me to stop the Metacam and wait 2 day before I started the Pred. as it may upset her digestion system even more so than is it now. I just wish there was more I could do. I will keep everyone posted on Stephie's progress. Wish us luck!!! Theo and Casey April 19 at 13:54 Re: Westie with CMO...Help!!!! Poor wee Stephie to be tossed around like this, how lucky for her that she found you. I have a friend whose wee pup had CMO and she recovered beautifully. There is a case supported by WestieMed, her name is Pearl and you can read about her progress there (cut and paste to browser) http://www.westiemed.com/ I think there is a forum dedicated to the subject as well, I'll see if I can find it. What Ann (MacMan) said, seems to run true for treatments if I remember correctly. hugs and best wishes, Theo & Casey xox Lynda and the Minkies April 19 at 15:22 Re: Westie with CMO...Help!!!! Pearl was lucky that nice lady got hold of her and shame on her first family. XXX. Corinne April 19 at 15:46 Re: Westie with CMO...Help!!!! Col Potters had a little one (Breese) who had CMO.. she did recover... I'm pretty sure we did just what Ann said. it sure was heartbreaking hearing how painful it was. corinne Janie April 19 at 22:01 Re: Westie with CMO...Help!!!! I am praying for a good outcome with all the new meds they have now for this. We had a Westie years ago who was not so lucky. Please keep us posted. Sylvia's Sweethearts April 19 at 22:15 Re: Westie with CMO...Help!!!! My Elliot has a mild case of CMO, the vet we went to wasn't very helpful except to give us a name of a animal specialist in dentistry. They would take an x-ray and he did checking, .Elliot can open his mouth w/o pain, but he cannot close his teeth shut. So for him, we don't have him on meds. He did suffer quite a bit during his teething period. My advice is find a specialist in animal dentistry,if you can. xxSylvia Aimee (Tosh's mom) April 23 at 09:57 Re: Westie with CMO...Help!!!! Tosh was diagnosed with CMO. It's an abnormal jawbone. He had a lump under his chin. The vet prescribed Rimadyl with no side effects. He slept alot but has out grown it and no problems whatsoever. The only thing I have noticed is a couple of missing teeth that never came in and some crooked ones, which the vet wanted me to take Tosh to a doggie orthodontist for braces but since he's just a pet, I didn't want to waste my money. Email me if you want any more info. Lynda and the Minkies April 23 at 10:50 Re: Westie with CMO...Help!!!! I'd agree, Aimee. That's taking things a bit too far !! XXX. Valerie & Stephie April 27 at 12:49 Re: Westie with CMO...Help!!!! Well, I finally found me!!!! Stephie is doing well on half a Pred pill a day. No attack so far...at least I don't think she has had one. I am waiting to see what happens. We are on vacation and so far things are well. Stephie is a great car rider. We left P'cola, Fl a week and a half ago. Stopped in SC to visit my parents. Then on to KY to visit my grand-parents, my grand-father is dieing. Now we are in NY visiting my husbands family. We are to leave for KY again in the morning. From there we are hitting SC again and then on home to FL. Stephie has been playing with other puppies, adult dogs and 3 cats. She rules the house every where we go!!! I am taking lots of pics and will try to figure out how to post them just as soon as we get back home. Thank you all for so much for your words of encouragement. Wish us luck in our travels and with Stephie. Val, John, & Stephie Shaz & Rosie May 05 at 17:30 Re: Westie with CMO...Help!!!! Hi Valerie & Stephie, I feel awful, I havent been on here in quite some time, due to studies, but I could have helped you along the way, Rosie was diagnosed with CMO at Xmas, she was then 7 months old, I diagnosed her myself with a lot of research off the Net, and my Vet confirmed it, I never heard her yelp in pain, but we got up one morning, and she just could not open her mouth, I had to literally cut her meat up into minute specs so she could suck it up, it was awful, I administered Asprin to begin with (advised by 1 website), and within 3 days, she was back to normal, and then on the 1st Jan 2004, it happened all over again, by which time, I couldnt stand seeing her like this, so the very next day, we wipped her off to the Vets, he confirmed it was CMO, gave her a shot of Rimaydl, and booked her in for the following day for an x-ray, the X-ray showed up the enlarging of the Jawbone (Underneath), and the Jawbone at the hinge, he described the pain as very severe earache, and that we needed to keep the jaw working, as the muscles would disintegrate if not. He gave her a course of Prednisone, which she took initially 2 per day, then 1 per day, then 1/2 per day, until we were down to 1/2 every other day, 2 weeks ago she went back for a check up, and he has taken her off all medication now, we are nearly into our 4th week, and no signs of pain. All of the research that I did, shows that, the problem arises from 0 - 12 months, (I think I was lucky @ 7months), and the Onset of the Pain, is every 10 - 14 days when the Skeletal has a growth spurt, and these happen until they are 12 months of age. It is supposed to be hereditary, so breeding is well out of the question, even though my breeder says no other Pups had any problems, and my Vet said that its a Virus that hits the Jawbone, and starts to rebuild it all over again, the lump should recede.......................Rosies has. Keep your Chin Up..........It will get better, there is a light at the end of the tunnel..........oh by the way, the Prednisone, will (or has with Rosie), make her coat very thin. If you want to contact me, feel free:shazbullock@wv125pp.freeserve.co.uk Lynda and the Minkies April 27 at 14:11 Re: Westie with CMO...Help!!!! Pleased she's doing so well. Sorry to hear about your grandfather... XXX. Bonnie and the Vermonsters April 27 at 14:46 Re: Westie with CMO...Help!!!! So glad to hear that she is doing well- at least this is something managable, once you find someone who knows how to treat it! You are having a long trip- my dogs would be in heaven- they love to ride! I'm sorry to hear about your grandfather- it's good that you can see him. Valerie May 06 at 09:41 Re: Westie with CMO...Help!!!! Things are going well so far. We have been home for 3 days now. I downloaded all of our trip pics onto our computer the day we got home. BUT, there is always a but.....my husband decided to reformat the hard-drive. EVERYTHING was deleted. Grrrrrrr.....Bad Daddy!! Oh well, I will just have to take more pics. As for how Stephie is doing. She is a Holy Terror!! Back to her old self...LOL!! She finally received her 13wk shots yesterday. She is taking 1/4 of a 5mg Pred pill a day (we want to see is a lower dose will work as well)and is eating adult food. Our vet hopes that this will stunt her bone growth. In the end, she may be a bit smaller and more muscular than other Westies. We really don't care about that though. All we want is for our little one to be pain-free and happy. So far, she is doing wonderfully. Thank you all so very much. It is nice to have someone to talk with about this horrible disease. By the way, the breeder gave us our money back AND allowed us to keep Stephie. They thought she should be put down and wanted her back. I told them that if they planed to put her down 'I' would keep her until that day and meet them at the vet's office. With all that she and I have been through these past few months I would NOT want her to have the added stress of thinking that her Mommy left her alone. It would kill me. I guess they got the idea and left her with me. YEA US!!! I am so happy I could cry!! Time to go. Take care all. I will keep you posted. P.S. Sorry if I miss-spelled anything. It's not one of my strong points. LOL!! Lynda and the Minkies May 06 at 12:30 Re: Westie with CMO...Help!!!! Phew !!! Relieved to hear the breeder didn't get her back. You'll keep her now ? I hope so..... XXX. valerie May 06 at 17:01 Re: Westie with CMO...Help!!!! You are darn straight we are keeping her. She is our little girl. I wouldn't know what to do without her. Besides, her meds only cost $6.10 for 3 months worth. Not too bad if I do say so myself!!! We can't have children, BUT we can sure buy all of the puppies we can handle!!! We plan to get a Inu just as soon as the breeder has some available. Lynda and the Minkies May 07 at 07:47 Re: Westie with CMO...Help!!!! So pleased to hear this !!! What's an Inu ? XXX. Valerie & Stephie May 20 at 14:20 Re: Westie with CMO...Help!!!! Hi all!! Sorry I have not been on for a bit. Been very busy these last few weeks. As for what a Inu is...Sheba Inu!!! They are from Japan. They are Very Pretty. We hope to get one very soon. Stephie needs a play-mate who gets their shots when they should. You would not believe the number of peole here who do NOT take their babies to the vet as they should. They make me so angry....Grrrrrrr!!! Lynda and the Minkies May 20 at 16:21 Re: Westie with CMO...Help!!!! I don't take mine for annual jabs anymore.....you wouldn't either if they made them ill !! They really don't need all those boosters every year. XXX. Valerie & Stephie May 24 at 10:53 Re: Westie with CMO...Help!!!! I started a pain cycle yesterday. Mom was right there and jumped all over it. She couldn't figure out why I started hurting. She gives me a VERY low dose every day. Then she moved the cooler Daddy uses for fishing and found where I had been spitting my pills out for the past 3 days. I guess Mom is right...I have to take a little bit every day. She started crushing them up again. It's hard to spit out those tiny little things. I'd loose 1/2 of my food!!! LOL!! NOT A CHANCE OF THAT HAPPENING!!! LOL I get ill from the 7way shot ONLY. I can have the 5way with no problems at all. My Dr. said that the 5 way is really all I need cause those other things are not big here and for Mom not to worry about it. Although, I think I heard Mommy and my Dr. takling about some thing getting fixed on me next month. I didn't know any thing was broken. Hmmmmm....I guess I will find out next month. denise June 04 at 12:55 Re: Westie with CMO...Help!!!! I came across this web site while frantically trying to find what to do about Mardi my 5 month old Westie. He was just diagnosed with CMO and they have him on Rimadyl which scares the heck out of me with all the reports of dog's dying. I am so relieved to see your posts and that your Westie is doing well. I just want Mardi to be pain free. Baby aspirin didn't work. I've contacted his breeder and they "DOUBT" the credibility of the diagnosis as they haven't had any other problems with the litter. Maxwell June 29 at 09:01 Re: Westie with CMO...Help!!!! Max also has CMO, which we have been treating with baby aspirin and torbutol for pain - but his good days are getting fewer, and his bad days are more frequent. I have an appointment tomorrow and want the vet to start him on either prednisone, or, as I have been reading this forum, Rimadyl or Metacam. I am heartsick for my beautiful baby. Reading this forum really helped me, to know that we are not all alone in this. Any other advice would be most helpful. Thanks. Valerie & Stephie July 06 at 18:59 Re: Westie with CMO...Help!!!! HI ALL!!! Just thought I would let everyone know how things are going. Stephie is going great on 1/4 of a Prednisone pill a day. She is going to get fixed this Friday. Wish us luck!!! If anyone would like to email me, knock yourself out. I will be only too happy to tell you all about Stephie and how she is doing!! As well as answer any questions you may have. Valerie & Stephie July 06 at 19:24 Re: Westie with CMO...Help!!!! CORRECTION!!! Stephie now takes only 1/8th of a Pred pill a day!! Sorry about that.

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