Mumbai: How Gumbo the Labrador survived life without a lower jaw

Gumbo gambols through the woods of Thane West his tongue lolling goofily as he spots friendly strangers and demands pets It is only on closer inspection that one realises the 10yearold Labrador retriever is missing his lower jaw mdash the lone battle scar from a lifethreatening tumour he defeated just weeks ago after a groundbreaking surgeryGumbo is now the first documented canine case in the world to have successfully undergone a bilateral mandibulectomy or the complete removal of the lower jawldquoThe way Gumbo has recovered is nothing short of a miraclerdquo says Dr Vikam Dave who performed the surgery at his Borivalibased veterinary hospital Blue 7 VetsGumbo the 10yearold Labrador became the worldrsquos first documented canine to survive complete lower jaw removalThe operation was considered radical for several reasons Globally similar canine cases have involved only partial removal of the jaw either from one side or the front While total mandible removal has been attempted a few times there are no recorded cases of longterm survivalldquoNot only is it a complex surgery but success depends largely on how well the dog adapts to life without a lower jawrdquo Dr Dave explains ldquoThe tongue has nothing to support it which can lead to dehydration and fatigue More importantly the dog must relearn how to eat and drink with an entirely revised anatomyrdquoGumborsquos determination however was forged through a decade of neglect and misfortune says Richa Singh Choudhuri founder of Bowsome Senior Dogs India Foundation BSDIF which rescued him in BengaluruGumbo a few weeks before the tumour ravaged his mouth PicBy Special ArrangementFor 10 years Gumbo lived chained and isolated in a Bengaluru building When he fell ill his owner abandoned him His diagnosis mdash peripheral odontogenic fibroma with osseous metaplasia mdash was a cruel twist of fate Though benign the tumour grew so aggressively that it became lifethreateningHe underwent surgery in Bengaluru in October 2025 but when clean margins could not be achieved the tumour returned rapidlyOn December 24 2025 Choudhuri decided to foster Gumbo and brought him to Thane in a final attempt to save himRicha Singh Choudhuri founder of Bowsome Senior Dogs India Foundation with her son Ivaan and rescued Labrador Gumbo at their Thane residenceldquoThe tumour was taking over his mouth and jaw His teeth would simply pop out into the airrdquo she recalls ldquoIt became clear he had only days to liverdquoWith certain death as the alternative Choudhuri convinced Dr Vikam Dave and canine oncologist Dr Ashlesha Dave to attempt complete jaw removalldquoWe knew there was barely a 10 per cent chance of successrdquo she says ldquoBut we decided to take that chancerdquoMedical costs were estimated at around Rs 35 lakh Up to 80 per cent of the amount was raised from BSDIF followers on Instagram within hours with the remaining expenses covered by Choudhurirsquos husbandGumbo eats independently after relearning how to drink and feed following the removal of his entire lower jaw PicsShadab KhanA CT scan confirmed that the tumour had not spread beyond the lower jaw On December 29 surgeons removed Gumborsquos mandible along with affected lymph nodes For the first two weeks he was fed through a tubeDr Milind Hatekar a veteran veterinary surgeon from Pune with 35 years of experience confirms that this is the first recorded case of a successful complete removal of the lower jaw in the world ldquoItrsquos a massive surgery not many surgeons would opt to do it Not only do you need specialised skills but most pet owners would opt to euthanise the dog rather than agree to the procedure This could be due to concerns over the success rate the cost or the intensive care required at home during postoperative recoveryrdquo he saysldquoBut the fact that Gumbo is enthusiastic about food and is successfully eating on his own is proof that the procedure is successfulrdquo he addsDr Dave now plans to publish this case study in a veterinary journalFully recovered after a radical surgery Gumbo now enjoys daily walks and playtime at his foster home in ThaneldquoRemoving a jaw is very different from amputating a limbrdquo Choudhuri explains ldquoYou can teach a tripod dog to walk But how do you teach a dog to eat againrdquo The answer came unexpectedly To prevent dehydration she would place Gumborsquos tongue into chicken broth and gently cup the liquid into his mouthldquoHe learned how to manoeuvre his tongue on his ownrdquo she says ldquoBy midJanuary he began lapping broth independently and soon progressed to blended mealsrdquoThis week brought further good news The lymph node biopsy returned negative for cancer confirming complete tumour removalToday Gumborsquos only remaining challenges are what Choudhuri jokingly calls his ldquosocial butterfly syndromerdquo and his refined palateldquoHe refuses plain waterrdquo she laughs ldquoHe prefers cucumbermint water with ice cubes or chicken broth For meals he loves chicken and fish as long as itrsquos blended into a smooth paste so he can eat it himselfrdquoNow fully recovered the 10yearold Labrador is up for adoption in Mumbai Thane and Navi MumbaildquoHersquos extremely gentle loves people and gets along beautifully with children and catsrdquo Choudhuri says as her fiveyearold son strokes Gumborsquos head ldquoOn walks he insists on greeting everyone His walks may take longer but his adopters will make many friends along the wayrdquoOct 2025Month Gumbo first underwent surgeryHow to adopt animals in Mumbai Visit shelters run by organisations such as the Youth Organization in Defence of Animals yodamumbai in Malad and The Welfare of Stray Dogs wsdindia in Sewri to see which dogs are up for adoption To adopt a senior dog follow Bowsome Senior Dogs India Foundation on Instagram bowsomeseniordogsindia and fill out the application form available on their profile The NGO staff will counsel your family to match you with a cat or dog thatrsquos a good fit for your lifestyle A few basic todos before you pick up your new pet Scope out the closest veterinarian animal pharmacy and food sources Get a collar leash and pet tag with your contact number on itWhos the dogs docDr Vikram Dave is a veterinary surgeon specialising in orthopaedics and neurology with over 18 years of experience in his field He and his wife canine oncologist Dr Ashlesha Dave run Blue7 Vets an animal hospital in Borivali West Dr Dave has undergone training in the US Australia and Europe and has gone on to pioneer pet medicare in the country He was the first in Mumbai to perform a total hip replacement on a dog in 2024 and is currently conducting groundbreaking neurosurgical research that could someday translate to brain surgery for animals