Rascalmyshadow Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 (edited) One of our two pups has just been diagnosed with Megaesophagus, at the moment she is only regurgitating fluid with the occasional bit of food and I was wondering if anyone on here has lived with a dog with the condition, I would like to ask a few questions in regards to its progression etc. Edited December 2, 2022 by Rascalmyshadow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mairead Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 Ask your vet to make up information sheets for you. Day to day management, signs that your dog needs a check up, signs there's an emergency etc. It will mean they might have to do some research so their knowledge will be up to date. Maybe transfer this topic to Health etc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 Oh, Rascal Not the best news- I hope you can get LOTS of good and practical information for your new baby 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stellnme Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 Yes, Rascal. My Basil had this at 8 years. Unfortunately he passed away due to complications (Aspiration Pneumonia). There is a wonderful group called Australian Canine Megaesophagus Group on facebook, run by a very knowledgeable lady who has managed her dachshund for many years. Members donate Bailey chairs which enable the dog to be fed upright and stay in the chair for a period after eating to enable the food to go down. Many dogs fall asleep in their chairs! There is also a man who makes the chairs. What works for one dog may not work for another, so the information from members is very helpful in working out what may work for your dog, recipes, medications, etc. Many vets never have a case and are unable to give much information. It can be congenital (born with it) or, as in my Basil's case, acquired later in life. We were unable to pinpoint the cause of his. Please also bear in mind there are several causes of Megaesophagus, some cases can resolve if the cause is found and treatable. Please join the group, they are so supportive and all is not lost. Your pup can live a long and happy life, but it will require effort on your part. However, they are worth it. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deeds Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 Good advice from @stellnme. I hope it goes well for your pup ,Rascal. And your pup is absolutely gorgeous . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebanne Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 Yes My Greyhound Fern had this for 12 months before being pts. Made her life fairly miserable in the end. I never resorted to a chair for her but I did raise all bowls for her and slept her in a crate with raised bedding at each end to keep her head raised. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 (edited) We have 2 clients with it & boarded 4 dogs with it . 1 client has it mild & the dog lives a wonderful quality life at present 3 yrs. Has to drink from a rabbit dripper & multi mealsDoesnt require meds Its litter mate we board has it extreme must be feed 3/4 meals ,eats in a stand up chair ,cant drink from a bowl must be from a rabbit dripper,puks nearly every breakfast ,had pneumonia numerous times,skinny as a rake .Requires 2 lots of meds to be given 30 mins before each meal . Cant have treats We will only board it for shorts stays ,can only eat prescribed food (they are on the groups & have a great vet but attempts at varying foods options havent worked well so the cans are there only option so $$$ wise they have a costly dog. Breeder did refund there purchase price & stop breeding . Dog doesnt live a great life in the scheme of things . Another client big dogs had to be feed in stand up feeder had terrible pneumonia so many times it finally passed from it . That dog lived a life of hell. Each one has to walked on harness only & finding one of those for each dog is not easy & daily adventures may not be what owners planned with issue ,treats & ensuring all humans follow the rules can be life n death basically ,,summer is a well planned exercise as risk of dehydration is a big as the water intake is a problem . Meals are watered to assist with drinking . The degree of it really makes a difference & if severe it is not a easy path for the dog or humans . Edited December 2, 2022 by Dogsfevr 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rascalmyshadow Posted December 2, 2022 Author Share Posted December 2, 2022 Thank you for the replies, at the moment she’s not regurgitating food only liquid, she was skinny when I got her but I’m feeding her and my other pup still three times a day due to their size (she’s only 3.3 kg and he’s 2.2kg) and that has put weight on her. Her quality of life is very good at least at the moment and if that changes she will be given her wings. Can anyone tell me if this is a condition that gets progressively worse or does it normally stay the same. I have been advised to raise all food and water bowls but not worry about a Bailey chair as she’s not bad enough to worry about that at this stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Gifts Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 Stussy has Laryngeal Paralysis ( geriatric onset LP - collapse on one side and paralysis on both, which is also nerve related) and I joined a great FB group thanks to DOLers advice. She eats and drinks from raised dishes (shoulder height). Her food bowl is this metal rod thing that you can slide up and down to get the correct height. Ones with set heights may not be the right height. She has a slow water bowl (it goes on a plastic basket for height). It is great as she was always gulping her water and a bit hacky as a result. Both items easily bought on line. Also bought a set for Jonah and he seems to enjoy not having his face falling in his food and water! There is also a water thickener that some people buy that has helped their dogs too. Could be beneficial for you to try since liquids are a problem. Can also add some pics if you think it is useful. Other ways to get fluids in are also to freeze canine bone broth (you can buy it in supermarkets now). It freezes quite soft so is easy for them to chew. I found a little tray that make ones about half the size of a normal ice cube. Maybe you could go even smaller and just aim for a straight swallow? Stussy is never ever fed or watered at ground level anymore, not even treats. Before we had tie back (TB) surgery (which leaves one side of their throat permanently open) my vet said to start feeding her wet meatball foods to avoid aspiration pneumonia (LP) so you could also start doing that. The aim is for the item to be small enough and slippery enough for a straight swallow. It hasn't all been positive though - she has vomited more this year than she has in all her previous 14 years put together but we have not had a single incident of aspiration pneumonia. I feel very lucky for that as so many other LP doggos seem to suffer AP and reflux and all manner of other problems whether they have TB. LP is different of course to Mega and it also affects the hind legs and a lot of the dogs either succumb to AP or lose their ability to walk. Some who can't have TB surgery eventually can't recover from a breathing crisis. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot that will re-stimulate the nerves once the disruption has commenced either. She can no longer wear anything around her neck so no collars. Some of her dog coats with loose necks are fine but I also made her some v neck styles. I also had to turn one harness into a v neck as it sat higher around her throat. Not all harnesses sit the same so you'll have to play with this too and find one that sits in a way that doesn't add any pressure, particularly when pulled on with a leash. I was beside myself when she was first diagnosed and we had some problems finding a great surgeon and then we had some post surgical problems. She also lost a lot of weight on the meatballs but once we got a routine and back on the kibble based diet she hasn't looked back (you can also soak kibble and reform it into meatballs). She is now 15 so has slowed down anyway but this is our first summer since she developed it and we have new skills to learn about how to manage her breathing in the heat, even if she isn't doing much. I'm sure the FB page that stellnme mentioned will have a wealth of knowledge on it for you but some of this may be useful to you as we are going through it now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rascalmyshadow Posted December 2, 2022 Author Share Posted December 2, 2022 4 hours ago, stellnme said: Yes, Rascal. My Basil had this at 8 years. Unfortunately he passed away due to complications (Aspiration Pneumonia). There is a wonderful group called Australian Canine Megaesophagus Group on facebook, run by a very knowledgeable lady who has managed her dachshund for many years. Members donate Bailey chairs which enable the dog to be fed upright and stay in the chair for a period after eating to enable the food to go down. Many dogs fall asleep in their chairs! There is also a man who makes the chairs. What works for one dog may not work for another, so the information from members is very helpful in working out what may work for your dog, recipes, medications, etc. Many vets never have a case and are unable to give much information. It can be congenital (born with it) or, as in my Basil's case, acquired later in life. We were unable to pinpoint the cause of his. Please also bear in mind there are several causes of Megaesophagus, some cases can resolve if the cause is found and treatable. Please join the group, they are so supportive and all is not lost. Your pup can live a long and happy life, but it will require effort on your part. However, they are worth it. I’m sorry about your boy ❤️ I will check out the group. Lotti’s is congenital, the person that bred her sold her at 8 weeks but the buyer returned her and asked for a refund because of her vomiting so I know it’s been going on from very young, she’s now 7 months. I’m hoping her condition stays manageable, with 6 dogs in the house it won’t be easy if she gets any worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 3 hours ago, Rascalmyshadow said: Thank you for the replies, at the moment she’s not regurgitating food only liquid, she was skinny when I got her but I’m feeding her and my other pup still three times a day due to their size (she’s only 3.3 kg and he’s 2.2kg) and that has put weight on her. Her quality of life is very good at least at the moment and if that changes she will be given her wings. Can anyone tell me if this is a condition that gets progressively worse or does it normally stay the same. I have been advised to raise all food and water bowls but not worry about a Bailey chair as she’s not bad enough to worry about that at this stage. Yes the bowls being raised is important & often harder with other dogs in the home but they all learn. The baily chair can be very confronting for a dogs & place significant strain on the bag & legs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stellnme Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 If she is only regurgitating liquid at the moment, you may be in a very fortunate position. Many Mega owners do not offer water at all, but rather make gelatin blocks to give her hydration. They swallow these easily and they disolve. The only problem in a multiple dog household is keeping her away from the water bowls. It could also be myasthenia gravis for which there is medication - myasthenia can progress to megaesophagus in some cases. Truly, it's worth doing tests to see if it really is megaesophagus or something that is treatable. with medication or surgery. With the Bailey chair, as I mentioned above, many dogs fall asleep in their short period in the chair after eating, and there are very well made and comfortable chairs out there for all sizes of dogs. If the dog is small, you can also sit with them upright or resting on your shoulder for 15 minutes or so. You will probably never have the "perfect" puppy and maybe you will lose her at some stage, but nothing is guaranteed with any dog. I would give anything to have my boy back again with all the inconveniences of managing it. He went far too soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stellnme Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 20 hours ago, Mairead said: Ask your vet to make up information sheets for you. Day to day management, signs that your dog needs a check up, signs there's an emergency etc. It will mean they might have to do some research so their knowledge will be up to date. Maybe transfer this topic to Health etc Nope. Many vets never see a case. The best advice is from hands on owners who have managed it for years and learnt what works and what doesn't. My vet took an xray, said that's what it is and to give him meatballs. No advice on what else it could be or further tests, etc. I learnt the hard way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rascalmyshadow Posted December 3, 2022 Author Share Posted December 3, 2022 Unfortunately having six dogs in the house there is no way for me to restrict her water intake but I can elevate the bowls to some extent although I have to make sure our smaller chi can still access them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deeds Posted December 3, 2022 Share Posted December 3, 2022 https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/digestive/megaesophagus-dogs Rascal you may find this link helpful. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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