# Megaesophagus



## kim guidry (Jan 11, 2008)

Has anybody ever had to deal with Megaesophagus in their dogs? Does any one know people who adopt dogs with special needs?


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## Gina Pasieka (Apr 25, 2010)

Megaesophagus can be very frustrating. I the most important thing to do is to find the best form of food that agrees with your dog (how solid to how liquid) and to make sure that your dog stays vertical for several minutes post feeding to reduce to incidence of regurgitation. I have seen some dogs do very well with megaesophagus, however the incidence of pneumonia is quite high and can be quite frustrating. Good luck...here is a link to some picture of some chairs that people created to help feed their dogs upright.

http://www.2ndchance.info/vomiting-megaesophagus.pdf


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## Tammy St. Louis (Feb 17, 2010)

one of my dogs from my flyball team had it , BC, it was pretty horrible, she was fine for yrs but at 5-6 yrs old she kept coming down with pneumonia, , they found out what it was, and did the sitting a a chair thing, with soft food and the whole bit, the dog would throw up , many times in a day , it just sucked all around.

if this is a rescue i wouldnt adopt it out, its hell for the owners


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## Nicole Stark (Jul 22, 2009)

When I first got into DDB I was told by a few breeders that it was common for them to throw up their food. It seemed odd to me obviously but no one ever had a suggestion about what might control the problem. For some dogs it must be considerably worse than what I experienced with mine. I found that the right food, smaller meals, with water offered later not immediately following a meal, and if you can imagine - burping the dogs with their heads held high (by the collar) after a meal stopped it.

I found out about the burping more by accident then exploration to be honest. One day one of my dogs burped on its own and there was no urping of food after. I thought the result was interesting so I started inducing it. It's a bit of a foolish thing to admit to but if it helps who cares.

I don't know the extent of what you are facing but I do remember thinking it was a hassle to deal with. I'm interested in knowing what causes it. Is this a newly diagnosed condition in medical terms or has it been around for quite some time?


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## Katie Finlay (Jan 31, 2010)

It's a hard condition to live with. My friend grew up with a ME dog and they pretty much did what everyone else does. You make their special food, you stand them up, you burp them, etc. It would take almost an hour to feed him. He was a really great dog. Eventually though, at around 4, his esophagus started to ulcerate and they had to put him down.

It's a lot of work, but I have a soft spot for sick animals. I'm sure you can look around at rescue organizations that are breed specific though I can't say for sure they'd take a dog with a condition that's not exactly easily managed.


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