Designed as an aid in the feeding of dogs with Megaesophagus
Click here for an excellent description and animation of Megaesophagus
Megaesophagus can be from birth or from a secondary illness or from unknown cause. Many dogs acquire it in conjunction with undiagnosed thyroid imbalance or Myasthenia Gravis. Sometimes it can improve or reverse under certain conditions. There is no generally accepted surgery for the condition, so diagnosis and management means everything. While no one can guarantee you that your pup's megaesophagus will "reverse", there is still good news and plenty of reason to have hope for a good life for him or her!!!
We are members of the Yahoo! group Megaesophagus, a site that you can join and interact with other new and experienced members worldwide for support and advice. Membership is open and all that's required is your desire to help your dog succeed in managing this condition. Besides members of the group there to help you, we have a great amount of research and information available in our files on the site.
At first you will be overwhelmed, worried and very confused about what to do. We've all gone through this. It is initially a learning curve as you work your way through trial and error to see what will work best for your pup, as all of our dogs are different in many ways. Our membership represents dogs from a few weeks of age through their mid teens! We're a friendly group of regular people with a wealth of knowledge to offer you.
The variables are food consistency (does your dog tolerate solid food or does he need canned blended to a soupy consistency with water or broth), how long to hold him upright (in "begging" position) while he eats and for about 15-20 minutes afterwards, generally, and the number of feedings per day to help him grow and maintain adequate body weight. Most of our members use the "Bailey Chair" or a different version such as a mailbox or bucket for small or growing guys.
Click here to see pictures of dogs using the Bailey Chair
A constant seems to be small feedings given more often than a dog without megaesophagus. Bailey gets fed five times a day, about 12-14 ounces of food blended (one can of premium canned food blended with a can of water and a tablespoon of fresh olive oil, to smooth soupy consistency--and this makes three of his five servings a day). Others eat "meatballs" that drop down to the stomach using gravity.
Most megaesophagus dogs take a gastric acid inhibitor such as Pepcid, Tagamet, Nexium or Prilosec to reduce the stomach acids thereby helping avoid esophageal or gastric ulcers. We are able to contemplate our dogs' "later life", as many vets have had limited experience with coping properly with dogs with megaesophagus and often recommend euthanasia. Many don't, but don't have enough experience to know how to cope with the problem. We never recommend treating your dog without partnership with your vet. Our role is to listen, share ideas and suggest what works in other dogs. You can take this information to your veterinarian and mutually decide what suggestions to use.
My husband and I have designed a feeding chair for Bailey and after we saw how much difference it made in his comfort and convenience to us; we made a video demonstrating how to build it. We will be glad to send you a copy of the video, should you choose to build the Bailey Chair for your dog.
We welcome you to join the Megaesophagus Group at Yahoo.com. Upon joining, you will receive a welcome letter, similar to this page, but it will also include directions for ordering the Bailey Chair video. If you want the Bailey Chair video, send an email to the address you'll find in the welcome letter, after which I will email you back privately to confirm your request. The video is free, but we ask that you reimburse us for copying and mailing costs ($6.60) after you receive it. When ordering, remember to include your mailing address and specify whether you want the video on DVD or VHS cassette. While you are waiting to build your Bailey Chair, there are many alternate temporary ways to feed your dog vertically.
Please consider building the Bailey Chair as your dog begins to grow. It makes a big difference! Our Bailey doesn't handle solid foods well. Other than that, he's amazingly healthy. He is a certified therapy dog who visits hospital patients. He plays long games of fetch on weekend mornings at a park. He is a happy dog, and an alpha dog. We have a membership of varied interests including dogs who excel at Agility regardless of their megaesophagus diagnosis. From 2 pounders to 150 pound mastiffs and wolfhounds, all are able to use these techniques and the Bailey Chair.
We're not vets but we can tell you what works for other dogs and can help you to maintain a positive mental attitude towards managing megaesophagus. You can do it!
Here to help you in any way we can, Donna, Bailey, and the Megaesophagus group!
Please click here to go to the Yahoo! Megaesophagus Home Page
