Canine megaesophagus is a rare and little-known disease of quadrupeds. An expansion and relaxation of the esophagus lead to this disease, which significantly reduces the quality of life of the four-legged friend. Regular vomiting after eating and continuous weight loss are the symptoms of megaesophagus. This can be life-threatening for the fur nose. In this article, you will learn more about the symptoms, causes, and diagnosis of canine megaesophagus. As well as tips on how to help your dog with this disease.
What is Canine Megaesophagus?
The esophagus is a hollow tube that runs from the dog’s throat (pharynx) to the stomach. There are muscles on the walls of the esophagus which contract rhythmically (peristalsis) to transport food into the stomach. The muscles keep the esophagus closed.
If the esophagus is enlarged, it is called megaesophagus in dogs. Air forms in the tube and the muscles can no longer transport the feed into the stomach. The lining gets lodged in the dilated esophagus, the back part of the esophagus, and does not make it into the stomach.
If the food lies in the dilated esophagus for a long time, it is broken down there by bacteria. This can lead to inflammation of the lining of the esophagus. The dog can also choke while eating and the food accidentally gets into the trachea. If it gets into the lungs from there, it can cause severe pneumonia.
What is Canine Megaesophagus?
Enlargement of the esophagus causes the dog not to keep food down.
Typical symptoms of megaesophagus in dogs
While drinking and eating, attentive dog owners will notice that their four-legged friend has problems swallowing and often chokes and coughs.
Another conspicuous behavior is that the dog vomits the food again shortly or in the medium term after ingestion. Since the food has not reached the stomach but is regurgitated out of the megaesophagus, it is called regurgitation. This means that the dog food is pushed back out of the esophagus into the mouth and released from there. The dog’s body is starved of nutrition and life-threatening weight loss occurs.
It can also lead to increased salivation, inflammation in the mouth and throat, and bad breath in the dog.
The typical symptoms of megaesophagus summarized:
- problems swallowing
- Choking/coughing while eating and drinking
- regurgitation of lining
- Increased salivation
- Inflammation in the mouth and throat
- bad breath
- weight loss
Causes of esophageal dilatation
In veterinary medicine, there are three types of esophageal dilatation:
- Congenital megaesophagus
- Acquired megaesophagus
- Idiopathic Megaesophagus
The causes of congenital megaesophagus are genetic. This can possibly already be seen in puppies during the transition from mother’s milk to solid food. If this finding occurs in a puppy, it must be taken out of breeding.
Great Danes, German Shepherds, and Irish Setters are affected noticeably often. When mating, reputable breeders ensure that the parents are free of megaesophagus and do not breed with these animals. Occasionally, congenital megaesophagus resolves in a dog’s first six months.
In the acquired megaesophagus, there is another pre-existing condition that affects the esophagus.
Pre-existing conditions include:
- General muscle weakness
- Inflammation or foreign bodies in the esophagus
- poisoning
- Underactive thyroid or adrenal glands
- tumor
- brain disease
- Infectious diseases such as distemper, botulism, tetanus
- autoimmune diseases
In the case of idiopathic megaesophagus, no scientific method can determine the cause of the esophageal enlargement.
Does a dog have to be euthanized with megaesophagus?
This decision must be discussed individually with the veterinarian. Under certain circumstances, however, a megaesophagus is operable.
Megaesophagus in dogs – diagnosis and treatment methods
To determine if a dog has an enlarged esophagus, it needs to be x-rayed. However, the fur nose does not have to be sedated for this. A contrast agent is often given beforehand for a more accurate x-ray of the esophagus. An endoscopy can also provide information about the condition of the esophagus. For this, the dog must be anesthetized.
Whether megaesophagus can be treated depends on the findings. In the case of acquired megaesophagus, the pre-existing condition must be treated. Their healing success is decisive for whether the esophagus can function normally again. There is no cure for congenital megaesophagus. If necessary, an operation can help. Ultimately, you have to make sure that the dog keeps enough food down and it slips into the stomach.
Which food is recommended for megaesophagus?
The consistency of the feed should be mushy. Dry food or food in the form of croquettes are taboo.
What can I do as the owner of a dog with megaesophagus?
The central issue in megaesophagus is the feeding method of the dog.
Upright feeding
So that the food can slide directly into the dog’s stomach, the head, neck and upper body must be raised during feeding. While the dog is seated, you can hand feed the dog overhead from above. If you stand behind the dog and he looks up, the food slides easily through the esophagus into the stomach.
Feeding on a staircase or in a so-called “Bailey Chair” is also possible. Instead, there is a flat plate on a significantly higher level, the dog’s hind paws remain on the ground. It is important that the dog remains in this head-up position for about 10 to 30 minutes after feeding so that the food can slide into the stomach.
Soft and high-quality lining
In order for the food to pass through the esophagus into the stomach well and easily, the food must have a soft consistency. Ground fresh meat using the BARF method or pureed wet food from a can are good for this. In addition, you can mix in swollen flaxseed so that the feed slides even better through the esophagus. When selecting the feed, attention should be paid to a particularly high proportion of fresh meat, high-quality nutrients and sources of energy. Dry food or semi-moist food in the form of kibble are taboo.
Small meals throughout the day
It is gentler on the esophagus if the feed ration is given in small portions throughout the day.
Absolute don’ts
Biscuits, bones, chews and the like should be completely banned from the menu. The risk of something getting lost in the trachea is enormous and therefore life-threatening for the dog. Likewise, the addition of oils, as is usual with barf.
Professional feed advice
You should have a suitable feeding plan drawn up by a dog nutritionist. Experienced nutritionists can often give individual tips for an affected dog.
What is the life expectancy of a dog with megaesophagus?
Dogs suffering from an enlarged esophagus often die from malnutrition, foreign objects in the lungs, or pulmonary fibrosis.
Megaesophagus in dogs: consequences and course of healing
The two biggest subsequent problems with megaesophagus are the slow emaciation of the dog and/or pneumonia. If the dog is not fed in the manner described above, it will repeatedly give up the food before it reaches the stomach for digestion. The dog’s body is no longer adequately supplied and becomes emaciated. This can eventually become so life threatening that the dog has to be euthanized.
Another big problem is when food, or small particles of it, slips down the windpipe and into the lungs. This can lead to severe foreign body pneumonia, an infection of the lungs caused by food debris. Under these circumstances, unfortunately, euthanizing is often a salvation for the animal.
Dogs suffering from megaesophagus are usually hungry. Wearing a muzzle, which prevents the ingestion of food or other things from the ground, is essential.
Under certain conditions, a megaesophagus is operable. Some veterinary colleges or specialist clinics are practiced with this rare procedure. The dog must be in good general physical condition for the surgery and not already too emaciated.
