My dog has megaesophagus and vomits. What food and feeding tips?

It really depends on lots of circumstances. How severe is the megaesophagus (ME), the type of food, how well they tolerate the food, how much (volume) and how often do they eat, the cause of the ME, etc. Bailey Chairs will help some patients with ME, but not every dog will benefit from its use. It would be best to discuss this with your vet, though, since they will have a better idea as to the cause and severity of Kiwi's ME. But if she is not regurgitating frequently (daily or weekly), it seems like what you are doing is working pretty well!

I would recommend using wet food that you can roll into balls and feed individually. A canned food such as Royal Canin Low Fat GI or Science Diet I/D mixed with canned pumpkin is good to use so that you can roll them easily into balls. I also recommend a Bailey Chair for feeding dogs with megaesophagus in. This keeps the feedings elevated and helps prevent regurgitation and aspiration. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns!

Hello, I am so sorry Brandi has been struggling. Based on the information you provided, I suspect Brandi has megaesophagus which occurs secondary to neoplasia, myasthenia gravis, hypothyroidism or its idiopathic. Independent of the underlying cause, a permanently dilated esophagus carries a poor prognosis and often leads to pneumonia. Some medications such as metoclopramide, cerenia and sildenafil may be helpful. Additionally, you should research a Bailey’s chair which forces the pet to eat in an upright position to prevent choking. I hope this information helps.

Poor girl. She may have a condition that is causing this such as megaesophagus. I am not sure if your vet has ran any tests yet, but I would recommend starting with thoracic radiographs and perhaps even a barium series will need to be done to detect a possible megaesophagus. Form there the vet will prescribe medication if this conditon is confirmed. The main concern with a pet that regurgitates is aspiration pneumonia. This is why they suggest to elevate the food bowl to allow gravity to help keep the food down. However most owners have to make a gruel (water mixed with food and then puréed) and also give pro-motility drugs (i.e. Metoclopramide) in addition to help manage this condition. Here is more information on megaesophagus if this is confirmed to be the cause of your pet regurgitation episodes. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=3480 I hope this helps you with Cozy’s regurgitation episodes. Best wishes and take care.

Sadly his long term prognosis is probably not very good if he is regurgitating water in addition to food. Some dogs can be managed for awhile with elevated feedings, and at some point a low profile gastric feeding tube might be an option. If the megaesophagus is caused by a vascular ring anomaly then the prognosis could be good with surgery, but this is usually obvious on a chest x-ray.

Hi you are correct with Czar that his could be megaesophagus (ME) and less likely choking from something stuck in his throat. Choking would be a very acute and violent episode. ME is something that would continue to happen at most meals. There are some other medical reasons for Czar's clinical signs as well like a hiatal hernia (abnormal position of the stomach) and other defects he could have been born with. Regardless it is extremely important that he been seen by his veterinarian for a diagnosis. They can take an X-ray to look for ME, something stuck in the throat, or a congenital defect. Also, the doctor can get him on medication to help with the vomiting/regurgitation. Best of luck with Czar

Hi. Regurgitation differs from vomiting in that the expelled material almost always originates from the esophagus—the tube that moves food, water and saliva from the mouth down into the stomach. Vomiting is preceeded by retching noises, where as regurgitation is a passive event where you only hear a noise as the material comes up. The most common cause of regurgitation is megaesophagus. Megaesophagus is a generalized enlargement of the esophaguswith a decreased to absent motility which is required for moving food and liquid down to the stomach. It is diagnosed most commonly by a lateral x-ray of the chest where the esophagus goes from the beginning of chest area into the stomach. If it is vomiting, it is unfortunately a vague sign that can occur from many possibilitites.  It can be from a dietary indiscretion, a food sensitivity, a GI infection,  pancreatitis, metabolic and endocrine conditions, foreign bodies in the intestines, and more.   The best thing for vomiting would be to get blood work and abdominal x-rays done. Good luck