My puppy has severe megaesophagus & regurgitates water. Prognosis?

I don't think you will be able to find a simple answer to this question, because there really isn't any good data available. Dogs with megaesophagus who have frequent episodes of aspiration pneumonia often live shorter lives than those who do not. There are a large number of dogs with megaesophagus who are able to have a normal life expectancy with appropriate care and prevention. I have attached 2 handouts below. The second has links to a great Yahoo group for owners of dogs with megaesophagus as well as a link to the Bailey Chair website. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=604 https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=3480 Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Rooney has been diagnosed with megaesophagus. This means that the esophagus is abnormally enlarged/dilated, and does not move food down toward the stomach appropriately. This can make dogs more prone to regurgitating their food or water, meaning the food or water falls from their mouth after eating/drinking. Dogs with megaesophagus are more likely to develop aspiration pneumonia, which can be life-threatening. The type of food is not as important as how you feed Rooney. It will be important to feed Rooney in an upright position, and offer him meatballs of wet dog food one at a time. There are specific dog feeding chairs, called Bailey chairs, that you can purchase online, that help dogs with megaesophagus eat upright. I hope this is helpful!

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.

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

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!

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Megaesophagus is not a fatal condition in itself. However, it can lead to aspiration pneumonia from aspirating food which can be fatal. There is a new study out of Italy that discusses the use of Sildenafil (viagara) used to treat megaesophagus with very promising results. I would discuss this with your veterinarian to see if this would be a good option. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other 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.