[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: Mega Esphogus
- From: Pinehillgsds@xxxxxxx
- To: JANGSD@xxxxxxx, showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2006 08:41:03 EDT
In a message dated 8/14/2006 5:26:16 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
JANGSD@xxxxxxx writes:
Here is a website that is still being developed on Mega Esophagus. It is a
very informative site and has much more information that can be found on
the
web. It is being developed by a lady with first hand experience with Mega
pups/dogs. She has 2 she is caring for. There is very little "good"
information on this dreaded disease and this site is the best I have found.
Thought I
would share if anyone was interested.
_http://www.caninemegaesophagus.org/_ (http://www.caninemegaesophagus.org/)
Janet
Thanks Janet. Having recently had a scare, I went to the link. (Last
litter, I had a male who would occasionally, after eating until his belly was
STUFFED, return the last mouthful. He didn't do it all the time; usually
breakfast. I thought (feared!) he might be a mega puppy and held my breath
while he
was checked. He was fine and my much calmer than I <G> vet called what he was
doing "simple regurgitation". (???????????) In layman's terms, he was a
piggy. If I fed him the puppy "mix" without canned meat, he was less likely
to
make a pig of himself, but if the offering was too "good", he'd inhale it! I
also added another meal to my normal weaning schedule because he just
couldn't make it six hours through the night and would gobble breakfast,
stuffing
his cheeks, "forgetting to swallow", almost to where he'd choke, convinced it
was his last meal for a very long time...bless his heart ...not! He's fine,
but his family and I discussed what to do if life occasionally pushed back
one of his meals, and they leave a few hard cookies for him, or one of those
rubber balls that kibble can fall out of so he isn't famished (!!!!) by the
time he eats.)
Interesting site and a lot of useful info. For instance, I did not know
there were so may types of esophageal abnormalities and I also did not know
that
Bloat can be a symptom of mega. From the site:
**************************************************************************
BLOAT (GDV)
_Bloat_ (http://www.dogstuff.info/digestive_tract_disorders.html) (common
term) or "_GDV_ (http://www.vet.purdue.edu/epi/dietrisk.htm) " (_Gastric
Dilation Volvulus_ (http://personal.uncc.edu/jvanoate/k9/bloatfaq.htm) )
(*1) A condition where the stomach twists, thereby impeding input and
output. Also called 'torsion', (but the terms truly have specific meanings)
can be
a serious concern in a dog with Mega-E. Bloat, GDV, & torsion are serious in
*any* dog. Please familiarize yourself with the symptoms . . . and get to the
closest vet. clinic stat should you feel that something just isn't quite
right. It could be 'bloat.' "
***************************************************************************
Which got me to thinking; we have mega in so many of our lines, and bloat in
so many of our (same) lines, could it be that some minor cases of mega go
undiagnosed and are really the underlying cause of (some of) the cases of
bloat?
Or, how about this....
As dogs age and muscles stretch, ligaments get loose, etc., could it be that
sometimes it's actually the same (from the esophagus) that can lead to bloat
in an older dog????
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm............
interesting.
So now what? Barium x-rays (of the esophagus) all 'round for potential
breeding stock? Because I'm sitting here thinking and I really can't come up
with a line that hasn't had any incident of bloat, mega or both. So, maybe the
first step is to clear the breeding pair. Yikes...can you imagine determining
what is OK and what could be a weakness in a dog who is a-symptomatic? I
need more coffee...Where's Barbara?
Kathy
member GSDCA, DVGSDC
three generations of Dual Titled Champions live here!
visit _Pine Hill German Shepherd Dogs_
(http://www.geocities.com/pinehillgsds/)
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