Megaesophagus

Megaesophagus is believed to be both a congenital disease and adult onset disease where the esophagus loses tone and dilates. This hinders the ability of the esophagus to transport food and can prevent breathing during swallowing. The symptom of Megaesophagus is the regurgitation of food that has not reached the stomach. This is not a powerful active vomiting but more of a passive regurgitation where the food falls out of the dog's mouth. It is caused by nerve damage to the esophagus and in the case of young puppies the damage can improve as the dog grows. In the case of adult onset, it is usually precursored by another disease that causes nerve damage. Treatment of Megaesophagus can be various medications, deciding between a solid or liquid diet for the dog or a stomach feeding tube. Megaesophagus can also lead to aspiration pneumonia, which is treated with antibiotics. Treatment of this disease can have poor results and the disease can be very difficult to manage.