Megaesophagus is a condition in which a dog’s esophagus is enlarged to the point that food remains in the esophagus and never makes it down to the stomach and is instead regurgitated. The muscle contraction and relaxation that normally takes place to move food down to the stomach doesn’t work. Megaesophagus can be present since birth or can develop in adult dogs. If left untreated, it can cause a range of problems, including starvation and aspiration pneumonia. You can find a wealth of information at www.caninemegaesophagus.org, including what signs to look for and the difference between vomiting and regurgitation. And check out these interactive diagrams to get a clear illustration of the problem. Megaesophagus is an active Yahoo Support Group.
The Bailey Chair was designed by the owners of a dog (Bailey) diagnosed with megaesophagus. The dog sits in a “begging” position to eat, drink, or take medication and gravity does the work to bring what’s ingested to the stomach. They will send you a DVD or video of instructions for building your own Bailey Chair for $6.00 to cover costs. At this point no one seems to be making the Bailey Chair itself for sale.
This “highchair” for dogs can be made of different materials and in different sizes to accommodate small and large dogs.
All sorts of dogs use the Bailey Chair.
With proper eating position, diet, and medication, these dogs can have almost normal lives. Like Rocket, Jasmine, Mattie, Diyoji, and in particular Tobin, whose caretakers’ describe their trials, errors, and successes in ongoing journal entries.
