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| Suzy Azalea Image Credit: 4.bp.blogspot.com |
Megaesophagus is a condition where the esophagus fails to propel food into the stomach. It is tricky to diagnose and more difficult to treat. Being a dog breeder, Suzy Azalea has had some experience in raising dogs with this condition, and warns other pet owners of its symptoms.
When the esophagus loses its ability to perform peristalsis, any food and liquid the dog ingests remains in the esophagus. This can accumulate for hours and sometimes even days. During this time, a dog will behave and play normally, but will seem to have an increasingly larger appetite.
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| Suzy Azalea Image Credit: cf.ltkcdn.net |
The main symptom of Megaesophagus is regurgitation. It is important to differentiate this from vomiting. When vomiting, a dog heaves as its body attempts to remove semi-digested contents from its stomach. Regurgitation, on the other hand, is more passive: food simply falls back out of the dog’s throat and appears tubular or undigested.
Suzy Azalea warns that Megaesophagus is difficult to detect because its main symptom is a sign of many other disorders. Although any dog can contract Megaesophagus, some breeds are known to be at higher risk, including the German Shepherd, Great Dane, Irish Setter, Labrador Retriever, Miniature Schnauzer, Newfoundland, and Shar Pei. Once the initial symptoms are noticed, it is important that the dog is taken to the veterinarian for a radiograph as soon as possible.
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| Suzy Azalea Image Credit: vetlive.com |
For more information about breeding dogs, visit Suzy Azalea on Myspace.
