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my lab has a condition called mega esoghous any hope
Dear Albert,
There are several things that can be done to help dogs with megaesophagus. First, it is important to try to determine the cause of the problem–there are a few problems such as hypothyroidism, Addison’s Disease, and myasthenia gravis that may cause megaesophagus. Also if a dog has an underlying intestinal disease (like an inflammatory bowel disease condition) that causes vomiting or acid reflux…that can contribute to a megaesophagus. If a specific condition is diagnosed and treated appropriately, it is possible for the megaesophagus to resolve. Sometimes there is no apparent cause for the megaesophagus and the treatment is aimed at controlling the signs of regurgitation and taking in adequate amounts of food. There are several medications and feeding strategies that can be tried. Talk to your veterinarian for more details. If you or your veterinarian are interested in an Internal Medicine consultation, give me a call or send me an email. Good Luck. Dr. Donna
My miniature schnauzer had to have a kidney removed and surgery to remove bladders stones, also evidence of previous bladder ruptures when surgery was done.
The vet I take her to said that she has to eat Science Diet CD (wet/dry) and she does eat it however I have 6 other dogs and I wondered if I could feed that to them to but the vet said that it was not good for them because it doesn’t not supply the nutrition they need. If it doesn’t supply the nutrition they need how does it supply the nutrition she needs? Can you suggest something that does and that does not produce more crystals in her bladder? Thank you in advance.
Hi Yolanda,
Most of this will depend on the type of stones your dog has had. Every dog with bladder stones needs a specific and tailored nutrition and medical plan….there is no one “cookbook” approach, so unfortunately I cannot give diet specifics or know what type of diet may or may not be appropriate without more medical information about your dog.
I can give you a few general tips to help prevent recurrence of bladder stones:
The “best medicine” to help treat and prevent bladder stones is to increase your dog’s daily water intake. When dogs drink more water they produce less concentrated (more dilute) urine. Dilute urine contains less concentrated minerals, mucus and other cells so crystals and stones are less likely to develop. Dogs drinking more water also need to urinate more and this frequent urination removes minerals and other substances from the bladder, therefore decreasing the chance of stone development. If your dog has been trained to “hold it” throughout the day while you are at work…consider getting a dog walker to allow your dog a few extra trips outdoors every day. Tips to increase water intake: feed only canned food, increase the frequency of feeding (dogs fed several times drink more than those fed only once daily), add additional water or broth to your dog’s food, try ice cubes to ice “chips” as treats, use unique water devices to stimulate your dog’s interest in drinking, ask your veterinarian about the addition of “lite salt” to your pet’s food to increase water intake (not right for every dog).
Many bladder stones form as a result of recurrent bladder infections (UTIs)…and control of infection is a very important part of preventing stone recurrence.
Talk to your veterinarian further about these things and ask for alternate diets that may or may not be okay for management of this condition. If you or your veterinarian would like an Internal Medicine consultation, feel free to contact me. Good luck…hope this helps. Dr. Donna
I am confused about my 4 year old Lab who experienced a pancreatitis attack several weeks ago. My vet told me he needs to be on a low fat diet now (I thought of Acana which is 10% fat) but what about the protein levels? Acana is 35% protein. Should I go with about 25-27% protein as in Holistic Blend? I am getting mixed answers; some say moderate protein and (Champion Pet Food for example say it’s not the protein; it’s the fat you have to be careful of) I also thought of using canned food as well…is that more digestible? Very confused…
Hi Kelly,
Thanks for writing in….sorry to hear about your Lab getting pancreatitis…well wishes for a full recovery! The most important dietary management strategy for pancreatitis is a LOW FAT diet. Be careful with canned food…in general, it tends to have more fat than dry food of the same variety. Always evaluate the fat content of a food on a dry matter basis, so you can easily compare canned and dry foods. Good Luck. Dr. Donna