The case of the skin and bone poodle. No more daily vomiting. Shall I cut to 3 meals a day?

"No more daily vomiting. Shall I cut down to 3 meals a day?" the wife asked.
"My dog only vomits when he is let free and he rushes out to eat the grass or late at night. I leash him and stop all feeds after 7 pm. So, my dog does not vomit at other times and is putting on weight. Shall I cut down to 3 meals a day instead of 2-3 hour daily from 9 am to 7 pm?"

"No," I said. "Your dog has a megaoesophagus condition and can't eat in large amounts." The lady probably could not understand what I was saying. Mega what?

I explained again: "Your dog's gullet near the stomach area is paralysed and enlarged. So food is trapped in that area instead of going straight into the stomach like normal dogs. The food accumulates and if in large amounts, together with drinking water, can get 'vomited' out."

Actually the dog regurgitates but it is hard to explain this to the elderly couple. If they feed 3x/day, the poodle would not put on weight. Now, she is still skin and bones but feel heavier.

The owner has to feed small amounts more than 3 times a day if she wants the dog to live. There is no surgical to resolve the problem now. In any case, there is a need for more investigation but the elderly couple needs to save up for their daily expenses. The money they spent on educating two children overseas to become high earners in society have been losses since now they have to be frugal.

Many middle-income parents do sacrifice so much that they start counting pennies when their pets need treatment. It can't be helped as they don't like to ask their children for money. Even though such children earn 10 times more than what they earn!



http://www.sinpets.com/dogs/20110215megaoesophagus-follow-up-toapayohvets-singapore.htm
has the previous case reports