895. An excellent article and surgery on megaesophagus & "vertical feeding"

The link is as follows:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC340085/

In practice, it will be most expensive for an owner to get all the tests done to determine the cause and the surgery. In my case, the owner was not keen on more tests.

"Vertical feeding," I asked Dr Gladys what it meant as stated in her University book. I was glad to see her now graduated and practising as last year, I met her in Perth and she was in her 5th year, studying very hard.

This was after we had taken the X-ray with barium meal to show the megaesophagus to the owner as he was not much convinced with the plain radiograph.

"Feed like a human being, being upright," she said.
"You mean, the dog should stand up and eat and drink?" I asked. Lucky for me she had the patience.
"Use a Bailey's chair," she replied.

Well, Bailey's chair are mentioned in the internet on megaesophagus nowadays and therefore is no secret.

It is actually a toddler's dining chair where you confine the toddler.
"It is not practical," the owner told me when I advised him to make one Bailey chair. "I don't expect my dog to sit in it for more than 5 minutes.

The theory is that gravity enables the dog that is fed soft food seated in a Bailey's chair to get the food into the stomach. The dog must sit in it for some time and this may not be to the dog's liking.

The dog had lymphoma and FNA (fine needle aspirate) done on the popliteal and cervical lymph nodes by Dr Gladys and Dr Daniel indicated abnormal cells. A lab test was recommended.

"The owner is more interested in the cure than in knowing that his dog had what type of lymphoma," I said to Dr Daniel. "Such test need money and the owner just wanted to cure the dog of regurgitation and the tongue ulcer. Will such test help? I will say not. So, in practice, economics play a big part unlike in the academic world of the Vet School."


UPDATE AND PICTURES WILL BE AT:
http://www.sinpets.com/dogs/20120237megaesophagus-vertical-feeding-dog-singapore_ToaPayohVets.htm