FINALLY - A Megaesophagus Training Treat for Sidney

Since the day Sidney was diagnosed with MegaE, we knew it would be difficult to find treats for Sidney.  Since he can't eat anything horizontally, what were we going to give him?  We ended up using little licks of honey on our finger.  This has worked well (for Sidney).  For us, especially when we were traveling, we tried carrying little mini-honey bottles around or putting honey in a syringe, etc.  This, as you can imagine, can get pretty sticky and messy.

Well we finally found something called Lickety Stik.  It comes in a container that resembles a roll-on anti-perspirant bottle (with the roller ball on the top).  It has a lid that screws on and off and comes in flavors of Chicken, Liver and Bacon.  So basically, Sidney licks the roller ball on the top and gets the taste of the flavor - but doesn't actually eat or ingest anything - he just gets the taste.  I kind of equate it to the same as when he swallows saliva at any point in the day.  It's not messy for us and is easily portable without getting our hands all sticky too.  It's been almost 3 years until we found this solution.  I cannot explain how much this makes us happy!!  I'm sure it may not work for all dogs - since there are varying degrees of ME - but for us it seems to be a success!

Here is a link if you were curious:
http://www.petsafe.net/products/liquid-dog-treats/lickety-stik

Regurgitation and Megaesophagus Life

So I got home for lunch to feed Sidney his afternoon meal and was greeted by a few piles of regurgitation. This isn't typical. Usually this doesn't happen while I'm not home for whatever reason. But I think that he may have got himself a little too excited when UPS delivered a package at the front door and they probably rang the doorbell. Lately when he has been regurgitating, it's not really been a whole meal of food, just a partial meal with gross stomach acid type of stuff.

I cleaned up after him and then fed him his afternoon meal with his Knox Blox and everything seemed like it was back to normal. I know we will never eliminate this from happening. But thinking back to when we first received the diagnosis, he regurgitated A LOT (multiple times a day for weeks at a time). So much that we thought it was never going to stop. But we worked out our routine, stayed diligent with his vertical feeding, and made sure to get a medicine that we felt worked for him (Bethanechol). With that, the regurgitation episodes decreased. We had gone through times where he didn't do it for over a month and you forget that it even was an issue. But it's going to happen and I always appreciate when he makes it to the tile instead of the carpet.

It isn't like regurgitation makes him suffer or anything. It happens fast and then that's it. DONE. Sure our floors suffer and paper towel budget is larger than normal, etc. But Sidney is just as good as any normal dog. I'm pretty sure normal dogs eat stuff and throw up too. All part of having a pet. We're lucky to have him!!

Late-Night Regurgitation

This photo is from when Sidney and I attended the Lake Erie Monsters hockey game together. They have a day where they allow dogs in the arena. He behaved very well and it was fun.

So last night Sidney woke me up at about 4am. He was having some regurgitation episodes. He threw up on the couch, the carpet, the kitchen and by the front door. It's been a while since we have had one of these. But it happens. But this morning he wasn't too into having his Knox Blox or his food. Hopefully he just has an irritated esophagus, but if he is still a bit "off" at lunch I'm going to take him in to get checked out in case he has Aspiration Pneumonia just to be safe.

UPDATE: 3/16/12:
Sid started eating again the next day. I gave him Sucralfate and maybe that helped. But he has been regurgitating a bunch this week - sometimes in the middle of the night and sometimes in the afternoon/morning etc. But overall he seems OK. We hit these patches every so often. My carpet is getting dirty, but when this rough patch is over we'll steam clean it. No worries. Just keeping a closer eye on him so we know he doesn't aspirate during this patch.

Evolution of Sidney's Bailey Chair

Since we got Sidney's Megaesophagus diagnosis when he was 10 weeks old, we knew he would hopefully be growing and his Bailey Chair would need to grow with him. So what we did was make the Bailey Chair able to be very large, but adjustable to start out small.
The above photo is the first version. You can see it is kind of a "Bailey Chair made within a Bailey Chair." We left room so that the sides could get wider. We also made the holder for the Paw Bar (on the sides) able to be raised higher as he grew. We would just unscrew it and re-screw it at the proper height. We also made a back spacer that we inserted into the chair. We would make it smaller as he grew and then re-insert it into the chair.

Here is his first test after we made it. You can see how small he is in the chair - but the way we made the spacing and adjustable parts, he fits in there pretty well. We obviously over estimated the pillow he sat on - which we changed, eventually to a folded up towel. We did pad the chair with Gym Flooring from Dick's Sporting Goods that has held up very well.

Above is his first meal in the chair when he was just a little 14 pound baby. It took him a while to get used to the chair - but we sat with him the whole time and started out in small time blocks, building up to the 30 minutes we now do. It took a few months if I remember correctly.

So as Sidney grew, we made several small adjustments - making the paw bar higher and making the back spacer smaller and smaller. It was always a special day when we made adjustments. It meant we were having success in Sidney's health. He was gaining weight, getting nutrients and growing into a big boy. You can see from this above photo that it has been adjusted compared to the earlier pictures. Ultimately, once Sidney was full grown, we took the Bailey Chair and made the final measurements. Using the same chair and materials from the original version, we made the final version of the Bailey Chair, complete with a new paint job. The final photo is below. Sidney usually sits with his paws both up on the paw bar, but he is so comfortable in there now, he sometimes just relaxes with one paw on the bar. Whatever works.

So ultimately, we were able to make the most out of our situation. We were worried about the cost of building multiple chairs, but out of necessity, we figured out how to make this work. We even have his Portable Bailey Chair set at the final height and size as well (see below). So now both of his Bailey Chairs are working our well and so is Sidney.

Our General Megaesophagus Routine

We spend a lot of time with Sidney, he even grabs his Penguins Stuffed Animal while we watch the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey games on TV. He is the #1 priority in our life :)
Of course Sidney regurgitated yesterday morning in a bunch of piles. But my little buddy worked hard to make sure he went onto the tile instead of the carpet. Like he knew it was easier for us to clean. It was mainly stomach acid. Recently he seems to be getting uncomfortable late at night and I see him sitting up vertical for a bit until he feels better. These are just minor occurrences and he hasn't regurgitated before that in over a month I think. But it did make me think just about our life with Sidney in general.
I do realize how much we base our schedule and life around Sidney. We just can't drop a bowl of water on the ground and some food and then go about our business. Everything is on a timed plan. He gets his 5mg of Bethanechol in some Knox Blox before Tiff leaves for work around 6:30am and sits in his Bailey Chair about 7-10 minutes - then she soaks his food. I get him in his Bailey Chair and get him fed at 7am until 7:30 when he's done. I soak his food for the next meal at lunch.
At lunch - I come home from work, put another cup of water into his food and take him outside. Then get him in his chair and feed him the food and Knox Blox again for 30 minutes.
For his dinner meal - we need to make sure we get it completed at a decent time. He needs his 5mg of Bethanechol in some Knox Blox and then we need to soak his food - wait 30 minuted then feed him with his Prilosec OTC in the food, while letting him chill in the Bailey Chair for another 30 minutes.
While it sounds like a lot of work, it's not something I mind doing. We do have to make sure we arrange our personal life around this schedule because it's so important to us to keep this routine and Sidney healthy. I like spending time with Sidney and even though it takes up a lot of our time - I am happy to live like this for the next 15 years (hopefully).

Megaesophagus and Water

So I took my buddy Sidney to the dog park today because it was really nice out for a January day. As always, he had so much fun and as always, there is water in bowls out at the park. Since Sidney has MegaE and cannot drink water like non-MegaE dogs or risk Aspration Pneumonia, it is always a concern. This is the case for us anyways, not necessarily the horizontal drinking of water which is a No-NO for all MegaE dogs, but for us it doesn't even work well in his Bailey Chair (so we give him water in the form of Knox Blox - recipe is in a below post). I always make sure to give Sid extra Knox Blox before we go and I just feel lucky that he really has no interest in drinking water from a bowl. I assume since he was born with MegaE, that it is so much easier for us to manage this because he has only known how not to drink water from a bowl. I say this because he ignores the water bowls - see the above photo.

Anyways, what I love is that Sidney is allowed to be a normal dog. He can have fun playing with other dogs and it really makes me happy to let him be normal and happy. YES, I watch him closely, but we really have our system down and we have a happy and normal dog. Does he have MegaE? Yup. Does he care? Nope!! That's all that matters to me. So if you get the diagnosis and wonder what your fur kid's life will be like. It will be great. Just get your system down and let your dog be a dog and enjoy having fun. It has worked for us. And I am so much happier, living though Sidney's happiness.

FOLLOW UP: I was curious about Prilosec OTC longtime use in my previous post. From what I have found, it isn't an issue and for us, we will continue with this every night for Sidney!!

Shedding, Prilosec OTC and Regurgitation

Sidney is wore out from partying on New Year's Eve!!
So, Sidney has been shedding A LOT lately. He is a Lab, that's the deal, I get it. And also lately, he has had some late-night regurgitation issues or late-night issues where he woke up at 3am and just looked uncomfortable. Some afternoon episodes too, but those are rare. His recent regurgitation looked basically like it was from him ingesting his shedding hair. He licks his paws a ton and somehow ate a bunch of his shedded hair. I am hoping that his recent episodes are just that. EPISODES. I feel like they were isolated because he seems super fine outside of this. He played with my friend's Black Lab Cisco on New Year's Eve for the ENTIRE night and could not have been more energetic or more happy. I cannot stress how HAPPY he was. He loves playing with other dogs so much. Once his favorite dog park Bow Wow Beach opens back up next year, we will be there every week!! So basically, Sidney is doing great, I just always worry about him when he has a bad day. Way over protective I know. But I have to be. It's my obligation to my favorite buddy in the world.
On another note, I have been curious about long-term Prilosec OTC usage and the effects. Only because I have seen commercials that state to only use for 14 days at a time and a cycle of 14 days every 4 months (in the fine print). Sidney has been on it for 2 years straight. I will do some research online. However, since it has helped with significantly decreasing regurgitation and the potential for Aspiration Pneumonia (which can KILL him fast), the risks are most likely worth the reward of his life being extended for around 13 more years. I'm no expert, but want to make sure what we do for Sidney is always the best for him. So I am going to ask the vet and my actual people doctor about it to be sure. I just do not want to potentially create a new health problem for Sidney since he obviously already has a stupid MegaE problem.
Happy New Year. Sidney has already had more than he was predicted to and will have many more. Megaesophagus is NOT A DEATH SENTENCE!!!!!!!!!

2 Year Vet Check-Up

Sidney had his 2 year Vet appointment last Friday. They tested his blood work, fecal samples and several other things. The tests all came back great. No problems. He is healthy and in good shape and weighed in at 53 pounds.

So even though Sidney is on 5mg of Bethanechol twice a day and gets one Prilosec OTC tablet in the evenings - that hasn't adversely affected his health. I was worried that maybe since he is a dog and these aren't typical meds for a dog to be on regularly, that maybe it would affect other parts of him negatively. Luckily, this is not the case and Sidney has a clean bill of health. So our routine is working. His diet is keeping him in shape. He is well-hydrated, has a great coat and the meds seem to help minimize the regurgitation from what we can tell. Although he regurgitated when I got home from work yesterday. Wouldn't be life with Sidney's Megaesophagus without at least one hiccup.

Sidney is Feeling Better

Sidney seems much better. Not sure what was wrong - but it is always better to be safe than sorry. When we suspect anything, we address it immediately. If the main threat to Sidney's life is Aspiration Pneumonia, then we are taking that very serious.
I believe that as long as we diligently keep a watch for any of these symptoms that Sidney will live a very long, healthy and happy life.
ALSO - the photo is what Sidney does when he is feeling uncomfortable or sick. He raises himself fairly vertical on the couch and sits like that until he feels better. Pretty impressive.

Sick in the Middle of the Night

Sidney woke me up at around 4am the other day. It wasn't the normal swallowing sounds or regurgitation. It was more like he was struggling to regurgitate. He did it several times and then kept trying. I felt so bad for him, but I really couldn't do anything at 4 in the morning aside from sit with him and try and make him feel better. Maybe he ate a stick or something. It's tough to tell. He unfortunately loves to eat sticks for some reason, which is super frustrating. YES, we try and correct the behavior every day - easier said than done.

I was worried because he sneezed several times and it seemed like he was having trouble breathing. What sucks is it's hard to distinguish between a Megaesophagus issue and a random he has something stuck in his throat issue. Of course I err on the side of caution. Aspiration Pneumonia is the enemy. It is the one thing that will kill him with this stupid condition. After a while he seemed to get out whatever the problem was, but we still need to be careful.

We have watched him closely, got him on his Aspiration Pneumonia meds to be safe and have the Vet on speed dial. So far he hasn't shown any more symptoms or issues. However last night around 4am again, he woke me up with his "more normal" gulping/swallowing sounds. He sits up as straight as he can because I think it makes him feel better in a vertical position. My smart little guy.

He hasn't lost his appetite and hasn't lost any energy or had any difficulty breathing, etc. So I think we will be OK - hopefully anyways. We will get him checked out next week to be sure unless I see something that we need to rush him to the Vet sooner.

Our Canine Megaesophagus Diet Routine and Bailey Chair - TV News Story

Here is a WKYC/NBC News Story about us and Sidney. I'm always a fan of giving people hope and spreading the word that Megaesophagus IS NOT A DEATH SENTENCE!!

Click on the video below to view.

11pm Newscast - WKYC Channel 3
Click to view story on the WKYC News Channel web site.




6am Newscast - WKYC Channel 3 
Click to view video on WKYC News web site

Regurgitation in his Bailey Chair

Photo above shows what he regurgitated - down by his feet.

Most days are good, some days are bad. The other day Sidney regurgitated while he was in his Bailey Chair. I have no explanation why. I didn't see it happen. Maybe he could have been standing up with his chest on his paw bar, or his esophagus could just have been irritated. Not sure. Poor guy.

This has happened before - not a lot, but it has happened before in his Bailey Chair. I cleaned it up and left him in the chair for the remainder of his 30 minute sit time. He seemed alright after that. It didn't look like the entire meal, but some Knox Blox were in there. He has been drooling a lot more than normal lately - which happens sometimes. When he is more drooly than normal I keep a closer eye on him. I'm not sure if that indicates anything is wrong outside of being a drooly Lab, but better safe than sorry.

I guess it's just important for us to keep an eye on him, which we obviously do. He seems fine and hasn't had any problems after that. Regurgitation happens, even in his Bailey Chair.

Happy 2nd Birthday Sidney!

Above is Sidney's first time in his Bailey Chair as a newly diagnosed Mega-E puppy and what he looks like today as a full grown, healthy, happy Labrador Retriever.

Well I guess that month or so of life expectancy wasn't so accurate. I remember the overwhelming feeling or dread when we received the "Diagnosis of Doom." I also remember how worried we were that we couldn't maintain a routine with both of us working full-time jobs. I also remember how overly concerned we were in the beginning with getting his weight up - in fact I weighed him every single day. I also remember worrying that he could die any day.

All of those concerns were a long time ago and a distant memory. Everything we do is just, well, normal. We enjoy our time with Sidney the Healthy Lab, not Sidney the Mega-E Puppy Doomed to Die. Sure we're always worried about Aspiration Pneumonia and concerned when Sidney has his "bad periods". Trust me - we aren't getting lazy or complacent, we just don't spend our time worrying about what can go wrong and are instead enjoying life with our fur kid. I know a lot of people with dogs. They have the same worries about their dog's health, just about different things. My dog ate a rope (yes a friend's Lab ate an entire rope) or my dog got sprayed by a skunk, etc.

The fact is that all dogs need special attention. The 2 years we have spent with Sidney and managing his Megaesophagus condition has really been a blessing. I think the problem, if any, was more emotional than anything else, especially in the beginning. But through Sidney we have been able to help so many other people that faced the same diagnosis in the beginning with their dogs. We've heard from people about our blog and how it helped them. We've built several Bailey Chairs for people who were in need. Local TV News and Newspapers have covered his story and educated so many people.

I know we got Sidney for a reason. Happy 2nd Birthday little buddy!

Our Routine for Megaesophagus When Traveling

During the months of September, October and November I am required to be working and out of the house for almost 15 hours a day. So I take Sidney with me. But this basically takes us out of our comfort zone for THE ROUTINE. We do bring his Portable Bailey Chair and his travel bag with everything we need, but he is not in his crate with his head elevated, etc. We also make sure to have Knox Blox on hand in the refrigerator for him as well. I found that they will melt into liquid if you leave them in the car. DUH.
While we are working - mainly outside - Sidney is tied up near us so we can keep an eye on him. But the problem for us is that it's OUTSIDE. Take a look at the photo. There are acorns, sticks, leaves and all kinds of stuff on the ground that he can chew on or eat. End result is that most likely his esophagus gets irritated and regurgitation follows. This is my main worry. He has regurgitated a few times this weekend from grazing, but for the most part he has done great. Maybe he is getting a little older and becoming less of a chewer. He will be 2 years old September 26th.
So our routine has changed a bit - basically the TIME OF DAY he gets his Bethanechol pills and also the TIMES OF DAY he gets his meals. I was worried that this change in timing would have a bad result, but so far it isn't affecting him in any way that I can tell. I think as long as we keep the meds and meals on a decent schedule - it won't matter as much. At least that's what we hope.

Sidney's Megaesophagus Medicine Routine

We've had a few nights where Sidney regurgitated - but WAY more where he hasn't. I like to think it's because of the routine we have worked out based on our trial and error over the past year and a half. Many dogs don't need any medicine for this from what I hear. We worked with our DVM to figure out what worked for Sidney. Sidney may not need any - but what we are giving him seems to work, or at least it isn't making matters worse. We have tried different routines with his meds.

SUCRALFATE
At first we gave Sidney his Sucralfate 2x per day (EVERY DAY) to soothe his esophagus. That really was a lot of work from a timing standpoint on our end. Now, we just give it to him when he's having bad periods of regurgitation episodes.

METACHLOPROMIDE AND BETHANECHOL
For his digestion meds, we started with Metachlopromide 3x per day - 30 minutes prior to meals. That worked OK. But not as good as we liked, so we decided to try 5mg of Bethanechol 2x per day - 30 minutes prior to meals (we hide the pill in Knox Blox). At first we made the mistake of giving him Metachlopromide AND the Bethanechol - that just made him much worse. It's either one or the other. So we discontinued the Metachlopromide and changed entirely to Bethanechol. We also started Bethanechol in 10mg doses (that seemed too much for him). So we have since went down to 5mg doses, which has worked well for us. We have always had Sidney sit in the Bailey Chair for 7-10 minutes after he got his meds. Maybe it's because we started Bethanechol when he was a puppy that it seems to help. I'm honestly not sure if it does, but since everything is working well - we are going to continue it. Better safe than sorry.

PRILOSEC OTC
The final med that we give Sidney EVERY DAY is Prilosec OTC (or a generic). He gets the pill in his evening meal. I feel like it has helped eliminate night-time regurgitation, or at least has helped decrease it significantly.

While it hasn't always been easy, it seems what we are doing is working for Sidney. If and when the routine stops working successfully, we will just figure out the next routine that works best. Maybe it will be a different med - or no meds at all. Who knows? But for now, I am happy with how great Sidney is doing despite this cruel condition.

Sucralfate for Megaesophagus

Last night Sidney woke me up around 1:30am. I could tell he wasn't feeling well. Recently when he is gonna regurgitate he makes these weird swallowing sounds. Kind of like gulps. Then he sits up as straight as he can and looks kind of sad. I have no idea why this happens sometimes, it just does and it breaks my heart. So he regurgitated his dinner meal on the carpet and I cleaned it all up. I decided to try using Sucralfate to try and soothe his esophagus. In the beginning, we used to administer this every day. Now we just turn to it when it seems he is sick and his esophagus may be irritated. Plus, he absolutely HATES it. Even though he hasn't had it in a while, he remembers the little medicine squirter and runs at the sight of it.
Anyways, the Sucralfate essentially is used to act as a coating or "Band-Aid" for his esophagus to help soothe it when it is irritated. I know it must be administered an hour before or two hours after any other medication or food as it can bind with other medications preventing them from working properly or bind with food potentially causing a blockage. What we do is dilute 1/2 a pill in 6ml of water. We have a medicine squirter (not sure the technical term) and once it is dissolved we shake it vigorously. We then give it to Sidney in small squirts until it is all gone. Most people say that they need to be horizontal for this, which seems to defy most of the advice to avoid Aspiration Pneumonia. So after I give it to Sid, I hold him vertical for about a minute to be safe.
It seemed to work for him last night. I laid on the couch with him the rest of the night and he seemed good. But at lunch after he ate he made those sounds again while in his Bailey Chair, so I am going to give him some more Sucralfate when I get home from work and see if that helps the little guy.

Quality of Life with Megaesophagus

I know some people are concerned about dogs with Megaesophagus having the opportunity for a good quality of life (as it is commonly referred to). I think the issue is that your dog has to sit in the Bailey Chair for 30 minutes, 3 times a day or more. Plus, they really can't be eating grass, snow, sticks (which they shouldn't anyways) and normal treats etc. Honestly, I don't think any of these things really matter. Above is a photo of Sidney from this weekend taking a trip on the boat. Notice he's smiling. He's happy as heck. And it's not because those coolers are full of beer! The rest of us are smiling about that.
Sidney doesn't need to eat any treats and other junk to be happy. We treat him like family and in return he does the same to us. We make each other happy. His life isn't about treats and eating dog food from a bowl on the ground. It's about the other 22.5 hours in the day that he isn't in his Bailey Chair. We take walks, play with toys and spend quality time together every day. If you asked me, Sidney's quality of life is pretty great, despite his Megaesophagus condition. It's rare that his tail isn't wagging. The hour and a half in the Bailey Chair isn't any more time than dogs spend sleeping during the day - which is WAY more than that.
So don't be discouraged by this condition. Outside of eating funny, Sidney is your normal, crazy and HAPPY Chocolate Lab! You just need to watch him a bit more closely, which I would do even if his esophagus wasn't broken.

Signs of Aspiration Pneumonia

Sidney has had AP once when he was first diagnosed with MegaE. Luckily, we haven't had it again yet.

There is no one, or single combination of Aspiration Pneumonia (AP).

Below are some things to watch for.

Signs of aspiration pneumonia include:
LETHARGY
ELEVATED TEMP
COUGH
HEAVY BREATHING (SOMETIMES NO COUGHING)
LOSS OF APPETITE
TREMBLING
YAWNING EXCESSIVELY

Many dogs only show one of the signs - for instance, Sidney didn't cough or have a temp, but he was refusing to eat his food. Often, when we suspect something is not quite right with Sidney, we are correct... you have to trust your gut instincts. I've read that many of these dogs have NORMAL temperatures, and, in fact, normal blood counts (not all, obviously). And, most "sound" okay when the Vet listens with a stethoscope.

The ONLY way to definitely tell is with x-rays (3 views ideal) - not just listening to the lungs which may sound clear - and you need to see a vet immediately if you suspect AP since this is ultimately the most dangerous element of Canine Megaesophagus. Additionally, to make the Vet's job a little harder, the x-ray changes may not show up for 1-3 days after the dog gets sick. So, it takes a pretty astute owner and Vet to pick up early AP.

With MegaE dogs, they are usually on antibiotics for 3-4 weeks and usually 2 different types of antibiotics (such as Baytril and Clavamox). However for us, we just had Sidney on Clavamox.

With MegaE dogs you want to hit the AP hard and fast! Not only DON'T wait until the next day; don't wait at all. Take them to an ER, if necessary.

Late Night Regurgitation

A few nights back Sidney woke me up at about 3am making swallowing sounds. Kind of like 'gulp' sounds. He jumped out of the bed and went, I assumed, in the bathroom to lay down. I kept hearing the sounds so I went in the bathroom and turned on the light and he wasn't there. He was still in the bedroom, but sitting in a tall (close to vertical) position with his back against the wall. Definitely an odd behavior.
Anyways - I carried him into the bathroom and let him stand horizontally on all fours and he finally regurgitated. It was a ton of RG. I stayed up with him the rest of the night and everything seemed fine after that.
His odd behavior made me wonder if he kind of has learned that being vertical when his esophagus is irritated or full makes him feel better. I know when he is on the couch he sits like a person with his head on the back of the couch when we think he's feeling bad. Maybe Sid is smarter than we think.
Sometimes we go weeks or a month without RG, but sometimes it happens a lot. That's the deal you sign on for with caring for a dog with Canine Megaesophagus. Which is cool with me.

Rest in Peace Bailey

I'm sorry to say that Bailey, in which the "Bailey Chair" was invented for and named after has passed away after almost 13 years living with MegaE. He was born with Congenital Megaesophagus as a puppy in 1998 and lived a long and happy life. Thank you so much Bailey and his mom Donna for the inspiration, help, and support to fight this condition. Bailey and Donna have helped save and extend the lives of thousands of ME dogs all over the world.

His legacy will live on and Sidney and I are forever grateful. Without the help of Bailey and Donna, we would not have Sidney with us today.

Summer Hydration with Knox Blox

Since it's getting hotter out - I feel like I need to keep Sidney more hydrated than in the winter. Especially after walks or trips to the dog park. Again, Sidney does not do well with water - even in his Bailey Chair. So we feed him extra Knox Blox. Of course that means he has additional sittings in his Bailey Chair than normal - but he's in there 7-10 minutes for these. It seems to work for us. Here's our recipe:

QTY 1 - Box of 4 Packets of Unflavored Knox Gelatin
QTY 3 - Cups of Boiling Water
QTY 1 - Cup of Regular Tap Water (Cold or Room Temp) - Some people use Low Sodium Chicken Broth here.
QTY 2 - Tablespoons of Honey (if you do not use Chicken Broth)

I mix the 4 packets that come in the box into the 1 Cup of Cold water and also then mix in the Honey. Then I add the boiling water and stir. I have a container like a Pyrex dish that I keep it in. I put it in the fridge and when it hardens we cut the Gelatin into ice cube size blocks with a spatula. I generally feed him about 10 or so when he was exercising. Kind of just feel it out based on how much he seems to be panting.

If I just give him the Knox Blox and no food, he is in his chair for about 7-10 minutes. That seems to work fine for him. I assume more time for other dogs is needed depending on the routine.

We decided recently that since this is the way we will get Sidney his hydration from now on, we decided to buy the gelatin in bulk which was WAY cheaper. Amazon sells it in bulk if you were curious about an easy place to get it.

Poor Sidney

Sidney had a rough few days, which happens from time to time with dogs that have Megaesophagus. He regurgitated quite a bit. In his crate, at night, throughout the day and also in his Bailey Chair after eating on Saturday. When that happens I usually just clean it up and instead of trying to repeat the feeding, I skip it. But I do keep him in the Bailey Chair and feed him additional Knox Blox so at least he stays hydrated. We start the sit time over again at 30 minutes.

Normally I will try to use the Sucralfate when he is having a bad period, but this time I didn't use it. I just made sure to keep a close eye on him for a few days in case he looked like he may have aspirated. It doesn't seem like he did.

Sidney was much better yesterday, we didn't have any episodes and he never lost his appetite. So hopefully that was our hiccup for now and he gets back on track.

Updated Routine Managing Sidney's Megaesophagus and Building a Bailey Chair

ABOVE: Marley in his Portable Bailey Chair I built.

Things have been going pretty well with Sidney. He have had limited RG periods, but nothing out of the ordinary. He's doing really well and is really happy. Our routine, meds and procedures seem to have Sidney on track to live a long and healthy life.

Since the last post I have built several Bailey Chairs for people in need that couldn't make them on their own. It has now become my weekend charity job. But I'm happy to help out. The above photo is Marley in the chair I built him. Happy little guy.

The only major change with Sidney is that we changed his diet slightly because we were told he was getting a little overweight.

Our new diet is:
1 Cup Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy Food (Kibble) soaked in 2 cups of hot water (it cools while soaking for 30 minutes)
1 Squirt of Salmon Oil for his coat

Blended together and fed 3 times a day in his Bailey Chair.
He sits in the Bailey Chair for 30 minutes.
We also feed him Knox Blox after his food - usually a handful (about 1 Cup)

This seems to work well for us - the main change is eliminating the Instant Oatmeal and Eukanuba Puppy Weaning Formula calories from the meal that were necessary in the puppy growth stage.

Current meds are:
5mg Bethanechol - 2x per day (30 minutes prior to the morning and evening meal)
1 tablet - Prilosec OTC - with the evening meal

All in all, hopefully it stays in the "no news is good news" category for a long time. But we always make sure we are careful looking for signs of Aspiration Pneumonia. That can just come out of nowhere, no matter how careful we are.

Canine Megaesophagus Diet and Routine - TV News Story about Sidney

One of the Cleveland News Channels did a feature story on Sidney and Congenital Megaesophagus and our diet and routine. We really appreciate them helping get out the word that Canine Megaesophagus IS NOT A DEATH SENTENCE.

Click on the video below to view them.

11pm Newscast - WKYC Channel 3
Click to Visit Story on WKYC Web Site

Sidney's Megaesophagus story was in the newspaper

Click on the above article photo TWICE to enlarge it for reading

OR

Paste the below link into your browser to view it:
http://www.akron.com/pages.asp?aID=11442

Sidney had an article in the local newspaper about his Canine Megaesophagus and his routine and diet. It's always good to get this information about ME being manageable. It's sad when I see people say that they put their dog to sleep and wish they would have found the information on how it can be managed sooner.

Great Web sites if your dog has Megaesophagus

Aside from the Yahoo MegaE Group Forum, there is a site on something called Squidoo that a woman in Seattle put together which I thought was perfect. Especially for people whose dog just got diagnosed with ME. It has Bailey Chair instructions, info on the condition, food and Knox Blox recipes and lots of links, etc.  The Facebook group has lots of people and pretty fast response to questions.  The MegaE.org site has good info and has success stories.

Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/4329632343/

Squidoo MegaE Site:
http://www.squidoo.com/Megaesphagus-Dog

Yahoo MegaE Site:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/megaesophagus

Canine MegaE.org
http://www.caninemegaesophagus.org/ 

Merry Christmas

It was great to have Sidney celebrate his second Christmas. Considering we didn't think he would even make his first because of his Congenital Megaesophagus doom and gloom diagnosis. But I now know we have many more together for sure, as long as I keep our routine and continue to watch for ANY sign of Aspiration Pneumonia. We did have some problems with his regurgitation over the holidays. Being so busy - we missed a few Bethanechol doses in a row. He then regurgitated the next day a few times. I do not believe in coincidences, so no matter how busy I am, I will never miss one again. It's really easy if he hasn't regurgitated in a week or so to feel the false sense of security that everything is fine. That's the scary part because you always need to keep the routine and be on watch. It's my job to keep Sidney healthy.

To be honest, I'm not sure if the Bethanechol really helps anything as far as motility, etc. But since we started using it, his bad periods are much, much less frequent. So it will continue.

Plus, we have a real Xmas tree and he did eat some of the pine needles that cover the floor. I think this is the last real tree Xmas in order to avoid any issues with Sidney.

1 Year Post-MegaE Diagnosis Today

It was one year ago today that we were informed that Sidney had Congenital Megaesophagus and probably didn't have much longer to live. He was 14 pounds and 10 weeks old. We struggled to find our way to give Sidney a quality of life while we still had him around.

However, what we did instead was give him a way to survive and live a long and very normal life. We found the Yahoo MegaE Discussion Group Site and the people there helped us get through the stressful beginning of managing the condition. That was 1 year ago and a lot has changed since then - all for the better.

He is now 53 pounds and almost 14 months old! He has RG episodes, but they are not very common and he isn't suffering through them, only my carpet is. For those reading this and are wondering if it is difficult to manage, it is at first because you are basically freaking out and convinced your dog is doomed. But when the routine sets in and the fear subsides, it's just the way it is. Sidney is a happy, energetic, normal Chocolate Lab, he just gets to eat in a chair and gets honey licks for treats instead of regular treats. I'm sure he doesn't care one bit (or realize that it isn't normal).

Just a message of hope for everyone dealing with this same condition.

1 Year Vet Check-Up Yesterday

Sidney had his yearly check-up at the vet yesterday. He was 55.5 pounds and is now almost 14 months old. Everything checked out great. His regurgitation period from a few posts back has subsided. YAY. So Sidney is a considered a normal, healthy Lab Puppy, despite the ME!!

We received his Report Card on health that listed everything as an "A". He did get a bad grade for his left ear, a "D" - he has an ear infection, but we got the medicine and are administering it twice a day - so it will be fine.

The best grade Sidney got was a "C". That was for his weight. I know it's tough to get weight on MegaE dogs so the "C" grade was fine with us. However - after looking at why we received a "C" grade, I felt that it should have been an "A++++". We received the "C" because Sidney is actually considered 5.5 pounds OVERWEIGHT!!!!

Sidney keeps on proving everyone wrong. Way to go my porky little friend!!

Success Story - Spreading the word that Megaesophagus IS NOT A DEATH SENTENCE!

Click on the article a few times and it will get large enough to read!!

Sidney had an article about his condition come out in The Cleveland Canine magazine. It goes out to DVM offices, pet stores, etc. If it helps one dog not be put to sleep because of MegaE, mission is accomplished!!

Regurgitation has returned, AGAIN.

For some reason Sidney has started regurgitating again - usually it has been in the middle of the night for the past week. Yesterday he did in the morning in his Bailey Chair as well. We're keeping an eye on him closely. He has not lost his puppy energy (BIG TIME), but feeding him has been slightly more difficult. I actually spoon fed him yesterday morning, but the evening meal he ate pretty fast. The thing with Sidney is that we will have a long stretch where it seems like everything is OK with no RG periods. Then all of the sudden it shows up again. While it's normal with his condition, it still kind of sucks because I feel bad for him and want him to be better.

Hopefully this is over soon and we don't have to risk Aspiration Pneumonia. We are gonna give him some Sucralfate in between meals to see if this helps.

New Diet for Megaesophagus is Working Great

Sidney's new diet without canned dog food as half of the mixture is staying down great. We now have bumped up his dry/soaked Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy Food to 1.5 cups and are eliminating the addition of the tablespoon of Eukanuba Puppy Weaning Formula. We are going to use the Weaning Formula addition during times when he is having bad RG periods to try and get additional calories in his meals. While this new mixture takes up more water to blend, Sidney seems to be able to hold it and not have any accidents like a big boy. Plus there is no harm in making sure he is hydrated extra well. We decided to change this because he's up to 57 pounds at 13 months. He'll always be a smaller guy, but his weight seems right on for his size. He started out at only 14 pounds when he was diagnosed in December of 2009 and gained weight really slow, but stayed healthy. I guess that's how it works with ME puppies.


Here is his new yummy meal that he gets 3 times a day:

1.5 cups of Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy Food
1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons of Instant Oatmeal
2 cups of water - possibly more

This is all soaked in water and blended to a milkshake consistency.

We still feed him 5 or 6 Knox Blox for additional hydration after he eats his meal.

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY SIDNEY!!

Sidney turned one year old yesterday. After being diagnosed with ME at 10 weeks, we're really happy to see this day and all of the others that will follow.

Happy Birthday little buddy!!

Sidney's First Concert

I own a haunted house company named The Carnival of Horrors, which I am building during the month of September. Sidney hangs out there with me because I need to get him his food and meds, but need to be there all day and night. It's at an outdoor amphitheater named Blossom Music Center. Usually each year we build the event while concerts are going on. KISS played last Sunday, so Sidney got to see them live. Kind of funny how people kept asking how I snuck him in.

On another note he seems to have his appetite back. Still RG'ing periodically like normal. But I think he is loving the buffet of sticks on the ground at Blossom, which is irritating his esophagus. He did RG inside one of the haunted houses, but I cleaned it up!

Seemed a bit odd - Aspiration Pneumonia?

Last week Sidney started to not show too much interest in eating his food. He did eat, but wasn't as excited as usual, which made me nervous. This went on all week. I know we changed his food to all soaked blended kibble, but he still was excited to eat it. He also started regurgitating again (more than normal), so we rushed him on Friday into the vet to check for Aspiration Pneumonia. They always have him as a #1 priority.

We didn't do the X-Rays (costs a ton and it doesn't show up in a really early stage), but she listened to his lungs, took his temp, etc. Just to be safe we have him on his Clavamox meds and are keeping a close eye on him. If he still seems odd we'll get the X-Rays done.

He did wake me up last night regurgitating, but I saw that he ate an acorn while examining what he regurgitated, so I know the culprit. Yes, it's smart to examine the nasty mess to see if anything outside of his normal food is in there. I usually get more alarmed if it is only food and no outside element is to blame for the RG. We try to always check his mouth after he was outside because he loves to sneak in contraband. There are a ton of sticks in front of our door that he tried to bring with him on the way back in the house.

He seems to be doing better now. Still isn't super excited for the food all the time, but he still licks the bowl clean. Sorry buddy if it doesn't taste as good as the canned stuff. When you get a job you can eat your canned food!!

Helping those in need - Building a Bailey Chair

I don't post much on the Yahoo ME Support Group site but always check it out to see if someone needs help or if there is any new info that could be beneficial to Sidney. There was a person in Florida with a cute little German Shepard puppy that wasn't able to build a Bailey Chair. I know how helpless you feel in the beginning after you get this horrible diagnosis, so I offered to help them out and build one like Sid's Portable Chair.

A nice friend Linda, that has her own ME dog named Baron, that I met through the Yahoo site that lives nearby offered to pay for the shipping. So I used the materials I had left from Sid's Portable Chair and other random projects and built little Barry (puppy's name) a chair.

They send us pictures and updates on how Barry is doing and he's doing great.

New experiment with his Megaesophagus diet

So one of the more expensive things about ME dogs, aside from initial vet bills, is the food. At least in our case. We have been soaking 1/2 cup of Dry Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy Food with 1/2 cup of Canned Eukanuba Puppy Chicken and Gravy Food. As you can imagine, canned food for a Lab can get expensive. Plus, the cans seem to run out fast (we can't buy 100 at a time) and we are running to the pet store on a more than regular basis to buy the cans. Then while I'm there we spend more money because we want to buy him toys. So, I go in the store for 12 cans of food and get out with double the cost.

Regardless, now that Sidney is about 11 months old and is 100% house-trained and has better bladder control, we are going to try 1 cup of the Dry Dog Food soaked and eliminate the Canned (we are still adding the Fish Oil, the Instant Oatmeal and the Eukanuba Puppy Weaning Formula). The reason we did the 50/50 mixture at first was because we were having to add so much water to the dry food to get it soft enough to be blended into a milkshake that he was wetting himself in his cage every day after the new ME diet. I think we just were giving our puppy more water than his little bladder could handle.

Now that he's older, I hope that not only will the additional water not affect his bladder, but also help him get more hydration. We do feed him about 4 or 5 Knox Blox with each meal, but I think more is better than less.

My main concern is that his stomach and esophagus will allow this change, but it's worth a shot. He'll get the same nutrition. I know a lot of ME dogs can't do soaked dry kibble, but Sidney has done well with it mixed with canned. Wish us luck!

Having a few bad days

Sidney started regurgitating this week out of the blue. I'm pretty sure it wasn't something he ate off of the ground (I didn't see anything when I was cleaning up after him). I know that it happens from time to time, but I made sure to keep a really close eye on him to make sure he didn't show signs of aspiration pneumonia. He hasn't RG'd for a day or so now - so we might be through it. Poor little guy.

Traveling with Sidney and his Portable Bailey Chair

 I have loaded the plans at the below link - via the Facebook Canine Megaesophagus Support Group Files Section:
Sidney's Portable Bailey Chair Instructions
This weekend was Sidney's first official trip to Middle Bass Island in Lake Erie. The official name is Put-in-Bay. He did great on the boat and only didn't appear to agree with the large waves we encountered on the way up. But overall, I didn't agree with those waves either. He had his life vest on and didn't seem to mind, which was pretty cool. Plus he got to witness the removal of some drunk idiot's driving of a golf cart into the lake!
Luckily we beat the major storm by 10 minutes. That would not have been fun. Anyways, Sid seemed to do great and had ZERO RG. There was a boat ramp with lake access right next to the boat, so Sid had fun playing in the water and we had even more fun trying to keep him from eating seaweed and for some odd reason, he liked to attack water bubbles.
We brought his travel case with us and we built his Bailey Chair downstairs by an air conditioner vent, which he loved!! His travel bag worked out perfect again. We had his Magic Bullet, Canned and Dry Food, Oatmeal and Eukanuba Puppy Weaning Formula for meals. We used the microwave to heat water for his dry food to help it soften faster. We also brought a bunch of Knox Blox from home and kept them in the fridge. We must love Sidney because that took up a lot of space for beer!! We also had his meds and toys, so it's REALLY nice to know we can travel with Sidney fairly easily. We brought his Pro-Collar to sleep in if it seemed he woke up gurgly or if he regurgitated. But he didn't. He had a few bad days a week or so ago in the middle of the night, but we think he just ate something outside that irritated the esophagus.
So all-in-all, Sidney is officially a boat dog!!

Canine Megaesophagus Toys

Poor Sidney only has a limited amount of toys he can really play with. We have to make sure he doesn't get toys where he can eat the stuffing or eat pieces off like Labs like to do. Sidney is a Lab puppy and LOVES to chew (luckily not the furniture). Problem is, we can't let him. He isn't allowed to eat anything without being vertical in his chair.

We found some that are tough nylon types of toys that he likes. Kind of like the Kong Wubba toys (SEE PHOTO). He likes to chase the tennis ball too (if it squeaks). It was/is difficult because he has so much puppy energy that we need to tend to him more than if we could give him a bone to chew on to occupy him. He can't have any bones, treats, rawhides, treats, treats or TREATS (you get the picture, all the stuff dogs LOVE). On all the Lab sites I looked at - everyone gives their dogs Kongs with treats inside, toys with treats inside, etc. I wish Sid liked the Nylabones that are mostly indestructible, but he could care less about them, they're just a tasteless piece of hard plastic. Before his diagnosis, he loved chewing on bones (not real bones but dog bones). That would give us a little down time from our crazy little guy. But he's getting used to playing fetch with the toys he can have.

Hydration for Canine Megaesophagus - Knox Blox

Since it's sometimes difficult for Sidney to keep down water, he gets additional hydration from Knox Blox. This is like Jell-O without the branding name. We feed him the Knox Blox in his Bailey Chair after he eats. He also gets water from the food mixture, but when it's hot that just isn't enough. Here's the recipe we use, I've seen that other people also use low sodium chicken broth to replace the 1 Cup of Cold Water, but Sid likes 'em this way and they kind of are treats to him since he LOVES honey.

QTY 1 - Box of 4 Packets of Unflavored Knox Gelatin
QTY 3 - Cups of Boiling Water
QTY 1 - Cup of Regular Tap Water (Cold or Room Temp)
QTY 2 - Tablespoons of Honey

I mix the 4 packets that come in the box into the 1 Cup of Cold water and also then mix in the Honey. Then I add the boiling water and stir. I have a container like a Pyrex dish that I keep it in. I put it in the fridge and when it hardens we cut the Gelatin into ice cube size blocks with a spatula. I generally feed him 2 or 3 of them per meal depending on what he needs. I also give him some after the dog park or when I need to give him his medicine (I hide the pill in the Knox Blox and he eats it that way).

If I just give him the Knox Blox, he is in his chair for about 7 minutes. That seems to work fine for him. I assume more time for other dogs is needed depending on the routine.

Some helpful Megaesophagus Web sites

Here are some Web sites that helped us when we were in panic-mode when we received Sidney's diagnosis.

Yahoo ME Support Group (by far the most helpful site with info and support):
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/megaesophagus/

Squidoo - Great blog written about a MegaE dog named Tyson with TONS of great info:
http://www.squidoo.com/Megaesphagus-Dog

Marisvet (a good simple "Lamens terms" explanation of the condition):
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_megaesophagus.html

Good Site for Success Stories (which means a lot when you think your pup is doomed):
http://www.caninemegaesophagus.org/

ME NING Community (another support group):
http://megaesophagusdogs.ning.com/

Facebook Group:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4329632343

YouTube videos of the Bailey Chair and other ME stuff:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sidA3-7XezU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQF19LR1rRk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5sgQTCI2LA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7zd4LbIEjY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mSZQcN2yVY&feature=related

New Daily Schedule - Megaesophagus Diet and Meds

Since I changed his meds from Metachlopromide to Bethanechol and have been a bit more relaxed on the Sucralfate, I figured I would update his Daily Routine on this post.

Basically, I try and give him the Sucralfate when he is having his regurgitation episodes as opposed to once or twice a day, EVERY DAY.

However, the past few days have been rough for him, he's regurgitated at least once or twice a day, so he's back on the Sucralfate as of now. It's been a pretty substantial amount and my carpet isn't looking too pretty right now. But he didn't RG last night or this morning, so we may be in the clear, although he did somehow grab a fly out of mid-air and ate it yesterday afternoon. He'll eat ANYTHING, which is frustrating, but we do what we can to stop it. Lots of hands in his mouth puling out random stuff.

Here is his current diet and medication/feeding schedule:

AS NEEDED IF HE IS REGURGITATING: Gets a half tab of Sucralfate diluted in 6cc of water (ONLY WATER – NO HONEY) – shake vigorously and give him small bursts so he swallows slowly
• NEEDS it 2 hours after eating or 1 hour before anything else to ensure it coats the esophagus – only needs held up for 30 sec to 1 minute after

MEAL PREPARATION: Blended to Milkshake Consistency
• ½ Cup of Dried Eukanuba Kibble Soaked in ½ cup of HOT water and 1 TBSP of Salmon Fish Oil (Soak it in HOT WATER and the Olive Oil right after he gets his medicine and sometimes you need to add more water – HOT WATER so it softens food)
• ½ Cup of Eukanuba Canned Food – Chicken and Gravy Puppy Food
• 1 TBSP of Oatmeal and 1 TBSP of Eukanuba Puppy Weaning Formula
• ½ - 1 cup of additional water

MORNING MEDICINE (BETHANECHOL – 5mg): Get’s ½ a tablet of Bethanechol – He needs to be in his Bailey Chair for 5 minutes after he gets it – I hide it in a Knox Blox and feed it to him in his chair

MORNING MEAL: Bailey Chair for 30 minutes
• Also give a few Knox Blox for hydration

AFTERNOON MEAL: Bailey Chair for 30 minutes
• Also give a few Knox Blox for hydration

EVENING MEDICINE (BETHANECHOL – 5mg): Get’s ½ a tablet of Bethanechol – He needs to be in his Bailey Chair for 5 minutes after he gets it – I hide it in a Knox Blox and feed it to him in his chair

EVENING MEAL: Bailey Chair for 30 minutes
• 1 tablet of Prilosec with food – I hide it in a Knox Blox like Bethanechol