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Bad day .. my puppy has MegaE

5K views 32 replies 18 participants last post by  Bear GSD 
#1 ·
Kira regurgitated food this morning and shortly after began breathing heavy and drooling uncontrollably. Apparently aspirating. I rushed her to see the vet and the barium test confirmed she has megaesophgeus. She was treated with antibiotics and we will be picking her up shortly.

This feels like a nightmare I can't wake up from. She was just perfect this morning.

:(
 
#6 ·
I am sorry to hear this. I lost one to mega e in August.

Mega e is able to be dealt with. It does take a schedule, alot of care, and a strict regimen.

Did the vet say how severe it was? Is it secondary to PRAA or is it congenital? Can your pup hold down any water? The Mega E Yahoo support gorup is fantastic and they helped me every step of the way.

There are different severities of mega e. The most important thing is learning how to deal with it. One of the best ways I found to feed mine was I blended his dry dog foor with equal parts of water plus an extra 1/2 cup of water. He was fed 4 times a day. It is usually best to build a baily chair for feeding. Until then, you can feed the pup on your lap completely upright (think begging position with dog sitting on bottom, paws in the air). Keep the pup upright like that for a minimum of 20 minutes to help the food move to the stomach. The gravity helps to push it down.

Talk to your vet and get a prescription for carafate. It helps to coat the esophagus and lessens the chance of esophagitis. Food can be given 1 hour after or 2 hours before. You also want to get the pup on Zantac or Prilosec. This will help lessen the amount of stomach acid. Also, talk with the vet to see if you can get a script of cerenia and learn how to do the injections at home. If the pup has a bad day this helps with vomiting.

Most recommend a procollor. It is a really big, fluffy pillow that goes completely around the neck. It keeps the pups airway raised and lessens the risk of inhalation pneumonia.

It is extremely overwhelming at first but there are plenty that have gone through it and can help you. Talk to your breeder and take it one day at a time.
 
#8 · (Edited)
I'm on dog #2 with mega and,with management (depending on how badly your dog is affected ) they may live long and healthy lives! My one dog lived over 10 years and I expect my GloryB to live even longer. Key is the age your dog shows signs, cause the pups with the worst outlook are sick when still nursing from their mom. Be aware there is a heart condition (vascular ring anomaly) that is a part of some mega that a fairly easy surgery can fix. But you need to have the surgery when they are young or pup may not make it.

Go to any of my YouTube videos and watch Glory run if you are being told this condition is a death sentence, most dogs live healthy normal lives, specially once you manage them to a year of age.

Make sure you tell your breeder! This is a genetic condition so they probably will not do a repeat breeding once they know. Just mail them a copy of the barium xrays for their records.
 
#9 ·
I'm so sorry Frank! I'm attached to little Kira so definitely keep us posted... And isn't this forum a wonderful thing with so much information and support!

I will keep positive thoughts that this will be a mild case and will go away as she gets older. :hugs:
 
#10 ·
Hello,

I hope Kira is doing ok at home.

I have three MegaE GSDs and I train and compete with them in obedience, rally and agility. One of them has PRAA with the MegaE, she is my worst case. All of my guys are doing great.
One is 2 years old, one is 18 months old and the other is not quite 6 months old :) I love these guys very much.

I don't think I could take in and care for these very special GSDs if I did not work as a vet tech at a vet hosp that helps me with these guys :)

If you would like to email and talk please feel free to email off line.

Furweed
 
#12 ·
Hello,

I hope Kira is doing ok at home.

I have three MegaE GSDs and I train and compete with them in obedience, rally and agility. One of them has PRAA with the MegaE, she is my worst case. All of my guys are doing great.
One is 2 years old, one is 18 months old and the other is not quite 6 months old :) I love these guys very much.

I don't think I could take in and care for these very special GSDs if I did not work as a vet tech at a vet hosp that helps me with these guys :)

If you would like to email and talk please feel free to email off line.

Furweed
Furweed, it is awesome you are on here! I love reading your posts and advice in the mega e yahoo group. Thank you for joining!

To the OP, furweed is an awesome resource and knows this issue well.
 
#14 ·
It is very scary but please don't despair! There are great resources out there for you! I fostered a puppy who had MegaE, secondary to PRAA (corrected with surgery). He did fine on a slurry diet, didn't even have to eat elevated. He was active and had no other health problems.

Good luck and keep us posted!
 
#17 ·
Hey folks.. my apologies for not checking back sooner. It has been a total whirlwind of activity since this was diagnosed and we both took some time off work to try and get a handle on things.

First things first... we are very touched and thankful for the support and advice offered here. It is much appreciated.

Kira is doing quite well and is adjusting to her new routine. Her meals and water are only fed to her while she is upright and thankfully she is no longer regurgitating. Holding an 11 week old puppy still after she eats is no small matter.. yikes! The vet has her on antibiotics to fight off pneumonia but from all accounts this is a pretty serious case of MegaE.

So, after weighing all our options and discussing with vets, the breeder and our family, we have made the heart-breaking decision to return her to the breeder :( They are just far better able to monitor and manage her condition since they are at home and have all the resources readily available.

I cannot overstate how helpful and supportive the breeder has been throughout this process. Their offer to look after her was of great relief as we were completely at a loss over what to do. We both have fulltime jobs, I run a business and our walker and daycare facility are just not able to manage this. I do not want to risk an issue developing and no one available to respond.

We are both devastated at the idea of letting her go and trying to reconcile the guilt we have but those around us support our decision and feel like we do that it is in Kira's best interest.

I will say one of the most amazing aspects of this development was watching my better half who never had a dog before and is "not really a pet person" step up to make Kira as comfortable as possible. Taking time off work to research the disease, downloading recipes, running out to stores and fashioning a makeshift Bailey chair. When I couldn't find them a couple nights back, I went into the room where we keep the puppy's crate and found her in there sleeping on the floor beside Kira.

Over the next few days we will get her ready for the flight back and I don't know if I can properly prepare myself for that day. Reading your comments here definitely helps though so thank you again.

Here are a couple recent pics... Kira grabbing a meal with her buddy Caesar looking on and her in the backyard after some playtime.

-Frank
 

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#19 ·
Please let me know if the breeders would like to place Kira in a home that specializes in caring for MegaE GSDs???
I have 3 MegaE GSDs now that are in varying forms of the disability and there will always be room for more in my home and life. I train and compete with my guys. I am a vet tech at a vet hosp near were I live so I always have a vet on call when needed :)
Than you,
Furweed
 
#26 ·
What a generous soul you are! :thumbup:
Frank, as hard as that decision was, I know you made the right one for you and Kira. Hope she can find her place and thrive!!
 
#21 ·
I'm really sorry Frank for all that you, your wife and Kira has had to go through. I'm sure it was a very difficult decision to return her to her breeder.
I'm hoping that the breeder will be able to place her in a home that has the time and resources to care for her. Best wishes to you and Kira!
 
#22 ·
I am also so sorry you have had to make such an agonizing decision:( I am glad to know that your breeder has been so helpful and supportive.

I just have to say, those pics are the cutest! Espec the cat up on the stool with Kira!

I know you are going to miss her, I can only hope you'll keep your hearts open for another someday..
 
#23 ·
I'm so sorry things turned out like this. Kira is beautiful, I love the pic with kitty!

Great to hear about your wonderful breeder standing behind her puppy at least. That is really great to hear, so maybe this cloud has it's silver lining. I'm sure Kira will still have a wonderful life.
 
#24 · (Edited)
Thank you all for the support and kind words. The flight is officially booked for Monday so this weekend I foresee some serious spoiling going on.

The breeder has promised regular updates and pics of Kira which gives us some comfort. They also made us a generous offer for the future, which in time I am sure we will take advantage of.

-Frank
 
#25 ·
Frank, I am so sorry you had to make that decision but it takes a strong owner to step up and do what is in the overall best interest of the dog. Mega e takes alot of time, research, trial and error. I feel for you. My mega e pup had to be PTS from complications when he was 13 weeks old. It's hard no matter which way you choose to go.
 
#28 ·
Frank, I totally missed this thread. I didn't realize until you posted on my thread and I saw your signature that you didn't have Kira. Then I looked through your previous posts trying to figure out what happened. I am SO, SO sorry!! :( I can only imagine your heartbreak. I think returning her to the breeder was the right thing to do for her. I know that had to be a very agonizing decision to have to make. I hope that you're able to get another pup in the near future and not have to face more health issues. I'm sorry that I didn't see this before. I don't often go to the bottom of the list of topics. :blush: Best wishes to you, and I hope your heart heals quickly.
 
#30 ·
Hey, no worries at all! It was a super hectic and emotional time so I lost track of this thread as well. But thank you so much for the support as always. She ended up in a great home with full time care which is exactly what we were aiming for.

And while we are at it.. sorry Nigel for not acknowledging your post above. It is greatly appreciated along with all the best wishes received here.

I am hopeful 2013 will bring us a new family member at some point.
 
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