Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Signs and outlook for dogs with megaesophagus in Japan
By Nakagawa, Taisuke et al.·Published in The Journal of veterinary medical science·2019·Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Clinical features and prognosis of canine megaesophagus in Japan.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with megaesophagus (a condition where the esophagus is enlarged and doesn't function properly) was studied to understand their symptoms and survival chances. Most of the dogs were Miniature Dachshunds, and many had idiopathic megaesophagus, meaning the cause was unknown. Some dogs developed aspiration pneumonia, a serious lung infection that can occur when food or liquid enters the lungs. Despite this, the study found that many dogs lived longer than expected, with an average survival time of about 114 days for those with both megaesophagus and pneumonia. Treatment options may help improve their survival.
People also search for: dog megaesophagus treatment · Miniature Dachshund swallowing problems · aspiration pneumonia in dogs
Abstract
Megaesophagus (ME) is a common esophageal disease in dogs and the prognosis is generally poor, especially with aspiration pneumonia (AP). We retrospectively investigated the clinical features and prognosis of canine ME in Japan. Twenty-eight dogs were included in this study, with the Miniature Dachshund breed being significantly overrepresented (odds ratio: 4.33). Most cases (21 of 28) were diagnosed as idiopathic ME and Myasthenia gravis was the most common cause of secondary ME. The overall median survival time (MST) was not reached and the 3-month survival rate was 85.7%. Ten dogs were diagnosed with AP, at least once during the study period, and the MST of ME dogs with AP was 114 days. The survival time overall and even with AP, was notably more prolonged compared to the previous studies. We hypothesized that treatment for canine ME could prolong the survival time, even in those with both ME and AP.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30626762/