Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Quality of life factors for dogs with megaesophagus from owner surveys
By Sinha, Neil et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2026·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Owner-perceived assessment of quality-of-life factors for dogs with megaesophagus may help veterinarians better tailor treatment plans.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A survey of 262 dog owners with pets suffering from megaesophagus (a condition that affects swallowing) revealed several factors that impact the quality of life for both the dogs and their owners. Owners expressed concerns about not being able to give treats, weight loss in their pets, and the need to change their social lives. These insights can help veterinarians create better treatment plans tailored to the needs of dogs with megaesophagus, improving their overall well-being. By understanding these challenges, vets can offer more effective support and management strategies for affected pets.
People also search for: dog megaesophagus treatment · why is my dog losing weight · quality of life for dogs with swallowing problems
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality of life (QoL) of dogs with megaesophagus (ME) and to identify factors that impact QoL as perceived by owners of dogs with ME. METHODS: 262 owners of dogs with ME completed a questionnaire containing 30 ME-specific QoL questions as well as additional questions on demographics, disease characteristics, and management. The survey link was posted through canine ME-associated social media groups and through the authors' institution for 2 weeks from February 21 to March 7, 2023. Items were scored on the impact frequency and perceived importance as they related to QoL for owners participating in the survey. The scores were used to create an item-weighted impact score (IWIS), and an average-weighted impact score was created by averaging the IWIS. RESULTS: The top 5 negative areas impacting QoL included owners not being able to give treats to their pets (mean IWIS ± SD, -5.64 ± 0.41), being concerned about weight loss (-6.7 ± 1.39), needing to adapt their social life (-4.34 ± 1.40), not being able to board their pet (-5 ± 1.44), and having their schedule affected by their pet's ME (-5.11 ± 1.38). The average-weighted impact score was -2.47. CONCLUSIONS: This QoL assessment tool identified factors associated with canine ME that negatively impacted both owner and pet QoL. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This ME QoL assessment tool can assist clinicians' management and treatment plans for dogs with ME and provide standardized methods for assessing the effects of specific interventions on QoL.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41160986/