THE Hampshire owner of two Labradors that have difficulty swallowing food and water has praised a Petersfield veterinary practice for helping her pets live life to the full.
Ten-year-old Winnie and three-year-old Kizzy are regular patients at St Peter’s Vets in Petersfield as they both suffer from a condition called megaoesophagus, which prevents them from eating or drinking normally.
The condition causes the oesophagus – the tube which connects the mouth to the stomach – to become enlarged and lose muscle tone, and food can become trapped on the way down. There is no cure and megaoesophagus can only be managed.
St Peter’s Vets, which is part of VetPartners, a leading veterinary group that owns some of the UK’s most respected veterinary practices, has been delivering supportive care to Winnie and Kizzy since they were puppies.
The practice diagnosed Winnie’s condition after she started regurgitating food as soon as owner Debbie Foster brought her home as a puppy. A few years later, Kizzy became a patient when Debbie adopted her.
The veterinary team at St Peter’s Vets supports Debbie by monitoring Winnie and Kizzy and investigating ways to help manage their condition.
Vet Matt Tyler, who is one of St Peter’s Vets clinical directors, said the challenge with megaoesophagus is making sure the pet receives adequate nutrition. Sufferers are also at a higher risk of complications, such as pneumonia if regurgitated food matter finds its way into their lungs.
Winnie and Kizzy both have congenital megaoesophagus, which occurs if both parents carry the same gene, although it is possible to develop it later in life. Managing their condition includes finding the right consistency of food for each dog and using gravity to help meals reach the stomach by keeping them upright while they’re eating.
Matt said: “Winnie and Kizzy are lovely dogs, and we have been working closely with Debbie to help keep them happy and healthy. We regularly help Debbie review and adjust their management, to make sure all their needs are being met and ensure they enjoy a good quality
of life.
“Debbie is an exceptionally dedicated and caring owner, and both dogs are doing really well. Despite having a more serious form of the condition, Kizzy is a bright, active and happy dog and she is a healthy weight.
“To help pets with this condition, we look at all the different options to find what works best for the individual. Kizzy has previously had a temporary feeding tube fitted that took her food directly into a stomach, however she’s currently being fed orally, using very wet feed and upright feeding techniques.”
Debbie, who lives in Droxford, has praised Matt and St Peter’s Vets’ nurse manager Emma Clark for the care and support they have given to her two much-loved pets.
Debbie said: “Matt has been our trusted family vet for many years, and his dedication goes far beyond medical expertise. He diagnosed Winnie’s megaoesophagus when she was 12 weeks old and since then has been an absolute lifeline for our dogs, providing unwavering support and genuine care.
“I had never heard of megaoesophagus until Winnie became unwell, and Matt broke the news to us after performing an X-ray. He explained the challenges we’d be facing but we started experimenting with feeding and she can eat with some support.
“The key was finding a suitable feed and soaking it until it is the right consistency, and she has a porridge made from soaked kibble. After eating, she puts her front paws up onto a chair to keep her body upright, which helps the food go down.
“Because I had experience of this condition, I adopted Kizzy when I found out she was looking for a home and I wanted to give her a chance. Her condition is more challenging than Winnie, but we have worked really hard to manage her in the best way possible.
“I take a little and often approach with Kizzy and feed her every four hours. Her kibble is ground down to produce a very fine powder and mixed with a small amount of water to produce a gruel, which is fed to her using a syringe. Like Winnie, she stands with her front paws on a chair to help the food travel down into her stomach. Neither of the dogs drink water and they only have the water their kibble is mixed with.”
Debbie, who has an Instagram account about her dogs called kizzy_megamutt, added that she wants to share Kizzy and Winnie’s stories to show that there is hope for dogs with megaoesophagus.
Debbie said: “It takes a lot of hard work and dedication, but it is rewarding to see them looking so well, and apart from the feeding aspect they behave like normal, happy dogs.
“I have also found rescuing a dog with special needs very rewarding. They seem to understand you are helping them. In return, they give you lots of love and are easy to train as they want to please you.”