Eating & Drinking
Whether or not dogs with GOLPP have had tieback surgery, they have special dining needs and cautious exercise considerations. You can help them gobble their meals and watch their steps while staying strong.
Eating & Drinking
One of the problems to watch for in all dogs with GOLPP is aspiration pneumonia. Food and water may not move normally through the esophagus regardless of whether the dog has had tie-back surgery. Dogs who have had tie-back surgery have a slightly greater risk of aspiration pneumonia because the airway is more exposed.
We recommend feeding solid food over soft food because solid food moves better through the esophagus, which should reduce the likelihood of regurgitation. By studying dogs who have laryngeal paralysis, we know that large, dry kibble moves faster through their esophagus than canned food or a liquid diet. (Stanley 2010) But also keep in mind that it’s more important to ensure dogs are getting sufficient calories, rather than struggling to get them to eat a food they’re not fond of. So if your dog will eat only canned dog food meatballs, that’s OK, too (but perhaps first test whether they’ll eat a canned food meatball that contains dry kibble).
We also know that allowing dogs with laryngeal paralysis to eat quickly is better than encouraging them to eat slowly. So contrary to popular advice, we no longer recommend using slow-feeder bowls for dogs with laryngeal paralysis and aspiration.
Encourage your dog to drink water slowly and intermittently. Don’t let him drink large amounts of water at one time—for example, when your dog wants to drink a lot after he’s been outside. Water bowls with special floats are available to slow drinking (see Products page). You don’t want to limit your dog’s total daily water intake, just help him go slower and drink smaller amounts at one time.
Eating Position
Many dogs can continue to eat from their bowl on the floor. Food doesn’t move differently through the esophagus in dogs who are fed from a standard elevated feeder compared with dogs fed from bowls on the floor. (Stanley 2010) So contrary to popular advice, standard platform feeders aren’t needed because the dog’s head, esophagus, and stomach stay parallel to the floor.
However, some dogs benefit from being fed with their head and front end elevated. For example, you can feed your dog on steps, or feed your dog while she’s sitting. These positions harness the power of gravity to help move food into the stomach and prevent aspiration pneumonia. To feed on stairs, your dog needs to stand on a 30- to 45-degree incline plane with her front legs higher than her hind end and her head higher than her front legs. (Michigan State University Website)
So according to veterinary surgeons, you can feed your dog with her bowl on the floor, while your dog is standing on an incline, or while she’s sitting, whichever position works best for your dog.
Dogs who have severe megaesophagus may need to use a Bailey Chair, which is a little like a specially built high chair for dogs that keeps them vertical while they eat and drink to help prevent aspiration pneumonia.