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Hermie explains Megaesophagus!

22/4/2016

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PictureAstrid, another guest at Dogs Country Club, eating in her Bailey Chair
Megaesophagus is a condition in dogs that is caused when the muscles of the oesophagus fail and are unable to moved food or water into the stomach like normal. This is another condition that Hermie suffers. The condition has also been reported with humans, cats and other animals too.
In dogs, Megaesophagus can occur in both puppies and adult dogs. For puppies it is usually a genetic condition but can also be a surgically repairable condition. If it isn’t passed on from a parent it is then considered ‘idiopathic’ which means the cause is unknown.
For adult dogs is can be a secondary condition from another diseases such a Thyroid issues, Addisons or other Neurologic disorders. For Hermie, this is a secondary condition from his Addisons.
If not addressed ingested food sits in the oesophagus within the chest cavity and never makes it to the stomach. This can cause vomiting, choking and can lead to more serious conditions such a pneumonia.
Dogs with Megaesophagus are required to be fed in a Bailey Chair. This chair forces them into an upright position which helps the food to move down the throat into the stomach. Meals need to be moistened and they should be fed multiple smaller meals throughout the day instead of one large meal. They should be encouraged to drink whilst in the upright position also. They need to remain in the chair for a period of time after they finish eating to ensure all their food passes into their stomach. For older dogs, such as Hermie, feeding in a Bailey Chair can be difficult as they may be unable to hold their body weight comfortably and safely in the upright position. In this case the dog should be fed sitting up (you can rest their paws on something at shoulder height also) and they should be hand fed smaller amounts of food and supervised at all times.
Signs that your dog may have Megaesophagus are;



  • Vomiting up food, water or mucous.
  • Refusing to eat
  • ‘Hacking’ / trying to clear their throat
  • Bad breath
  • Sudden weight loss
  • Coughing/choking when trying to eat
  • Suffering pneumonia on a regular basis

If you have any health concerns for your dog you should ALWAYS contact your vet.
This information sourced from http://www.caninemegaesophagus.org/


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Hermie explains Addison's in dogs. 

18/4/2016

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Addison’s is a disease that can occur in dogs and humans and Hermie, our dog of the month suffers from this.  There are signs and symptoms we can look out for !  In the off your chance your dog is diagnosed with Addsions all is not lost. With help from your vet and the correct medication in time your dog should still be able to participate in most of if not all its favourite activities.
What is Addison’s Disease ?  An Adrenal insufficiency or to be technical Hypoadrenocorticism, is an abnormal increase or decrease in the hormones  Mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids (Located near the kidneys) if not addressed in time it can lead to serious health problems.
Symptoms to look out for are : Lethargy,  Lack of appetite  (anorexia),  Vomiting,  Weight loss, Diarrhea,  Shaking, Increased frequency of urination (polyuria),  Increased thirst (polydipsia), Depression,  Dehydration,  Weak pulse,  Collapse,  Low temperature,  Blood in faeces,  Hair loss (alopecia),  Painful abdomen.
The treatment for Addison’s depends on the type and severity of symptoms and will be decided on between you and your vet.  If your dog is displaying some of these signs and you are feeling concerned  book in with your preferred vet for a chat.

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Information sourced from :
http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/endocrine/c_dg_hypoadrenocorticism
http://www.addisondogs.com/addisons/medlab/

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Hermie shows off Rusty's Retreat!

7/4/2016

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As our April Dog of the Month Hermie wants to show off his favourite place to stay when he holidays at the Resort, Rusty’s Retreat also known as our Special Needs Suites. These two large rooms are specially designed for our elderly and special needs guests. Like Hermie, we take care of guests who require daily medication for special medication issues as well as blind, deaf, arthritic, diabetic and epileptic guests too. Hermie loves Rusty’s Retreat because he knows it’s the best place for all the Doggy Doaters to keep an eye on him and all his friends as it’s situated directly behind the office, infront of the Doggy Doater’s tea room and opposite the owner’s house on the property, meaning everyone can be watched over all day and night.

Each indoor room offers a spacious place for sleeping of a night time and relaxing throughout the day on the comfy, easy to access low line beds and snuggly lounge chairs. During the day the doors open up onto an undercover deck with an easy to use ramp leading to their undercover K9 grass space making this the perfect relaxing area for even the most geriatric guests. Both indoor rooms have heating and cooling. Hermie’s favourite daytime activity is lapping up the afternoon sunshine and having a snooze in the courtyard!

To check out Rusty’s Retreat visit our online tour here or contact the Doggy Doaters on 0359711127 to organise a tour of the Resort!


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Joe and Georgia relaxing inside Rusty's Retreat
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April Dog of the Month. 

1/4/2016

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Congratulations to our April 2016 Dog of the Month....
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HERMIE!
Hermie is sweet old boy who enjoys his holidays in Rusty's Retreat with our other elderly guests. He has overcome a few health issues recently and has many great stories to share with everyone. Keep an eye out for his upcoming blogs!

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