A Washington State University veterinarian is offering new hope to dogs and cats struggling with the rare and often fatal condition ‘megaesophagus’.
According to an article from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Jillian Haines has been spearheading numerous studies to better understand, manage, and treat the condition for much of the past decade and a half.
She was inspired by a beagle mix she adopted, named Cake. The puppy was recovering from injuries from a car accident as Haines’ foster puppy when she developed megaesophagus.
“At that time, the expectation was dogs with megaesophagus would only live a few months, so I thought I’ll just keep her as comfortable as I can for the time she has left,” Haines said. “But she thrived, and I had her another eight years before she passed away from cancer. Cake was a very special and sweet dog, and I learned so many things from her.”
According to the college, megaesophagus occurs when the esophagus loses its ability to contract, causing food and water to remain trapped, often leading to regurgitation. Because animals may regurgitate unexpectedly or while sleeping, they risk aspirating food into their lungs, resulting in aspiration pneumonia, which is the leading cause of death for animals with the condition. The disease can be congenital in puppies, but adult cases often have no known cause.
Despite a primarily grim outlook while scouring for information on the condition, Haines did find some online pet owner groups sharing success stories and management techniques, including the now widely used Bailey chair, an upright feeding chair that helps dogs safely swallow food using gravity.
She then launched several studies, including one that analyzed the demographics, medical and family history, diagnosis, concurrent diseases, and potential predisposing factors of dogs with the condition, and another evaluating how food moves through the esophagus in dogs with megaesophagus during upright feeding.
“That study was eye-opening,” Haines said. “It helped us understand why these dogs didn’t always respond to treatments as expected and changed many of our management practices.”
Haines accepted a position at WSU in 2014. Since then, she has identified new treatment options alongside a research team, including sildenafil (Viagra). Their work has also improved management strategies, leading to better outcomes for pets and reduced burdens for owners.
While there is still no cure for the condition, Haines is hopeful that ongoing and future research will continue to improve care and outcomes.
Haines has devoted years to studying megaesophagus, but credits much of her understanding and improvements to her experiences with Cake and the support of her clients and online communities.