From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2001-11-08 13:23:00 UTC
Subject: Re: URGENT: Diagnosed megaesophagus - need your help!
--
I don't know if this will help at all, but I can tell you a few
things that are done when humans have a different esophageal disorder
(constriction) which also interferes with the motion of food down.
It's pretty normal for such people to have repeated surgical
stretchings until they finally have to go to slurry foods and finally
to a feeding tube, but there are changes that can slow that rate
very, very dramatically. One is diet modification: most foods that
cause esophageal bolluses in humans are meats (90%) followed by
peanut butter (9%). The members of Steve's family with this problem
have found that some fibrous foods or clumping foods (rice, broccoli,
etc.) can also be a problem so they avoid those when there is
anything that can irritate a throat (infection, allergies, etc.) and
they eat them in small mouthfuls with a lot of fluid, or puree them
with a lot of moisture. Pureeing foods that tend to be hard to pass
helps, as does avoiding that food when possible. Some become
vegetarians.
Being relaxed when eating helps those folks and so does eating slowly
with a lot of fluid taken during meal.
They are more prone to esophageal ulceration so they get Carafate on
and off when they begin to get "cabbage breath".
Going too horizontal during eating is a big no-no for them.
I simply don't at all know if any of this is transferable to ferret
use or even to megaesophagus use, but just in case it is (since it
seems like things that clump or catch would be consideration as might
situations that could increase the catching)...
At 5:16 PM +0000 11/8/01, Ferret-Health-list@yahoogroups.com wrote:
Sadly, this condition is very difficult to manage. I don't want to
discourage you from trying everything possible to help Brae, but all
of the people I've conversed with that have had a ferret with this
condition have not been able to manage it for very long. It will
take a lot of work on your part, which I'm sure you're willing to
give, to keep Brae nourished without requrgitating. Keeping his head
elevated while feeding will help and stroking his throat may help to
move the food down.
One person with a dog with this condition had a permanent feeding
tube inserted and fed his dog this way for quite some time. I don't
know if this is the way to go or if it's even fair to the animal to
do this.
mike