Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook.pdf - Mr. Walnuts

260 •DOG OWNER’S HOME VETERINARY HANDBOOK
Treatment: An esophageal foreign body is an emergency. Take your dog to
a veterinarian at once.
Many foreign bodies can be removed by gastroscopy. The dog is given a
general anesthetic, after which an endoscope is passed through the mouth and
into the esophagus. The object is located visually and removed with a grasping
instrument. If the object cannot be withdrawn, it can often be pushed
down into the stomach and removed surgically from the abdomen. Foreign
bodies that cannot be dislodged using the endoscope require open esophageal
surgery. The same is true for esophageal perforations.
ESOPHAGITIS
A mucosal injury caused by a foreign body, or a burn caused by ingesting a
caustic liquid (see Corrosive Household Products, page 34), can cause inflammation
of the esophagus, known as esophagitis. Gastroesophageal reflux (similar
to acid reflux in humans) is the other possible cause.
Gastroesophageal reflux is the process in which stomach acid backs up into
the esophagus, resulting in chemical burns of the mucosal lining. This can
occur when a dog is tilted in a head-down position during general anesthesia.
It may also occur with the use of a stomach tube, after chronic vomiting, and
with a hiatal hernia.
With this type of hernia, the stomach protrudes through an abnormally
large esophageal opening in the diaphragm. The opening allows part or all of
the stomach to slide up into the chest. Hiatal hernias are not common in
dogs. Most of them are congenital, with an increased incidence among
Chinese Shar-Pei. The major concern with hiatal hernia is that it causes gastroesophageal
reflux.
Signs of moderate to severe esophagitis are dysphagia, repeated swallowing,
regurgitation, and drooling. With chronic esophagitis the dog loses appetite
and weight. The diagnosis is made by gastroscopy, which reveals an inflamed,
swollen esophageal mucosa.
Treatment: This is directed toward correcting the underlying condition.
Hiatal hernias can be surgically repaired. Medications used to treat chronic
gastroesophageal reflux in people are also effective in dogs.
ESOPHAGEAL STRICTURE
A stricture is a circular scar that forms after an injury to the wall of the esophagus.
Most injuries are caused by esophageal foreign bodies. Swallowed caustic
liquids and gastroesophageal reflux are other causes. Tumors of the esophagus
can produce a stricturelike narrowing.
The principal sign of esophageal stricture is regurgitation. The diagnosis
can be made by X-ray after the dog has been given a barium solution, or by an