Esophageal Blockage?

[Moo]

Not my dogs.

My friend's dog may have a blockage in the esophagus. If it's there, it isn't in the intestinal tract because food isn't reaching the stomach before it's coming back up. He started getting sick yesterday morning, at first stomach juices which has clothing fibers in it, then bringing up all the food that he is being fed. The dog is otherwise acting normal other than throwing everything up soon after he eats it.

Could be something else entirely at this point, and that my guess is way off base.

What else could this be?
Are there usually additional symptoms to a blockage in the esophagus?
I know that Kirby had a Bounce sheet stuck in there once, but I don't remember a lot of it. He ended up throwing it up 3 days after he started getting sick. I thought it was something else at the time.
If it is an obstruction (before the stomach) can/would the object be removed the same way as an intestinal blockage?

[Dauxside]

Any blockage is cause for worry - she should have him taken to the vet to be scoped.

[AtomicSkies]

if its in the esophagus i think they either use a scope with grabby things and pull it out through the mouth or they go in through the neck

the only thing i can think of that would prevent food from getting to the stomach at all is a reflux issue or the esophagus is closed off somehow

but im not a vet or anything i have just watched too much emergency vets in my time

[BabyElephant]

How do you know that food isn't reaching the stomach before it comes back up? The problem with blockages is that the dog can do a lot of damage to its throat due to the vomiting - just look at what happened to my friend's friend's dog...

If he/she has got a blockage get them to a good vet asap to get it sorted.

[weezyNollie]

Dogs can vomit undigested food that comes from the stomach. Anywhere from immediately after eating to an hour or so later. Could be lots of things.. including an obstruction (even in the GI). Vomiting consistently for longer than a 12-20 hour period calls for a vet. If anything, they need some SQ fluids to replenish hydration. Run some labwork, take some radiographs.. then go from there.

Diarrhea and vomiting? Stool normal? Dog still has an appetite?

[fairlight]

I had a cat that accidently ingested a string but the string then wrapped around that hangy down thing (excellent termonology!) in her throat while her body digested the rest of the string. The cat could not eat for days. I took her to the vet and even the vet was stumped until he did an xray....there was the string going from the back of her throat all the way through the end of her body. All the vet did was cut the string. Within a few days the cat was fine, but what a vet bill it was.

[weezyNollie]

Originally Posted by fairlight

I had a cat that accidently ingested a string but the string then wrapped around that hangy down thing (excellent termonology!) in her throat while her body digested the rest of the string. The cat could not eat for days. I took her to the vet and even the vet was stumped until he did an xray....there was the string going from the back of her throat all the way through the end of her body. All the vet did was cut the string. Within a few days the cat was fine, but what a vet bill it was.

String foreign bodies are super dangerous. They like to tie intestine together and so on and so forth. There are two options, depending on the string and where it is. Cut it and allow it to pass, or go in surgically and figure it all out. Ha ha.

I forgot Moo -- if the dog does have an esophageal FB, they would either wait to see if it moves at all over a period of time (just a few hours kind of deal) or start with endoscopy to get it out. If they can't get it out, they will scope it and push it in the stomach and then pursue surgery, or once again wait for it to pass. It all depends on what it is and where.

[fairlight]

Originally Posted by weezyNollie

String foreign bodies are super dangerous. They like to tie intestine together and so on and so forth. There are two options, depending on the string and where it is. Cut it and allow it to pass, or go in surgically and figure it all out. Ha ha.

I forgot Moo -- if the dog does have an esophageal FB, they would either wait to see if it moves at all over a period of time (just a few hours kind of deal) or start with endoscopy to get it out. If they can't get it out, they will scope it and push it in the stomach and then pursue surgery, or once again wait for it to pass. It all depends on what it is and where.

Beleive me, after that incident I never let any of my cats have another string or ball of yarn to play with ever again. Even with my dogs I have never allowed a toy with string or twine. I learned my lesson the hard way.

Thanks Weezy...and Moo, please keep us posted.

[Cearbhaill]

Has megaesophagus been ruled out?
In a nutshell this is when the esophagus fails to act as the muscle that drives the food down to the stomach. Food just sort of lingers in the esophagus for a bit then is expelled via the mouth. Aspiration pneumonia is a real threat here.

If it is megaesophagus it can be managed.
http://www.caninemegaesophagus.org/

[kshort49]

Years ago, I had a daschund who was fine one day, and the next day anything he ate came up. It ended up that his esophagus had become paralyzed and wouldn't push the food down. The vet even had me stand hi on his back legs, and try to give him baby food hoping that holding him that way would allow the food to drip down. However that didn't work. When he got to the point that even water wouldn't go down, we had to put him to sleep. I had never heard about this before. Hopefully this won't be the case with your friend's pup. Hope he feels better soon!