http://www.terrificpets.com/articles/megaesophagus.asp Articles about Megaesophagus en-us Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:30:07 EST Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:30:07 EST dogs@terrificpets.com Fri, 21 Sep 2007 00:00:00 EST http://www.terrificpets.com/articles/10267265.asp Neuromuscular diseases affect animals as well as humans, and one of the most common is known as Acquired Myasthenia Gravis. It's a disorder that interrupts communication between the nerves and the muscles. It's also an autoimmune disease, meaning it's caused by the body's own immune system turning against itself. Specifically, the immune system attacks and destroys junctions, which are places where the neurons (nerve cells) and muscles interconnect. Once these junctions are destroyed, the adjacent muscles cannot be controlled or are poorly controlled. With myasthenia gravis, a dog will experience muscle weakness, especially in the limbs and the muscles affecting the eyes, facial expressions, throat and esophagus. Sixty percent of affected dogs will become fatigued after any significant exercise; others will develop difficulty swallowing or noticeable changes in their voice. The dog may appear only slightly affected, or else be almost entirely immobile. http://www.terrificpets.com/articles/10267265.asp#comments http://www.terrificpets.com/articles/10267265.asp> Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:00:00 EST http://www.terrificpets.com/articles/10287065.asp Megaesophagus is a disorder that affects the esophagus, making it difficult to digest food. This disorder can affect puppies as early as the weaning stage, and while some dogs will outgrow the disorder, others will need careful food management for the rest of their lives. In this article, we'll learn what Megaesophagus is, which breeds are predisposed to inherit the disease, and what forms of treatment are available. What is megaesophagus In order to understand megaesophagus, we need to understand how the esophagus works. Content, such as food, in this case, moves through the esophagus and other tubular organs through muscular contractions, which are coordinated in waves. This process is called Peristalsis. When the peristaltic function doesn't work, this disorder is called megaesophagus. http://www.terrificpets.com/articles/10287065.asp#comments http://www.terrificpets.com/articles/10287065.asp>