EVO HAS CONGENITAL MEGAESOPHAGUS

Update 10-01-09: Evo is doing pretty well. He is such a Mom ma's boy. Wanting me to carry him around in his dog bag. As soon as I get it out, he jumps right in all by himself. But then his brother Knuckles sees it and wants in as well. So obviously, I accommodate both of them. They both get in the bag and I carry them all around the house. Evo likes to be in there when he isn't feeling well. But then Daddy comes home and he forgets about Mommy......well for a little while anyway. Evo's birthday is next month.

He turns five.....November 24......I can't believe it.

Evo still regurgitates almost evening evening. Last night through out the night was one of those nights. I keep a towel with me in bed and I also have a quilt laying on the floor. He will jump off the bed and regurgitate on the blanket sometimes. It's easy for me to just throw the blanket in the washer. Which I do everyday. It isn't something he can control. I understand that and accept that. It breaks my heart when he regurgitates, especially if it happens to be a day when he is doing it more than usual. His tiny little body will just shake and shake. That's when he wants in his bag for me to carry him around the house. I do that with no hesitation. I will do anything to help make him feel better.

Thank-you to everyone for your support. It is greatly appreciated.

Update 06/01/09: Evo still has good days and bad days. His weight is holding at 4 pounds 11 oz. He doesn't always want to eat his dog food.....so on those days which seems to be many lately I give him whatever I can so he will eat something. I make scrambled eggs, mash potatoes, turkey burger, yogurt, rice and turkey burger. He will usually eat something then. I also have a tube of Nutral Cal on hand. He gets some of that every day to get nutrients in him. Evo still reguritates a lot. Especially through the night. I keep a towl with me in bed and hold it under him while he reguritates. Sometimes he is actually getting sick. His little body will just shake and shake. I will hold him or he will lay between my legs and fall asleep.

Other than that, Evo loves to be outside running in the back yard and playing with his other fur brothers.

UPDATE: 04-02-09: Evo just got groomed on March 26. He hates getting groomed, but looks so good after he is done. Evo has been going through some periods about every two weeks where he regurgitates more than usual. This usually happens in the early evening and will last through the night. His little body shakes uncontrollably also. This happened last evening and through last night. This morning he didn't want anything to do with eating. When this happens I have a tube of Nutracal that I give him. I put some on my finger and rub it on the roof of his mouth. This helps with giving him nutrients.

All he wants is to be held. I certainly accommodate him on that. I have a bag which is made to carry small dogs. Evo loves this bag. As soon as he sees it, I will put it on the floor and Evo climbs in the bag by himself.

When Evo doesn't feel well, he cuddles with his brother Knuckles. He is Evo's security blanket when I'm not there.

Evo still gets his food pureed up, has smaller portions and is fed more times a day. About four times a day. His food bowl is elevated also.

When he is not feeling bad, he loves to ride in the car and run in the back yard chasing all of his brothers. Otherwise, he is content laying on his Daddy's lap on the recliner each night. Evo gets covered up with a special blanket that was made for him by his Auntie Ruth.

UPDATE: 12/12/08: Evo just visited the groomers on Dec 3. He is looking very dapper in his new hair cut. Evo hates to get groomed. He doesn’t sit still. He gets himself so worked up and pants the entire time. I stay with him while he gets groomed and it takes both myself and the groomer to hold him. But he looks so nice after it’s all done.

I have put Evo back on prescription dog food I purchase at my vets office. I puree the food up in a blender with water. It helps to go down his esophagus better.

Evo still goes through times where he doesn’t want to eat. I purchased a tube of Nutro Cal from my vet. I give a little to Evo when he doesn’t want to eat. It helps to keep him hydrated a nourished. When Evo goes through his spells of not wanting to eat, I will try anything to get him to eat. Scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, yogurt, or baby food. Usually by the next day he is eating. I worry about him since he only weighs 4 lbs 7 oz.

His regurgitating is on going. Some nights are better than others. Other than that he likes playing with his brother Knuckles.

UPDATE: 10-08-08: Evo has been having some bad days lately. He reguritates a lot, especially through out the night. When he starts doing this, his entire little body just shakes and shakes. It's like he is freezing and shaking uncontrollably. I just hold him until he eventually falls asleep. Usually by the morning he is feeling better, although sometimes it lasts two days.

Right now, he is feeling better. But my main concern for him is his weight.

He only weighs 4lbs 7oz. I try any get any food into him that he will eat. On his good days, he has a lot of energy. He runs in his back yard with his other fur brothers. He likes running after them. Evo also likes playing with his toys and his brother Knuckles.

I plan on switching Evo's food to a prescription food from my vet. Evo was on this when I first got him, but after the first year did not want to eat it anymore and wanted what my other fur kids were eating. So I let Evo eat that food. Anything just to keep him eating. I will do another update and let you all know how he is doing on his prescription food.

UPDATE; 07-01-08: Evo still weighs only 4 lbs 5oz. His appetite is not always there. I keep baby food on hand to feed him if he doesn't want to eat his regular food. He reguritates almost every night. It happens through the night. I keep towels near by, and put them around him so he reguritates on them.

He likes to run in the back yard with his brother and his other adopted brothers. Evo I believe is faster than a rabbit when he gets running. The other boys have a hard time keeping up with him. Evo just got a hair cute three weeks ago. He has his summer cute now. He looks so cute and cool.

Update 05/06/08: Evo had a vet appointment on April 22 for his yearly shots. Evo has had a bad reaction to getting his shots in the past, so he must be pre-treated before the vet gives him his shots. Evo receives an injection called Vorin. It is to help him not to have a bad reaction from the shots. It does help..but Evo is so tiny he still has a reaction, but not as bad. Once I got him home, his little body started to shake. I just held him in a blanket. He is not eating a whole lot. I have been giving him baby food, mashed potatoes and whatever else I can puree up.

My vet checked Evo's teeth and said he definitely needed a dental. So the following week Evo received a dental as well. That was on April 29. Evo also had to have two teeth pulled. He was given liquid pain medication, which I had to give him with a syringe. Since yesterday Evo has had the diarreha. So the past two weeks have been a very stressful time for Evo. I hope he will be feeling better soon.

Update 02/15/08: Evo is doing better since his episode last month, when I had to take him to the vet. He still is not eating a lot. He only weighs 4lbs and 11oz. I am trying to feed him more. I am giving him his regular food, which he always doesn't eat. So I have been giving him some baby food. He loves that. It is already pureed, so it goes down his esophagus with no problem. I also boil up rice and mix it with chicken broth or broth from whatever meat I happen to have cooked. I always keep the broth from whatever meat I make, so I can mix it in the rice. Evo likes that as well.

He still regurgitates his food. But not as often as he had before. As I mentioned before, I noticed as long as he lets out a big burp when he is finished eating, he won't regurgitate as much. Sometimes not at all. If I don't hear his burp, I will pick him up and pat him on his back, to help him burp. That works. Evo loves to play with his toys, and run all over the house with his brother. The thing Evo likes best is to lay beside his Daddy curled up under a blanket where he is content.

If you could find it in your heart, to help with my medical bills, that sure would be great. Let me say now, Thank-you so much for helping.

Thanks to the following donors: David and Janina Greth, Jim Baker, Nelson & Lucy Starbranch, Joyce Sapp, Jim Baker, Sandy Pagnotta and Pups: Chisum, Ozzie and Robby, Barbara Butler, Dana Davis, Jezebel, Delilah & Kylie, Barbara Butler & Wookie, Barbara Butler and Wookie, Barbara Butler, Barbara Butler and Wookie, Stephanie Valletti, Mary Rogers

Carol Gostomski has pledged to sponsor Evo to help UYR care for this sweet pup.

Foster Mom: Carol Esposito - my_yorkies_3@yahoo.com