HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. In most canine cases, however, no cause is evident. It was suggested we try a flexible muzzle to prevent him from eating the snow, but he still eats enough to make himself sick. I have a question, my dog was just diagnosed with megaesophagus as well and i was wondering what is the best way to feed him? If the underlying cause can be treated & intervention is early enough, the esophagus may regain motility and megaesophagus may regress.
And if so what are the best types? Soak 3 cups of Taste of the Wild, grain-free salmon kibble in water overnight.
Holle Abee (author) from Georgia on July 05, 2020: Ouisee, I think we used both cooked and raw meat. The Bailey chair is designed specifically for dogs who have megaesophagus, supporting them in the upright position for feeding. Ive been experimenting with appropriate dog food types for dogs with megaesophagus. If you cant find it in your store, you can buy it online (from Amazon). If you are feeding dry food you really should switch to canned only, dry food and Mega E do not go well together some pups can handle dry but eventually it will cause more problems then it is worth risking. As many have mentioned, thanks so very much for sharing your trials and tribulations in working with canine MG. We use a Bailey Chair for feeding and watering. I thought the slush made into gelatin cubes would go down easilyNot sure about the amounts of gel and "pudding" to use. We also gave Kayla sugar Knox blocks just to add some calories. Honey is a pretty good and safe option to make your Knocks Blocks more palatable. Does the pup have myasthenia gravis or a thyroid problem? Question: We live in an area that gets a lot of snow.
We met with a veterinarian who has a dog with megaesophagus, and he suggested we try a thinner consistency. Merrick is chunky so it will need blended and some water added. But its just a suggestion since it might be a little cheaper than canned. These are recommended but should be mixed in with the diet sparingly at first and then increased if tolerated well. With a Great Dane, thats a lot of tubing to get through before the food winds up in the stomach. We tried this for a couple reasons: gain weight, more filling and the meatballs stay together better. Hi I have a very fit 11 year old jack russell who has been diagnosed with myaesthenia gravis & megaesophagus for 2 months he spent 2 weeks at the vets he nearly died lost alote of waight he was 13kg went down to 10.6 got pneumonia, had to be on a drip & oxygen, it all started when he got tick pyralisis 3 months ago other wise we was a very healthy fit active dog.
Sherri, I'm sorry, but she really needs to be fed more often. Does anyone have any suggestions?
That might help him keep it down. Cant go too high in protein and/or fat because it tends to increase reflux and acidity. It absorbs better if it is boiling water and then I wait 30 minutes or more to feed him.
The water should cover the kibble and the kibble should be all swollen. It is very important to monitor dogs with megaesophagus daily for any signs of life-threatening aspiration pneumonia, such as difficulty breathing, fever and rapid heart rate. Work with your vet to determine the best way to feed your dog.
Ask your vet if critical care canned food would be appropriate. Holle Abee (author) from Georgia on March 23, 2018: Hi, Lynn. We were lucky: I'm retired, so I could feed Kayla numerous times a day. Question: When regurgitation occurs after feeding, what should we do next? I hate to see him suffer, but I feel he's starving to death. I also buy baby food to dip his meatballs b/c (in my mind) I think it coats them & helps them to slide down better. Adding extras to the food: I feed her royal canine puppy mousse 5 times a day however I was wondering if I could grind her dry food and add it into her puppy mousse to be a bit more sustainable. You want it to be as smooth as possible so there are no little bits to get stuck and irritate the esophagus. I try hard to prevent it, but he has been doing it for over a year. Answer: That position would probably be painful for him. In dogs w/ ME, that creates a problem as it does promote reflux. We keep her in the chair for 30 to 40 minutes each time but she still is regurgitating. Youll need to experiment to find the best recipe that your dog will enjoy and keep down. One thing to note is that regurgitation looks different from vomiting. the short answer to your question is that I would refrigerate a couple of days supply and freeze the rest. I pureed the food in a food processor and the consistency of the diet seemed to work well. In Kaylas case, the problems were compounded by the fact that she was trying to nurse a litter of puppies. If your preferred dog food isnt on the list, please let us know and well be sure to include it. I had been using about 70% meat, but recently decreased the percentage of meat and added pasta in an attempt to put some weight on. Slurry: Powder that is called Showstopper along with a scoop of protein powder. Cookie Consent Tool. Your vet diagnoses megaesophagus based on symptoms and X-rays. An average mature coconut yields about one cup of coconut cream and one to two cups of coconut milk depending on how light a milk is desired. Managing megaesophagus in dogs can be achieved through a special diet and, in some rare cases, surgery. After she takes her last swallow, we set the kitchen timer and wait with her. Ill feed her one can of puppy food with a little dry puppy food grounded up and added in one raw egg in water down with chicken broth. Learn what to do if your dog is experiencing constipation or an inability to pee. Youll need to feed your dog as vertically as possible. If it's an indoor pet, maybe you could let him go out only when leashed when snow is on the ground. Always good to "see" you! Obviously, the best dog food for megaesophagus should include the required nutrients your dog needs to stay healthyproteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Those are available online through Sur La Table or other types of kitchen stores and are not very expensive. Both my husband and I work and can only feed her twice a day. Holle Abee (author) from Georgia on July 20, 2013: Wish I could take credit for inventing the Bailey Chair, Doc, but I can't. Good to hear about your pooch! In this case, your vet can perform surgery to cut the rings. Let the broth cool, strain it, and pour it into containers. It's a congenital condition, meaning some dogs are born with it. Natural Balance contains all of the same ingredients but not sure they are human-grade. That saved her life. If she found any, shed greedily lap it up. It is easily digested and contains about 250 calories per cup. do you also feed it when vertical ? Question: How many Knox blocks should I give my dog a day?
Should we wait a short time or a long time, even up to overnight? I feed it to him with a spoon in his chair , its an incredible food all natural , is frozen so it just has to be defrosted prior to feeding. I have a 8 year old deerhound recently diagnosed with megaesophagus she has lost so much weight .I am trying to feed her every couple of hours the easiest food she takes is pured chicken and rice . We have just started feeding him hills precription diet I.D & hills Science diet Adult light biscuits soaked in water, morning & lunch don't give him biscuits at night just tinned food we also roll the tinned food into balls & hand feed him then put the water bowl in his bailey chair. Also, I got a small scoop that has a metal blade. Within some of those brands, such as Wellness and maybe Canidae and California Natural or Natural Balance, they do have foods that have just one protein and one carb. So far, the magic number for her to wait is forty-five minutes before going outdoors to relieve herself. ALWAYS check and discuss with your veterinarian first as each one of our ME dogs is different from the others. ME can be managed but it does require vigilance on your part. Knox Blocks/Blox differs from store-bought JELL-O in a few ways, however. Coconut milk? Perhaps you need to experiment with his food consistency.maybe a bit more liquid or a bit more firm, how often he is eating, or what type of food, but sometimes that needs to be changed. Not sure if my question was sent or not so I will ask again: is there a compelling reason to use raw ground beef and / or ground turkey or will cooked protein also be acceptable?
I just cant say enough good things about Bailey Chairs! Holle Abee (author) from Georgia on February 18, 2017: Sandi, lots of people with small dogs use a baby/infant carrier at meal times. I think the key is to avoid chunks that might get stuck in the esophagus. She is still regurgitating some food but not every feed. This article is accurate and true to the best of the authors knowledge. The breeder we got ours from didnt disclose anything to us and as you know the care for these dogs is extremely time consuming from feeding to watching them to make sure they dont chew on anything even a blade of grass. It takes such a little amount. can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 48 hours. Select Your Region (opens a modal dialog), 2021 Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc. As used herein, denotes registered trademark status in the U.S. only; registration status in other geographies may be different. Endoscopy is a useful procedure in cases of esophageal stricture, tumors or foreign bodies. Megaesophagus is the worst condition ever , but Im doing whatever I can and always will - he is the love of my life . In the years since Olivia has been diagnosed, we have switched several times.from milkshake to meatballs, to cubes of canned food, back to milkshake, to gruel, back to meatballs, etc. All of the tips here might not necessarily work for your dog, but Im going to share with you which worked best for ours. Beef liver tends to be more solid when cooked, and needs blended. It has 577 calories per can blended smooth. It is 40% fat. Yes, we fed the Knox blox while Kayla was verticle. There ARE some pastes, but they are not something to use regularly, or even sometimes with certain mega-e cases. She needs numerous small meals a day. Megaesophagus literally means "big esophagus," and it occurs when this vital tube becomes weak for some reason, enlarges, and loses some or all of its ability to carry food from the mouth to the stomach. Other signs may include weight loss despite a voracious appetite, poor growth in puppies, excessive drooling or bad breath. Best of luck to you and your pooch! Certain breeds are born with this condition, which makes it difficult for them to digest food unless they eat in an upright position. Thai Kitchen coconut milk is extremely smooth. Dealing with canine megaesophagus can be difficult, but the condition is manageable. IF you have a vacuum machine for making the storage bags airtight, great. when making meatballs: Youre right, meatballs are time consuming! Takes about 2 minutes to make her 22 meatballs per meal, each about 3/4 1 diameter. We also bought a little doggie trailer to pull behind the push bikes just to get him out of the house so he's not getting depressed as he was so active. Getting enough water into a megaesophagus dog can be a real problem. It does not need blending. It is all human grade food no additives or grains it is a very good food and very palatable.
Mixing high calorie dog food with ensure and beef broth. One good thing about the quality foods is that you dont have to feed as much. Have you tried to "gel" his food? Jane Meggitt has been a writer for more than 20 years. California Natural Lamb and Brown Rice. Try chicken livers; they cook very fast and are tender. I think we fed Kayla 5 or 6 times a day. Dont try to put weight on too fast. Meatball recipe one owner used: Some will even put the animals down which is what our vet recommended when ours was diagnosed at 10 weeks old. In Kaylas case, she only needs to stay upright for fifteen minutes after she finishes a meal or a drink of water. Holle Abee (author) from Georgia on September 03, 2013: Hi, Brooke. I would appreciate any advice. I just went on their websitehttp://www.grandmalucys.com/ and I see they have meatballs as well. Hungry Jack Instant Mashed Potatoes. Merck Veterinary Manual: Dilatation of the Esophagus. It also contains lauric acid, a nutrient found in natural mothers milk. Not all brands of canned coconut milk are good. Commercially, coconut cream is obtained by pressing grated coconut flesh by itself without water, using a specialized, I just got diagnosis of ME for my 16 year old Lhasa apso. My German Shepard, Josie, was diagnosed at 6 weeks. For a pup that doesnt want to eat some boil chicken livers until extremely soft than mush them up into a pate, the smell alone will usually trigger them to eat. You might confuse this with vomiting, but it's not the same. the slightly milky juice within the coconut when opened). Frequently, a third pressing is done to obtain a light coconut milk (hahng gkati), which is used for stewing meats or for thinning coconut milk to make a coconut soup or a light curry. In some cases, it doesnt work at all. My dog's was skin and bones and she could not hold herself up anymore. I have discovered, after a lot of label reading! My dog is 100 lb and I give him 1 1/2 tablets every night and he's no longer vomiting. Iams Max Cal for Tasha (diluted for use via PEG Tube) This food is by prescription only. Unfortunately, eating snow is like drinking water, which our dog cannot handle. Megaesophagus is a heritable disease in miniature schnauzers and wire-haired fox terriers, Newfoundlands, German shepherds, Great Danes, Labrador retrievers, Irish setters, shar-peis and greyhounds are also predisposed. When Kayla lies down, especially when its right after shes had food or water, we try to prop her head and shoulders up with a comfy pillow. In some cases, a vet will insert a feeding tube directly into the stomach to bypass the mouth and esophagus entirely. Blend/chop to a dough in the a.m. using a Cuisinart. I did build him a Bailys chair and it seems to work at first but about an hour later he throws up what we fed him up. You just add water to reconstitute. This procedure will require dogs to go under anesthesia, but generally, your dog will be able to return home after the procedure. Some sites tell owners to simply use elevated food and water bowls. Good brands of coconut milk will have the thicker cream floating on top of the can while the milk on the bottom will be much more watery. Soaked kibble: Also its hard when you have 3 other big dogs just waiting to eat what he won't. When she first came home, she was extremely thin and had no milk whatsoever. In these cases, a permanent stomach tube can be inserted by a vet to bypass the esophagus entirely.
Generally, raw oat bran is used for that purpose (adding calories). recipe (slurry) A can of California Natural blended with a can of water or low sodium chicken broth, with 1/4 cup of raw oat bran and an equal amount of water for the added oat bran. If your dog sleeps in a crate or in a dog bed, you might want to try elevating the head portion a few inches. The Merck Veterinary Manual says it's best to have the dog hold that position for at least 10 to 15 minutes after eating, to let gravity "assist food passage into the stomach" and prevent regurgitation. We feed meatballs made from kibble soaked in water and put through a food mill combined with canned food also put through the mill..then I add some fish oil, molasses, baby oatmeal and Knox gelatin powder dissolved in water so that when I chill it, it makes nice firm meatballs that I can just cut into little cubes and feed by hand.
And if so what are the best types? Soak 3 cups of Taste of the Wild, grain-free salmon kibble in water overnight.
Holle Abee (author) from Georgia on July 05, 2020: Ouisee, I think we used both cooked and raw meat. The Bailey chair is designed specifically for dogs who have megaesophagus, supporting them in the upright position for feeding. Ive been experimenting with appropriate dog food types for dogs with megaesophagus. If you cant find it in your store, you can buy it online (from Amazon). If you are feeding dry food you really should switch to canned only, dry food and Mega E do not go well together some pups can handle dry but eventually it will cause more problems then it is worth risking. As many have mentioned, thanks so very much for sharing your trials and tribulations in working with canine MG. We use a Bailey Chair for feeding and watering. I thought the slush made into gelatin cubes would go down easilyNot sure about the amounts of gel and "pudding" to use. We also gave Kayla sugar Knox blocks just to add some calories. Honey is a pretty good and safe option to make your Knocks Blocks more palatable. Does the pup have myasthenia gravis or a thyroid problem? Question: We live in an area that gets a lot of snow.
We met with a veterinarian who has a dog with megaesophagus, and he suggested we try a thinner consistency. Merrick is chunky so it will need blended and some water added. But its just a suggestion since it might be a little cheaper than canned. These are recommended but should be mixed in with the diet sparingly at first and then increased if tolerated well. With a Great Dane, thats a lot of tubing to get through before the food winds up in the stomach. We tried this for a couple reasons: gain weight, more filling and the meatballs stay together better. Hi I have a very fit 11 year old jack russell who has been diagnosed with myaesthenia gravis & megaesophagus for 2 months he spent 2 weeks at the vets he nearly died lost alote of waight he was 13kg went down to 10.6 got pneumonia, had to be on a drip & oxygen, it all started when he got tick pyralisis 3 months ago other wise we was a very healthy fit active dog. Sherri, I'm sorry, but she really needs to be fed more often. Does anyone have any suggestions?
That might help him keep it down. Cant go too high in protein and/or fat because it tends to increase reflux and acidity. It absorbs better if it is boiling water and then I wait 30 minutes or more to feed him.
The water should cover the kibble and the kibble should be all swollen. It is very important to monitor dogs with megaesophagus daily for any signs of life-threatening aspiration pneumonia, such as difficulty breathing, fever and rapid heart rate. Work with your vet to determine the best way to feed your dog.
Ask your vet if critical care canned food would be appropriate. Holle Abee (author) from Georgia on March 23, 2018: Hi, Lynn. We were lucky: I'm retired, so I could feed Kayla numerous times a day. Question: When regurgitation occurs after feeding, what should we do next? I hate to see him suffer, but I feel he's starving to death. I also buy baby food to dip his meatballs b/c (in my mind) I think it coats them & helps them to slide down better. Adding extras to the food: I feed her royal canine puppy mousse 5 times a day however I was wondering if I could grind her dry food and add it into her puppy mousse to be a bit more sustainable. You want it to be as smooth as possible so there are no little bits to get stuck and irritate the esophagus. I try hard to prevent it, but he has been doing it for over a year. Answer: That position would probably be painful for him. In dogs w/ ME, that creates a problem as it does promote reflux. We keep her in the chair for 30 to 40 minutes each time but she still is regurgitating. Youll need to experiment to find the best recipe that your dog will enjoy and keep down. One thing to note is that regurgitation looks different from vomiting. the short answer to your question is that I would refrigerate a couple of days supply and freeze the rest. I pureed the food in a food processor and the consistency of the diet seemed to work well. In Kaylas case, the problems were compounded by the fact that she was trying to nurse a litter of puppies. If your preferred dog food isnt on the list, please let us know and well be sure to include it. I had been using about 70% meat, but recently decreased the percentage of meat and added pasta in an attempt to put some weight on. Slurry: Powder that is called Showstopper along with a scoop of protein powder. Cookie Consent Tool. Your vet diagnoses megaesophagus based on symptoms and X-rays. An average mature coconut yields about one cup of coconut cream and one to two cups of coconut milk depending on how light a milk is desired. Managing megaesophagus in dogs can be achieved through a special diet and, in some rare cases, surgery. After she takes her last swallow, we set the kitchen timer and wait with her. Ill feed her one can of puppy food with a little dry puppy food grounded up and added in one raw egg in water down with chicken broth. Learn what to do if your dog is experiencing constipation or an inability to pee. Youll need to feed your dog as vertically as possible. If it's an indoor pet, maybe you could let him go out only when leashed when snow is on the ground. Always good to "see" you! Obviously, the best dog food for megaesophagus should include the required nutrients your dog needs to stay healthyproteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Those are available online through Sur La Table or other types of kitchen stores and are not very expensive. Both my husband and I work and can only feed her twice a day. Holle Abee (author) from Georgia on July 20, 2013: Wish I could take credit for inventing the Bailey Chair, Doc, but I can't. Good to hear about your pooch! In this case, your vet can perform surgery to cut the rings. Let the broth cool, strain it, and pour it into containers. It's a congenital condition, meaning some dogs are born with it. Natural Balance contains all of the same ingredients but not sure they are human-grade. That saved her life. If she found any, shed greedily lap it up. It is easily digested and contains about 250 calories per cup. do you also feed it when vertical ? Question: How many Knox blocks should I give my dog a day? Should we wait a short time or a long time, even up to overnight? I feed it to him with a spoon in his chair , its an incredible food all natural , is frozen so it just has to be defrosted prior to feeding. I have a 8 year old deerhound recently diagnosed with megaesophagus she has lost so much weight .I am trying to feed her every couple of hours the easiest food she takes is pured chicken and rice . We have just started feeding him hills precription diet I.D & hills Science diet Adult light biscuits soaked in water, morning & lunch don't give him biscuits at night just tinned food we also roll the tinned food into balls & hand feed him then put the water bowl in his bailey chair. Also, I got a small scoop that has a metal blade. Within some of those brands, such as Wellness and maybe Canidae and California Natural or Natural Balance, they do have foods that have just one protein and one carb. So far, the magic number for her to wait is forty-five minutes before going outdoors to relieve herself. ALWAYS check and discuss with your veterinarian first as each one of our ME dogs is different from the others. ME can be managed but it does require vigilance on your part. Knox Blocks/Blox differs from store-bought JELL-O in a few ways, however. Coconut milk? Perhaps you need to experiment with his food consistency.maybe a bit more liquid or a bit more firm, how often he is eating, or what type of food, but sometimes that needs to be changed. Not sure if my question was sent or not so I will ask again: is there a compelling reason to use raw ground beef and / or ground turkey or will cooked protein also be acceptable?
I just cant say enough good things about Bailey Chairs! Holle Abee (author) from Georgia on February 18, 2017: Sandi, lots of people with small dogs use a baby/infant carrier at meal times. I think the key is to avoid chunks that might get stuck in the esophagus. She is still regurgitating some food but not every feed. This article is accurate and true to the best of the authors knowledge. The breeder we got ours from didnt disclose anything to us and as you know the care for these dogs is extremely time consuming from feeding to watching them to make sure they dont chew on anything even a blade of grass. It takes such a little amount. can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 48 hours. Select Your Region (opens a modal dialog), 2021 Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc. As used herein, denotes registered trademark status in the U.S. only; registration status in other geographies may be different. Endoscopy is a useful procedure in cases of esophageal stricture, tumors or foreign bodies. Megaesophagus is the worst condition ever , but Im doing whatever I can and always will - he is the love of my life . In the years since Olivia has been diagnosed, we have switched several times.from milkshake to meatballs, to cubes of canned food, back to milkshake, to gruel, back to meatballs, etc. All of the tips here might not necessarily work for your dog, but Im going to share with you which worked best for ours. Beef liver tends to be more solid when cooked, and needs blended. It has 577 calories per can blended smooth. It is 40% fat. Yes, we fed the Knox blox while Kayla was verticle. There ARE some pastes, but they are not something to use regularly, or even sometimes with certain mega-e cases. She needs numerous small meals a day. Megaesophagus literally means "big esophagus," and it occurs when this vital tube becomes weak for some reason, enlarges, and loses some or all of its ability to carry food from the mouth to the stomach. Other signs may include weight loss despite a voracious appetite, poor growth in puppies, excessive drooling or bad breath. Best of luck to you and your pooch! Certain breeds are born with this condition, which makes it difficult for them to digest food unless they eat in an upright position. Thai Kitchen coconut milk is extremely smooth. Dealing with canine megaesophagus can be difficult, but the condition is manageable. IF you have a vacuum machine for making the storage bags airtight, great. when making meatballs: Youre right, meatballs are time consuming! Takes about 2 minutes to make her 22 meatballs per meal, each about 3/4 1 diameter. We also bought a little doggie trailer to pull behind the push bikes just to get him out of the house so he's not getting depressed as he was so active. Getting enough water into a megaesophagus dog can be a real problem. It does not need blending. It is all human grade food no additives or grains it is a very good food and very palatable.
Mixing high calorie dog food with ensure and beef broth. One good thing about the quality foods is that you dont have to feed as much. Have you tried to "gel" his food? Jane Meggitt has been a writer for more than 20 years. California Natural Lamb and Brown Rice. Try chicken livers; they cook very fast and are tender. I think we fed Kayla 5 or 6 times a day. Dont try to put weight on too fast. Meatball recipe one owner used: Some will even put the animals down which is what our vet recommended when ours was diagnosed at 10 weeks old. In Kaylas case, she only needs to stay upright for fifteen minutes after she finishes a meal or a drink of water. Holle Abee (author) from Georgia on September 03, 2013: Hi, Brooke. I would appreciate any advice. I just went on their websitehttp://www.grandmalucys.com/ and I see they have meatballs as well. Hungry Jack Instant Mashed Potatoes. Merck Veterinary Manual: Dilatation of the Esophagus. It also contains lauric acid, a nutrient found in natural mothers milk. Not all brands of canned coconut milk are good. Commercially, coconut cream is obtained by pressing grated coconut flesh by itself without water, using a specialized, I just got diagnosis of ME for my 16 year old Lhasa apso. My German Shepard, Josie, was diagnosed at 6 weeks. For a pup that doesnt want to eat some boil chicken livers until extremely soft than mush them up into a pate, the smell alone will usually trigger them to eat. You might confuse this with vomiting, but it's not the same. the slightly milky juice within the coconut when opened). Frequently, a third pressing is done to obtain a light coconut milk (hahng gkati), which is used for stewing meats or for thinning coconut milk to make a coconut soup or a light curry. In some cases, it doesnt work at all. My dog's was skin and bones and she could not hold herself up anymore. I have discovered, after a lot of label reading! My dog is 100 lb and I give him 1 1/2 tablets every night and he's no longer vomiting. Iams Max Cal for Tasha (diluted for use via PEG Tube) This food is by prescription only. Unfortunately, eating snow is like drinking water, which our dog cannot handle. Megaesophagus is a heritable disease in miniature schnauzers and wire-haired fox terriers, Newfoundlands, German shepherds, Great Danes, Labrador retrievers, Irish setters, shar-peis and greyhounds are also predisposed. When Kayla lies down, especially when its right after shes had food or water, we try to prop her head and shoulders up with a comfy pillow. In some cases, a vet will insert a feeding tube directly into the stomach to bypass the mouth and esophagus entirely. Blend/chop to a dough in the a.m. using a Cuisinart. I did build him a Bailys chair and it seems to work at first but about an hour later he throws up what we fed him up. You just add water to reconstitute. This procedure will require dogs to go under anesthesia, but generally, your dog will be able to return home after the procedure. Some sites tell owners to simply use elevated food and water bowls. Good brands of coconut milk will have the thicker cream floating on top of the can while the milk on the bottom will be much more watery. Soaked kibble: Also its hard when you have 3 other big dogs just waiting to eat what he won't. When she first came home, she was extremely thin and had no milk whatsoever. In these cases, a permanent stomach tube can be inserted by a vet to bypass the esophagus entirely.
Generally, raw oat bran is used for that purpose (adding calories). recipe (slurry) A can of California Natural blended with a can of water or low sodium chicken broth, with 1/4 cup of raw oat bran and an equal amount of water for the added oat bran. If your dog sleeps in a crate or in a dog bed, you might want to try elevating the head portion a few inches. The Merck Veterinary Manual says it's best to have the dog hold that position for at least 10 to 15 minutes after eating, to let gravity "assist food passage into the stomach" and prevent regurgitation. We feed meatballs made from kibble soaked in water and put through a food mill combined with canned food also put through the mill..then I add some fish oil, molasses, baby oatmeal and Knox gelatin powder dissolved in water so that when I chill it, it makes nice firm meatballs that I can just cut into little cubes and feed by hand.