For Serious Illnesses, Seek Specialist

Q:
 Our basset, Frank, has just been diagnosed with megaesophagus.
He’d been vomiting for a few weeks, but only once in a while. He
seemed to feel fine otherwise. Our vet says there is very little we
can do for Fred, but I think we should go to the veterinary school
at Davis. Will they be able to help
?
Q: Our basset, Frank, has just been diagnosed with megaesophagus. He’d been vomiting for a few weeks, but only once in a while. He seemed to feel fine otherwise. Our vet says there is very little we can do for Fred, but I think we should go to the veterinary school at Davis. Will they be able to help?

A: They might. The UC Davis vet school has some of the best clinicians in the world on its staff. But you may also get the same assistance from a local internist.

I’d recommend that you see a specialist in internal medicine either at Davis or here in the greater bay area. Megaesophagus is a condition that sometimes can be treated and reversed. But it must be caught early.  

This is a condition where the esophagus loses its normal muscle tone, becomes flaccid and dilates. When food is swallowed, it gets stuck somewhere in the middle on its way to the stomach and builds up into a distended pocket. Later, that impacted food is regurgitated. A patient with this condition might regurgitate undigested food at any time, even many hours after eating.

Megaesophagus is extremely serious and can be difficult to treat, especially if it becomes chronic. The muscle in the wall becomes more and more stretched and damaged. So early diagnosis and treatment are essential.

Your veterinarian probably ran a blood panel to check for any underlying medical conditions that could cause megaesophagus. One of these, Addison’s disease, is easily treated. Caught early, Addison’s and all of its symptoms can be completely eliminated. But time is of the essence. Make an appointment with a specialist right away.

Q: Our pet rat, Mort, is only 10 months old and is very sick. We took him to the vet and they gave us some liquid medicine to treat him. He doesn’t want to eat anything, and he seems really quiet. What else can we do?   

A: The first thing to do is to make sure that your vet made a definitive diagnosis. You didn’t say if she told you exactly what Mort’s problem was. But during an evaluation, your vet should list what the different possibilities might be. We call this a differential diagnosis. The differential is an analysis of the possible medical conditions that could cause Mort’s symptoms. Many different diseases and medical conditions share the same symptoms. A final definitive diagnosis often requires blood tests, x-rays or other clinical procedures. These can be expensive, and because of this, many people opt to treat their sick pet based on just their veterinarian’s clinical judgement. Your vet should have been able to discuss with you a differential diagnosis list and explained why she thought some liquid medication might help make Mort feel better.

So if you’re not completely sure about Mort’s illness, you might want to make an appointment to see another veterinarian that specializes in small pocket pets. Rats, mice and other small pets have some unique problems and it might be worthwhile to have him evaluated by someone with special interest in these little guys. Ask you regular vet for a referral 

Q: Is it true that cows have four stomachs? Why would an animal need more than one?

A: Good question! Actually, cows have just one stomach, but it has four distinct compartments, each with its own function. And this special anatomy is not unique to just cows. Many other grazing animals have the same digestive tract, including goats, sheep, and even deer. These animals are called ruminants and they have this special digestive tract so that they can eat food that contains lots of cellulose or roughage (food that other simple-stomach animals can’t consume).

All ruminants eat hay or grass. That’s the main staple of their diet. The 4 compartments in the stomach (called the abomasum, omasum, reticulum, and rumen) help to effectively break down the roughage in their diet for more efficient digestion.

What makes these animals even more interesting is the way they chew their cud. When they lay down and relax, they actually bring up small amounts of their stomach content and chew it a second time. This process is called rumination, and it helps break down grass or hay into smaller pieces, making it easier to digest. Cows chewing their cud look very content, even pensive while they ruminate. Scientists believe that this is when these animals get some of their best rest.

Think about it. No one ever sees a cow lay down on the ground and close its eyes and sleep. Instead, cows rest and relax by sitting down and chewing their cud. It’s a unique way to “recharge.”

Q: I just heard that animals have a higher body temperature than people. Is this true? Any reason why?

A: It’s true, domestic animals and farm animals have a higher basal temperature than humans. For example, dogs and cats are normally somewhere between 101 and 102.5 degrees fahrenheit, depending on stress, excitement, and ambient temperature. Horses are a little lower, closer to 100 degrees. Goats are often much higher with a normal reading of about 104.

But birds get the prize for the highest basal temperature. The average body temperature for many parrots and macaws is 106 degrees.

And the highest? How about the crow and the sparrow. Their temperatures can hover around 110 degrees. Pretty toasty, at least by our standards.