penny wav

This is a podcast episode about pets with megasophagus. The guest, Penny, shares the story of her dog PJ, who had acquired megasophagus. PJ was a rescue and was diagnosed when he was six years old. He had symptoms like vomiting and weight loss before diagnosis. He took medication and his meals were divided into small portions. Penny had to sit with him during meals and even played country music to keep him calm. PJ passed away, but Penny recommends educating oneself about managing megasophagus and trusting your instincts. She wishes that vets were more knowledgeable about the condition. Having a megasophagus pet taught her about the healing power and bonding ability, and she would be willing to take on another pet with the condition. Hello and welcome to My Gait and My Spitz, the podcast about pets with megastophagus and the people who love and care for them. I'm Michelle Zeich and my co-hosts are Paula Jeffords, Jennifer Sannes, and Jessica Ramos. Our mission is to advocate for our pets while educating pet owners and caretakers. Today's special guest is Penny Sueda to share the story of her pup, PJ. Before we begin, here is our disclaimer. Always speak with your veterinarian about the care of your pet. We are not medically or formally educated. However, each of us have dogs with megastophagus and hope to make your journey easier by sharing our experiences. All right, what kind of pup was PJ? He was a black lab mix. What kind of megastophagus did he have? He had acquired, and then they tested him for all the typical things, like the Addison's, the hyperthyroid, and all those came back negative, so I guess that would mean that he was also idiopathic. Idiopathic, yeah. Unknown. Why? So how old was he when he was diagnosed then? When he was actually officially diagnosed, he was six. Okay. But he had been sick prior to that for a while, and I just didn't know why. I didn't know what was wrong with him. Actually, I kept taking him to the vet. Like, look, there is something wrong with this dog. This is not normal. Like, you know, he's sick all the time. You know, he can't keep water down because, I mean, he would just walk around the house. The water would just fall right out of his mouth. And I'm like, there's something wrong. And then he started to lose weight, and his hair started falling out. I was like, they're going to end up calling animal services on me, thinking I'm abusing him or something. I was like, because every time I take him back, he's just a little bit worse. I'm like, there is something wrong. So actually, eventually, he ended up with aspiration pneumonia, and then that's how we ended up finding out. That's how I ended up finding out, and they finally diagnosed him with megatophagus. I feel like so many pups that happen to, they get aspiration pneumonia and then get diagnosed, and Data was the exact opposite. She got diagnosed, and then eight days later, got the AP. So it's kind of crazy to hear from her. Yeah. Was he a rescue, or did you get him from a breeder? He was a rescue. His mom was a stray dog that somebody found in a field, and she had four puppies. So I got one of them. He was a puppy. So how long did he have symptoms before he was actually diagnosed, do you think? So about a year after I got him, he was doing that same thing, and I did take him to the vet. And again, they said that there was nothing wrong with him. They put him on antibiotics, but then he was fine after that, but it was like probably, what was that, four years later or something is when he started then being sick all over again. So he was sick probably off and on for, let's see, since 2017, and then he was officially diagnosed in 2019. So a couple years off and on, just I was going through all my, I kept all of his records, medical records, and poor thing. I was like, oh, you poor thing. I took you to the vet so much. No wonder you hated going. Oh, yeah. We had to start muddling data because it was like, yeah, she doesn't love this. She's had to go so many times for different things. Yeah. You touch her arm, she's like swinging back, trying to, I'm like, nope, nobody's, we don't need to do that. Oh, yeah. Oh, PJ was always very skittish, too, so it was really hard to get him to hold still at the vet or do anything. Yeah. Yeah, he was just naturally skittish. So did he take any meds? He did. He took the, how do you say it, medical, I can never say this word. Yes. That's it. Sorry. No, don't be. It took me forever, too. I'd go to the vet and stumble over it, like, I need a refill. The one that starts with an M, yeah. He took that twice a day and then, you know, before each feeding, the 30 minutes before. Okay. And he took Prilosec, but only as needed. If for some reason it kind of seemed like he was having kind of a bad day, or he was extra foamy, it seemed like the Prilosec helped him. Sure. So, but that was it. Anything else I seem to have tried with him? Like, I even tried the, what is that, the Cetaphil. Cetaphil. Cetaphil. Yeah, he did not have a very good reaction to that. It, like, made him really sick for some reason, so I couldn't give him that. Yeah, and I didn't want to take him off of one just to try and, you know, because he needed something to help. So what does your daily routine look like with him? Well, what seemed to have worked best for him is in the mornings when he, I fed him in the morning, and I had to split up his meals into three small sections, and he got a soft food with water mixed in it, and I chopped it up, like, super fine, but I couldn't blend it because it was too watery, for him, so it kind of took me a while to find a nice balance of consistency just because he was so liquid intolerant. So once I found that, it worked out well, but he couldn't eat too much at a time. So when I split it up into three times, because he was older when he was diagnosed, and like I said, he was skittish, there was no way he was getting in a Bailey chair or anything like that. So I would just have him come and sit with me for about an hour, So I would just have him come and sit with me for about 15 minutes, in between each feeding. So it took a while, and we did that twice a day. Okay. And he ate, as far as his inclined eating, I just put his bowl on, I have steps that go upstairs, I put his bowl on some steps. Yeah. And I would pat his, you know, chest, kind of like a baby, so I knew that, you know, if he burped, it was almost kind of like you're going to hear it go down. Yeah. So then I knew it was okay to go ahead and give him some more food. So then I knew it was okay to go ahead and give him some more food. Well, also what helped him, which was kind of funny, he loved, in order to get him to really sit still with me, he loved the country music station. Funny. So I would put on the country music station, and he would sit there and watch the video. That's awesome. The country music videos. Yeah. It was funny. So we'd sit there and listen to music. I love that. He loved it. It was funny. He was a goofball, though. That's awesome. Well, it had to be the videos, too, because he would sit and watch the TV. Yeah. Did you have any other pets when you had PJ? I did. I had a little shih tzu, Gizmo. Gizmo was a lot older, and Gizmo was super crabby. So they kind of, like, stayed to their own selves for the most part. PJ did mess with him, of course, you know, on purpose, trying to get him mad, pretty sure. But then when PJ started getting sick a lot, it wasn't difficult having both of them, just because they were already kind of, like, in their own separate world, doing their own separate thing anyhow. So having two dogs really wasn't a problem. And then Gizmo passed away probably about only, like, two months before PJ got sick with the pneumonia and was diagnosed with ME. So I had a rough couple months there. Yeah. Sorry to hear that, but that's not good. What would you recommend for a newcomer to the megasophagus diagnosis? Well, in my opinion, definitely education. It is – I thought it was – it's really important to educate yourself on all the different ways to manage ME, just because every pet is different. So the more you know on the different ways and methods and foods and medications and stuff that there is out there, the better chance you have of managing it, from my experience, because I was extremely uneducated about it. And I feel if I – and I'm so educated about it now, that it would have been much, much easier. For both of us, for him and for me, actually. So also, listen to your gut, because I learned that with having to take them to the vets so many times. If there is something you want to change about your vet or you don't like, just do it. You know, listen to your gut. If something needs to change, then change it. You know, and if you need support or if you have questions, don't be afraid to ask for it. Just go ahead and ask. Also, be patient with you and your pup. Like, I had to learn to take a good inhale for four and exhale for four before I went and cleaned up his yaks for probably the fourth time that day. You know, when he was having a bad day, just yak all day long. So you're like, oh! I am a pro-carpet cleaner, though. I can get anything out of any carpet. So, yeah. But the calmer you are, the less stress it causes them and the easier it also is to manage. What is something you wish that everyone knew about megasophagus? I think really what I wish a lot of it is that the vets would educate themselves more. I guess maybe it's just the area I was in or I'm in. They were just not very forthcoming about anything about it. So I kind of wish that they would take that into consideration, especially knowing how common it is now. So I also want everybody to know how common it is. So if their vet isn't mentioning it and they have any of these symptoms, to ask. What did having a megasophagus pup teach you? Well, so it actually taught me a lot. It taught me a lot about the healing power and bonding ability. Just to have that, I don't know, I just felt like I had such a deep connection with him. And he had a deep trust in me. We were a bonded pair, if that makes sense. I just felt like he knew. It's almost like he knew and he also was trying everything he could to help me as much as I was trying to help him. So he was just as determined as I was. And personally, watching him was really, I mean, I know he was really sick. Watching him was inspirational, in my opinion. And then just his continuous love that he always gave, no matter how he was feeling. I don't know, I actually can say that PJ made me a better person having him. It really did. Would you take on another megasophagus pet? I would, now that I know more about it and I know the different ways, the trial and error ways in order to make it easier for both of us to manage. I wouldn't shy away from it if I ended up with a dog and they ended up having it or anything. Maybe even someday down the line, maybe I'll start rescuing him. We were talking about that the other day. What was your favorite thing about PJ? I'll just say he was funny. He was smart, super smart, but also a super big dingbat at the same time. He had some OCD things, which were really funny, especially with his toys. He had distinct inside toys and distinct outside toys. And if you brought an outside toy in, he would take it back outside. And the same with the inside toys. And I would give him two toys and he would take one and kind of play with it and put it down, take the other one and play with it. And then he'll decide which one goes outside and which one goes inside. He'll pick one and take it outside and that's an outside toy. He was really strange like that. It was funny though. And they all had their own certain place, especially the outside ones. If I moved them because I had to mow, he was not happy. He would go get them and put them back. That's funny. Yeah, he was. He was really funny because he was pretty mellow. So it was just funny to watch him because it was like he was thinking the whole time. You've been donating bananas in memory of PJ for Megasophagus Pups. How many have you donated so far? Approximately 60 to 67, somewhere around there. When I first started, I wasn't keeping as good a track as I am now. So it is an approximate number. Sure. So what made you decide to start donating the bananas? One of the biggest problems I had was when people were to come over. Everybody wants to feed dogs. I get it. It's fun. I understand. I love to give dogs treats too. And nobody really understood his condition because they were uneducated also. So they would just give him treats behind my back thinking I was being mean. And I'm like, I'm not being mean. He really can't have that. And then it would just, you know, I guess maybe because he was diagnosed so late, he had kind of a, I won't say severe, but a pretty complicated case of Megasophagus. It would just throw him into a fit and it would take me two days to get him back right again. So I'm like, please don't feed my dog. Please don't give him anything. He can't have anything. Oh, he scares me. I'll get him some water. No, he can have an ice cube. Water is the worst thing for him. Don't. So that's why I started making them. I guess just to help out other pet parents and the dogs. You know, that's why I put on there, please don't feed me. You know, and then I put the Mega E fur baby on there because just so maybe hopefully it will start a conversation. So somebody will be like, what in the world is Mega E? You know, if they've never heard of it before. So, and then I think that that would just help educate people then as you go. Do you have anything else that you want to add or does anyone else have any other questions? I think I covered my questions. So kind of backtracking to the education, you had mentioned, Penny, that education was so important. What sources of education or what would you recommend to someone that is just starting out with Mega Esophagus in their animal? I found that probably some of the most reliable education that I read without it being disheartening. Because sometimes if you just Google it, it will, you know, at the end have a disclaimer that, oh, the prognosis is poor. And honestly, the Facebook groups for Mega Esophagus have been the most helpful. And other, you know, other avenues such as even, you know, the Mega E, you know, the Misfits here. I know that, you know, you're not medical. But if you're trying to figure out the best way for your dog, if you don't hear other people's methods, then you don't really know what to try. Maybe you could, you know, if you hear somebody else's method, you'd be like, oh, you know what, maybe that will work. So that's a lot of it, too. Right. Right. Yeah. Trial and error is difficult if you don't even know where to begin. Yeah. And my other question is regarding the bandanas, which I thank you for being willing to donate the bandanas to Mega E animals. So if someone wanted to get a bandana, how would they get a hold of you or reach out to you for a donation or to get a bandana? To get a bandana, there's actually several ways. You could go to my Facebook page, which is PJ's Pets, and send me a message, an instant message from there. You can email me at PJsPetsStore at gmail.com. Or I also have a little website, PJsPets.com, and you can send me a message through there, too. Wow. You are everywhere. I am. I have an Instagram, too. I just don't really do a heck of a lot with it. I only post, actually, on my Instagram, the pictures of the Megasophagus babies that I get when they get the bandana and they send me a picture. I post them on Instagram. Nice. That would be a huge way to promote. Yeah. I need to get on there. I keep hearing that that's a great platform to promote the fosters and stuff, and I just feel so – I mean, I'm so technologically challenged. I feel like I can't even take on one more thing. It just frustrates me. Well, it is – it does become cumbersome, yeah, especially even with the website. Building a website is very frustrating, and it's also very expensive, so I chose to do it myself. Yeah. So, sorry if you do go on there, and there's a couple little mishaps because I'm kind of teaching myself how to do it. I love that, actually. I commend you for that. Also, on the website, you can order your Megasophagus bandana on the website. I do have to change it at the moment. I just haven't figured out how to do it because it's automatically set to charge $5 shippings no matter what you order, but like I said, I don't know how to change that. So, the price on there for the bandana is set at zero, so you won't pay anything. The shipping, though, you know, we can – you can send me a message, and we'll work it out from there. Okay. Wonderful. Thank you for doing that because I think that that is a great way to promote the Mega E or the Megasophagus disease, and especially for people that don't have or have a – you know, have a lot of people over, and you don't even – you know, they're offering treats. They don't even ask, and I'm totally guilty of that, too, until I've had the Megasophagus experience. Yes. I mean, that is the first thing I ask if I have anything at all. Like, is it okay? Yes, usually what I do is I tell everybody before they get in to the house, like, hey, do not feed my dog. If you want to feed him, wait until it's dinnertime or lunch whenever they're coming over, and you can feed him his meatballs in his chair. Do not feed him anything else because everybody wants to feed him in his chair, and we get all excited about it. That's cute. I find it interesting how people train their dogs to get in their chair. I don't even know where you would start to do that. I mean, Sarge, he just kind of started doing it on his own. Once he realized that food was there, he would just – he just started stacking his own butt in, and he would start lifting himself up. The only thing he can't do is close the door, but I didn't – honestly, I think a lot of them just associate it with it's dinnertime. This is what I have to do to get dinner. Yeah, Dana's pretty food-motivated, so she had no problem getting in the chair. It was staying in it afterwards that was the issue. So now we don't use a chair, and she just needs to eat up right, but she doesn't need the time afterwards. Since we fed her menopaupermide. But she eats a lot less now. I mean, she'll be five on Tuesday, and she eats a lot less than she did as a puppy, so I don't know if it would be a challenge now, to be honest with you, because there's days where she eats one meal. Yeah. Having an older dog to try to train him, I think, would definitely be – adds another set of challenges, you know? Penny, do you have anything else you want to add, or Jess, do you have anything else you want to ask? How long does it usually take for you guys to, like, make or produce your bandanas? It just depends on what I have going on, but I can make them in a day or so. Oh, cool. And they ship – I ship them UPS – no, through the post office, because it's actually the cheapest way. And they normally make it there within, like, three days. Oh, cool. So within the week. Yeah, and I wanted to say, too, thank you for doing that for everybody, as well, and donating the bandanas. Yeah. I like it. I like it. I'm glad that I can help. Way to keep his memory alive, too, by helping other pups. Yeah, I think he would like it. He was so sweet, so. He would. He would help me do it, I'm sure. Sounds like an amazing pup. He really was. Yeah. He really, really was. He was my bud. Well, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate your time, and it was great chatting with you. Yeah, it was good chatting with you, too. Thank you for the opportunity. Yeah, thank you so much. Have a good day. All right, you, too. Bye, everyone. Bye. Bye.