Jumbo our megaesophagus-affected dog, is a 2-year-old canine that we adopted after fostering for over 6 months. We found him sleeping at the front of our restaurant, a about a year ago. I still remember the first day I saw him. Paws with a fungal infection, severely malnourished, and scared of getting chased away. Jumbo was a lost cause.
It has been a year that we found our megaesophagus dog Jumbo. And I won’t lie, there is not a single day that I don’t wish the worst for the people who left him to die on the streets.
Megaesophagus is a rare disease in dogs. It causes the starting end of the food pipe to swell and that causes the food to get stuck in the esophagus. The food won’t pass through and whatever the dog eats just gets puked out. It was one of the reasons Jumbo was severely malnourished and anemic when we found him. His paws had holes in them, cause of being on the streets for the first time. He had blood parasites cause he was infested with flea.
Taking In Jumbo
Taking in Jumbo was a huge responsibility. None of us had a proper home to be nursing and taking care of Jumbo. With no one to ask for help, we decided to take him in and foster him back to health.
The initial days of nursing Jumbo were really difficult. We tried feeding him dog food, changed his diet to semi-liquified rice and chicken mince but nothing seemed to work. We called in Animal Nepal, and Sushant Ji was there the very day we made the call. He recommended us to get his blood checked and there it was Jumbo had blood parasites. The treatment began and in about a month he was clear of the parasites. It was constant calls with Sushant ji and Animal Nepal’s support that helped Jumbo recover from the parasite in such a small period of time. Though Jumbo’s blood was now clean, he still hadn’t stopped puking at all.
Jumbo, Diagnosed with Megaesophagus
The next three months were all about constantly cleaning Jumbo’s vomits, washing his blankets without knowing what was actually wrong with him. We tried everything we could from our part until we decided to go with a specialist. Dr. Sushil at Animal Medical Care in Chuchepati is one of the best vets in the town. It was one short visit with him, that helped us diagnose that Jumbo had Megaesophagus. His X-rays showed us that his esophagus had swollen causing him to vomit every time he ate. The saddest part about the diagnosis that day was knowing that the disease was incurable and Jumbo had to live with it for the rest of his life.
Jumbo, Today
Jumbo as of today is healthy and as full of life as I can find any other dog. Apart from his occasional anxiety incidents(probably caused by abandonment), Jumbo is one of the most content dogs I have ever seen. Though his quality of life is compromised by a lot, he still hasn’t given up. With elevated feeding and strict diet control, Jumbo has managed to gain healthy weight and is as loving as any other dog.
The only thing I feel sad about is, we are keeping him away from a lot of things. Jumbo is monitored and taken out for walks only 2 to 3 times a day. He can’t enjoy a bite of a good bone. He can’t be let inside the house without being monitored.
With this kind of responsibility, we were sure that we won’t be able to find a home for Jumbo. Thus, I adopted Jumbo and he now is part of my family.
Break the chain
Bringing in a pet is a huge responsibility. It’s a life you are deciding to take in. There is a chain of people that are responsible for Jumbo’s suffering today. Jumbo’s disease is genetic. And, I can vouch that if Jumbo was with a breeder, he would still have been used for breeding despite his condition. The owners that left him just cause he was puking all over the house are the second link. And the people who keep calling Animal Nepal for help, but don’t lend a hand from their end, are a part of it too.
Let’s Adopt, and not shop. Let’s adopt, and only when we are sure of bringing a life into ours. Let’s not drive away some dog like Jumbo just cause you are not responsible enough to take care of it in sickness. Let’s lend a hand to organizations like Animal Nepal rather than nagging them on calls. Let’s break the chain.