Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/daisy-dog-chair-myasthenia-gravis/

When we have a dog in our life, we want to do everything we can to keep them happy and healthy. This often means providing them with a warm place to sleep and some good food to eat. There are times, however, when much more is needed.

According to TODAY, Daisy is a dog that needed some additional assistance. She started to show signs of a respiratory problem but when her owners took her to the veterinarian, they found out that there was something much more difficult behind it.

Daisy was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis. That autoimmune disorder can sometimes turn even worse in a dog, causing their esophagus to enlarge and creating a condition known as megaesophagus.

In many dogs, a diagnosis of megaesophagus is not good. The vet was essentially saying that the dog could not eat and would eventually die but recently, they have found some ways to deal with this situation successfully.

One of the things that should be done is to keep the dog in an upright position when they are eating or drinking. This allows the food to move down the esophagus rather than getting stuck in the throat.

Grace and Doug Jones, along with their four children, knew that it was not going to be easy to have a dog with such a serious medical condition. They had the choice of putting Daisy to sleep, but they decided to deal with it and in the process, they showed many dog owners how to handle this diagnosis.

They knew Daisy was special because they had had her in their lives for so many years. She was only a year old when they adopted her and it wasn’t long before Daisy found her way into the family and their hearts.

They would often take Daisy with them on outings, regardless of whether they were swimming, boating, hiking, or doing any other type of outdoor activity. Now that she was diagnosed with megaesophagus, they begin doing some research.

One of the things that they found was something known as a Bailey chair. This chair keeps the dogs in an upright position while they are eating and drinking. Doug worked along with his son, Brian, to create a Bailey chair that was specifically made for the dog. Daisy took it like a champ. She even jumps up in the chair on her own in order to eat and is doing quite well.

Grace Jones said how they laughed at Daisy because she was so smart. She said to TODAY: “Surprised she got in the chair by herself, but even more so that she pulled down the tray and was ready to eat.”

The hard work that they put into making the chair and teaching Daisy how to use it paid off. Unfortunately, 16 months after her diagnosis, Daisy crossed the rainbow bridge. Grace shared the news in the Facebook group called Upright Canine Brigade – Megaesophagus Awareness and Support.

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Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog