Some conditions affect dogs from birth and worsen progressively in spite of supportive care. So, wouldn’t it be great to prevent them in the first place?
One of these is congenital megaesophagus. This is when a dog’s esophagus lacks muscle tone, causing food to back up and be regurgitated. It’s usually first seen in puppies weaned from their mother’s milk onto solid food at about four weeks of age. The only treatment for megaesophagus is supportive care, like offering frequent liquid meals and feeding dogs in a standing position for a half-hour.
Several breeds are prone to congenital megaesophagus, especially German shepherds and notably males. Recently, a gene associated with megaesophagus was identified in this breed. That means genetic testing may help exclude certain males from breeding so they don’t pass on the gene.