Dogs Trust Leeds Update: Ronnie

Remember Ronnie from our Leeds centre, the loveable pup with megaoesophagus? Well, we have an update for you!

Ronnie the 8 month old cross breed is still looking for his forever home, but he now has a stylish new feeding station specially designed and built for him by the dedicated Leeds team.

Megaoesophagus is a condition that means he can’t swallow; Ronnie has to eat standing on his hind legs allowing gravity to take food and water – which is made into a jelly so he can digest it – into his stomach.

Ronnie needs to eat three times a day and each meal lasts 20 minutes because staff feed him slowly from a spoon to ensure it all settles, so having the special feeding station has made the process much easier. If he were left to eat and drink in a normal way from a bowl on the floor, he would be sick and could eventually starve.

Ronnie is healthy in every other way and is a lovely, playful pup but because of his feeding requirements, will need to be the only dog in the home. He also needs an active family and would be more suitable with older children.

Due to his condition, Ronnie will be a part of our foster scheme and his new owners will receive financial support for any veterinary treatment required throughout his life.

If you are interested in rehoming Ronnie, please contact our Leeds centre on 0113 281 4920.

Ronnie also currently features on our media centre and you can read more about him here.

Urgent rehoming appeal for precious puppy Ronnie

As you'll easily see in the video below, Ronnie is a gorgeous 7 month old puppy. He has been at the centre for about a month and although he is your normal playful puppy, he has a condition called megaesophagus that means feeding and drinking is more difficult.

Megaesophagus is a condition where the muscles in the oesophagus aren’t working properly. Normally, the muscles would expand and contract to push the food down while eating, but having this condition means that as Ronnie eats, the food and drink he takes in doesn’t move down into his stomach and instead stays in his oesophagus. The longer the food stays there, the higher the volume and this in turn can trigger the regurgitation reflex. This means Ronnie isn’t getting any of the food and not putting on any weight.

Having this condition means Ronnie needs some special attention during feeding times. As shown in the video, he eats up in the chair and is left for a while afterwards because gravity helps to slide the food down and settle in his stomach. Having feeding time in this way stops aspiration pneumonia – when food or drink could go down into the trachea and into the lungs.



Ronnie needs regular feeding and in the centre, they are currently doing this four times a day: at 8am, midday, 4pm and finally, those who live on site come in at 8pm to give him his last feed. This attention means Ronnie needs a very special home to give him all of the care that he needs.

Despite his condition, Ronnie is still your average loveable pup – he likes the company of people, enjoys being with other dogs and loves his toys. He doesn’t require any special food, but the food does need to be ‘mushed up’ to help it go down better. Ronnie also can’t have normal water; it has to be in jelly form.

Because of his feeding routine, Ronnie needs to be the only dog in the home. He also needs an active family and would be more suitable with older children. Due to his condition, Ronnie will be a part of our foster scheme and his new owners will receive financial support for any veterinary treatment required throughout his life.

If you are interested in rehoming Ronnie, please contact our Leeds centre on 0113 281 4920.

For more information about any of the dogs currently in our care, please visit our website.

Toby the Dalmatian settles into his new home...

When we told you the story of Toby the Dalmatian with megaoesophagus, the responses we received were overwhelming and moving. So many of you wished you could take him home but the circumstances weren't quite right - we know how it is! Luckily one lady who volunteers at Dogs Trust Darlington found that she was able to extend an offer of a home to Toby, and here he is enjoying his new surroundings.

Thank you for spreading the word and helping us to help Toby. The best of luck to his fabulous new owners!

Toby's found a home!

Remember Toby, the Dalmatian puppy with a complex digestive problem who needed a special home? Well, I was very pleased to get the following message in my inbox this morning from Graeme, Dogs Trust Darlington's Assistant Manager:

Just to let you know Toby the Dalmatian has now been adopted by a lovely local family. They had previously owned a Dalmatian with megaoesphagus and therefore understood the condition and how to care for a dog with it. He went home on Wednesday and was back for a vet check up on Friday and seems to be settling well. As normal, he is still bright and happy - thankfully, his health problems have not 'dampened' this!

We have contacted all the other potential homes offered, and explained that we had chosen this particlar home for Toby, as they had experienced his kind of problem before. All have accepted this and wish him well.

I wish Toby's new owners the best of luck with their new boy and I fervently hope that his health problems continue to stay under control for as long as possible.