Myasthenia gravis is a neuromuscular disease in dogs causing progressive muscle weakness and often megaesophagus, with significant welfare implications if not diagnosed and managed carefully.
Dogs with myasthenia gravis face significant welfare challenges centered on feeding difficulties and fatigue. Megaesophagus causes regurgitation and aspiration risk, requiring elevated feeding positions and specialized food textures. Fatigue limits participation in activities dogs find rewarding - play, walks, social interaction. Without appropriate management, aspiration pneumonia causes suffering and premature death. Welfare-centered care involves dedicated feeding stations (Bailey chairs), careful exercise modulation, frequent veterinary monitoring, and honest quality-of-life assessment as disease progresses.