The beautiful one-year-old Labrador called Pluto, has a strange condition which requires the pup to eat sitting upright in a chair!
Pluto’s Condition
Pluto has mega-oesophagus, which is a condition where the muscles in his gullet do not work properly. This means that anything he eats or chews on could get stuck in his throat! He has recently received a special high chair, which allows him to eat safely.
Arriving At Battersea
Pluto came to Battersea’s Brands Hatch as a four-month-old puppy and unfortunately he was underweight and undernourished after his previous owner died. Shaun Opperman, veterinary surgeon, said that Pluto has to sit upright when he eats and also has to eat everything in one go.
“At Battersea we put water in the food to hydrate him because he couldn’t even have a drink – it’s a fairly long process. Anything can get stuck in his oesophagus and people need to be really vigilant – even if he eats a small piece of food or fluff off the floor it would set him back,” he said.
Pluto’s New Home
Alan Scoones and his wife Deborah have recently adopted Pluto, who has now gone to live with them in Oxfordshire. Their daughter Chloe works at Battersea Brands Hatch and has taught her parents everything they need to know about Pluto’s condition.
The couple fell in love with Pluto when they saw him and couldn’t wait to give the lab a home. They have a set routine at home and they take turns to feed him, four times a day in his special chair.
We are sure they are rewarded by their beautiful dog every day!
Source: metro.co.uk
