Cricopharyngeal Achalasia

Cricopharyngeal achalasia is a swallowing disorder that prevents food from passing normally from the pharynx into the esophagus. The condition is rare and the exact cause is unknown, but is probably a neurological abnormality. It is reported to be more common in cocker spaniels and springer spaniels.

Signs of a swallowing disorder are usually seen initially in the puppy at the time of weaning. When eating solid food the puppy shows repeated attempts to swallow the same mouthful, until eventually it is swallowed, regurgitated or aspirated into the airway.

Most affected puppies have a voracious appetite but are thin from the inability to get adequate nutrition. The disorder puts them at high risk for aspiration pneumonia, which is pneumonia caused by inhaling food particles into the lungs.

The disease is important because it is one of the few swallowing disorders that can be cured with surgery.