Every since Gus was diagnosed with megaesophagus about a month ago, we’ve kept him out of the pasture. He was eating too many unsavory things that can be dangerous in terms of the disease. I hated keeping him out of the pasture, he loves to sit on the donkeys, chase after Fate, and of course eat sheep and donkey pellets and manure. This was strictly prohibited by our vet.

Gus loves being a farm dog, and that is the way we want to see him – not as a small dog, but as a dog. I hated the idea of him living here on the farm but never being able to be out in the farmyard.

Bloody but unbowed, my solution was to order a soft leather muzzle, a gentle kind, it extends far enough out to keep him from eating, but isn’t  hard and tight like some of the muzzles I saw and tried. It is a good idea, I think.

Gus was uncomfortable for awhile, but acclimated pretty quickly. We are making it fun, a sort of  game.

After a few minutes, he was strutting around the pasture, almost normally.

In a few days, he’ll accept it and the muzzle worked, he ate nothing gross or troublesome to his digestive tract. This is deal, I told him, you get to be a farm dog, you wear a muzzle. And he’s having another good day (so far), not regurgitations, vomiting, or spitting up.

We’re figuring things out. Good to have Gus back out there where he belongs.