An American university has suggested that viagra could help dogs that suffer from a fatal eating disorder called megaesophagus.
Before Pfizer was a household name for developing one of the world’s leading COVID-19 vaccines, the US pharmaceutical giants created a life changing pill the size of a tic tac.
But viagra could have more uses than we already knew, after a recent study by Washington State University revealed that the erectile dysfunction-treating drug could be the answer to a common eating disorder among dogs.
Megaesophagus is a condition that causes the oesophagus to enlarge, making it difficult for food to be processed through to the stomach.
The food then sits at the end of the oesophagus which can lead to regurgitation, and the possibility of breathing the food into the lungs.
But scientists hold hope that they could help the poor little pups that suffer from the disorder. That hope lies in sildenafil, the generic erectile dysfunction medication that most people know as “viagra”.
According to WSU’s research, liquid sildenafil successfully relaxes the dogs’ lower intestines, allowing the food to pass through to their stomach before they could breathe in the indigested food.
The dogs that participated in the trial did not experience any side effects, apart from the occasional gastrointestinal irritation, which was far less extreme than the original symptoms anyway.
The testing was low risk as dogs are commonly prescribed viagra to treat high blood pressure, so the university wasn’t pill-popping into the unknown.
This is the first time a drug has been found to successfully treat megaesophagus, meaning this research could seriously improve the quality of life for so many doggos.
Hopefully the next stage of testing confirms the hopes of scientists and dog-owners alike. If it does, thousands of dogs can finally enjoy a well-deserved schmacko.
