Unfortunately, French bulldogs (and all brachycephalics) are predisposed to several causes of regurgitation, including decreased oesophageal tone, sliding hiatal hernia, and pyloric stenosis. We could do ultrasounds, endoscopy and radiographs several times over, and still miss a diagnosis due to the dynamic nature of all of these conditions. Fluoroscopy is an ideal modality for examining these patients – they can have a meal, while we watch. From this, we can measure the oesophageal motility, the movement of the stomach through the hiatus of the diaphragm diagnosing hiatal hernia, and delayed gastric emptying consistent with pyloric stenosis.
