Meet Marbeli, the dog who needs to be fed in a high chair like a baby

Kirsty Wake with her German shepherd Marbeli.

Five-month-old German shepherd Marbeli, from Hartlepool, has megaesophagus – a condition which means she is sick every time she eats like any normal dog.

Worried owners Kirsty and Neil Wake are appealing for a skilled craftsman to make them a specialist chair, which will allow their pup to sit in like a child’s seat at mealtimes.

Kirsty is looking for someone who can make a special chair for Marbeli so she can eat upright.

After Marbeli has eaten Kirsty, 36, needs to hold her up vertically like a baby to stop her being sick, but she says she’s getting too big to keep it up.

She said: “She was diagnosed with a medical condition which means she can’t eat normally – she needs to eat standing up.

“It is a condition which is better known in the United States.

“We have seen chairs built for dogs so they can sit vertically and we need somebody who would be able to help us to build something like that for Marbeli.”

Kirsty has to hold Marbeli upright to eat, but she is getting too big.

Marbeli was diagnosed with the condition at 10 weeks old on December 4 last year, at Wear Referrals Vets, in Bishop Auckland, when she started being sick after eating and drinking.

“It is well known in the States but took a lot to diagnose her here,” added Kirsty, from Houghton Street, Hartlepool.

“She needs a chair, which is like a rectangular box, which the dog backs into and the chair has a door and a tray. It is like a baby high chair.”

Such chairs are sold in America called Bailey Chairs after the creator’s dog suffered a similar condition.

German shepherd Marbeli has megaesophagus.

The couple’s research into the Bailey Chair has shown it typically costs about $300 depending on size and furnishings.

Kirsty, who works in the financial services sector, said: “It is a life-long condition. She has had pneumonia three times, but vertical feeding reduces the risk of pneumonia.  “Despite her condition she is a playful puppy in everyday things, but she is underweight at the moment as the food isn’t hitting her system.  “At the moment we have got to keep her in an upright position after she has eaten.

“It is OK while she is small, but as she grows it is getting increasingly difficult.”

If you think you are able to help make a chair, email Kirsty at: [email protected]