12/11/2022
This 🙌🏻
BLOAT ☠️
The dreaded word, but WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
In the general sense of the word when it comes to dogs, when you hear the word “bloat” you’re hearing or meaning Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus. Aka GDV.
A GDV literally means the stomach has dilated (bloated) and flipped over on itself. The reason this is such an emergency is because of the torsion of that stomach, the blood vessels bringing blood to and from the stomach can be completely cut off - resulting in the stomach rapidly dying, or they can physically rip and tear away causing bleeding into the abdomen. This happens QUICKLY and suddenly. We’re taking a matter of hours before we go from happy and healthy to painful and dead.
So who needs to be concerned, and is there anything we can do to prevent this horrible event from happening?
First, there is still a bit we don’t know about a GDV. What we DO know, is it most commonly occurs amongst large, deep chested dogs. Great Danes I’m looking HARD at you, but GSD, Doberman, Rottie, and my poodle friends, y’all aren’t off the hook. Any dog that has a very “deep” or tall chest that’s skinny in terms of the width is at higher risk.
Second, we know there is somewhat of a genetic component. If a direct relative of your pup has suffered from a GDV, your pup may be at much higher risk for the same thing to occur.
Other things that put our pups at risk include: vomiting, single large meals or overeating, IBD, foreign bodies, stress/anxiety with large amounts of panting/swallowing air, and strenuous exercise especially after eating.
So how can you PREVENT a GDV? Shockingly enough, in at risk dogs, a simple procedure during puppyhood or young adulthood can reduce the risk of GDV by 96%. A gastropexy, is almost 100% effective in preventing this condition by surgically tacking the stomach to the body wall and can be done minimally invasively in many cases. When comparing cost, a pexy when combined with a spay or neuter is typically a few extra hundred dollars vs a GDV surgery which costs thousands and means days in the hospital.
And finally, a few things to know when we talk about a GDV. If your pet suddenly starts trying to vomit and CANT, is retching/dry heaving, is severely uncomfortable, stretching in a downward dog position, SEEK VETERINARY CARE IMMEDIATELY. The minutes matter in these cases y’all so better to be safe than sorry!
Did I miss anything?? Feel free to ask below!