![Twisted Stomach in the Dog [ GDV, Volvulus, Bloat ]](http://vetblog.co.uk/vetblog/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/dane2.jpg "Twisted Stomach in the Dog [ GDV, Volvulus, Bloat ]")
Great Danes have a predisposition to this disease.
I have in my time employed a number of new graduate vets, it has been on the whole a rewarding experience watching them progress as they gain confidence in their surgical skills and tackle more and more complex procedures. After they are confident with the likes of bitch spays and dog castrations there is one operation about which they all voice concerns about tackling on their own, perhaps unaided in an out of hours setting and that is the operation to correct a twisted stomach, unlike the bitch spay this is an emergency operation. This condition affects dogs from large breeds which tend to have deep chests such as Great Danes. The condition is known by a number of names, twisted stomach, volvulus, GDV [ Gastric dilation and volvulus syndrome ], bloat.
Cause : The cause of this disease is in some way related to the shape of the dog’s chest, it tends to affect dogs whose chest has a teardrop profile instead of a round profile like that of a Bulldog. Examples of dogs which might be affected would be Great Danes, Wolfhounds, German shepherds, Boxers, Standard Poodles, and more. This condition starts as a bloat where no doubt due to an abnormal fermentation condition in the stomach an excess of gas is produced and the stomach starts to swell, normally in a round chested dog belching and perhaps vomiting will relieve the situation and that is the end of the story. However in a breed of dog with a tear drop shaped profile the stomach will not only expand but will turn round on its axis and as further expansion of the stomach occurs it becomes trapped in the tear drop shape of the dog’s chest. As the input pipe and the output pipe are blocked due to the twisting effect the stomach is then sealed and the further expansion will occur as the abnormal fermentation process is still present. Unless something is done quickly death will rapidly follow as the stomach swells to a very large size.
Clinical signs : What you might expect to see is swelling of the dogs stomach area, attempting to vomit perhaps with some froth being produced, drooling of saliva, signs of pain, restlessness, and anxiety. Where the swelling is large the dog may be unable to sit.
Treatment : If the animal is got to the vet quickly and the condition is not too advanced it may be possible to pass a stomach tube orally, if successful this will release the gas in the stomach and it could be that the stomach would then turn on its axis to its proper position and that would be the end of the story. Often however this is not going to work and you then have to carry out emergency surgery, there are a number of ways that surgery can be carried out and your vet will use his own judgement which technique to use. Some vets stabilise these animals on fluids, use a large needle to deflate the stomach and then some hours later open the dog up and correct the situation. Other vets go in a once put the dog on a drip as they go along and correct the situation at once. When the stomach has been put in its rightful position it is possible to fix it to the body wall to try and stop the condition happening again in the future. I must have done a good few twisted stomach operations in my life as for many years I did my own out of hours emergency cover, I would say that the death rate was about one third of cases presented to me, the longer the delay in bringing the animal to the vet the higher the death rate will be.
Prevention : It may be that this condition is impossible to prevent but it would be logical to try and reduce the possibility of abnormal fermentation occurring in the stomach. Feed a number of smaller meals in the day as opposed to one large meal in the evening, avoid foods which are high in cereals which may ferment easily, do not feed the dog after exercise but wait a couple of hours. It would also be a good idea to introduce any new diet gradually say over four of five days.
Twisted stomach in the dog is perhaps the young vet’s worst nightmare, however if they keep a cool head it can be fairly easily treated. From the owner’s point of view this is one condition where you should seek immediate veterinary help if you have the slightest suspicion that your dog is affected. Get your dog to the vet at once no matter what time of night it might be, do not tolerate any delays, tell your vet you are coming then drive to the clinic at once.
Special Message : There are quite a number of comments related to this article, you can read them below. When you do it is clear that some people have lost their dogs to this distressing disease and the fact they knew little about it beforehand and did not seek immediate help would have been a possible factor to their dog’s demise. The more the dog owning public know about this disease the better. Please help with this and share this article with as many people as you can via the Facebook, Twitter and E-mail icons you can find below. This might save a dog’s life …
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Thank you for a detailed explanation of the problems facing larger dogs with regard to twisted stomach. My brother and sister-in-law recently lost a beautiful French Bordeaux to twisted stomach while he was in a kennel (the kennel owner was very sketchy with details of the condition, how it arises and treatment). I’m sure it will help in their grieving to understand the condition.
This has just only happened to my dog, she is a 9 year old Boxer, she is very attached to me & has in the past showed signs of stress while we were apart (when she was at the breeder when she had her litter)
we were all away in our caravan, we hadn’t left her at all, she’d been with us everywhere we went, even slept in the caravan with us,rather than in the awning with the children. This afternoon we had taken the children to the open air pool, where dogs aren’t allowed, so we left her at the caravan tied up in the shade & with water.
Two hours later,we were rushing her to the local vet & she was being operated on, while the vet says that this wasn’t due to me leaving her, after reading all the information I do believe it was.
I’m pleased to say that she is recovering well at home with us now.
Today i had to put my beautiful dog Buddy down! He was a Bull mastiff x and he got a twisted stomach.I wish i had know about this condition, as i would have taken him to the vet earlier…I’m going to send this info on DGV to all my family and friends with big dogs.. hopefully with the knowledge it may save a life some day.
What do I do if Im not close to a vet?
Im having the same problem with my dogs. Three of them have had it till know, and I have lost them. First a mastiff, second a german shepherds and the latest one a cocker spaniar. I changed the food after my mastiff died but it has continued. What do I do?
What to feed them please need a answer asap.
… Could it be poisoning…. what are some symptoms?
After my boxer recovered from her operation, the vet advised us to feed little and often, as my girls only eat once a day after we eat, and also if you feed dry food soak it in water first. Their all worth a try, good luck x
I just lost my bestfriend do to a twisted stomach. He was a 3yr old Dogo Argentino named Aniol which mean Angel in Polish and let me tell you he was true to his name. There had been so much air and gas in his belly that it bursted a hole. I had spent all weekend with him and he acted like always just be giant ball of love, my big baby. Monday morning came and he was still fine, went to the bathroom around 830am normal and all. By the time I came home at 530pm his belly looked as if he had a beach ball in there. I hurshed him right over but it was to late. He saved my life but I couldnt save his. He was my life my everything my reason for waking up in the morning. I just cant understand how this has happened, but thanx to this post at least I have a clue as to what happen to the love of my life. I pray that no dog and owner ever feel the pain that my love felt and that Im feeling.
I have my kc and it happen to me it was the end of the world I was with her all nite and pry I pry my mother pry we all were prying and she got well thanks God but it happen again and I pry again I have learn with this is that I give her the food slow I start at 300pm and every hour I give her 1.4 of the can with 4 onces of water , and shes ok I had to take her off of her dry it was no good for her but I replace it with pauhes of food in the morning she is wonderful she is my daugter and I know how we pet lover feel but dont fear give her the food slow and the water than keep giving her water 4 onces but make sure not less than an hour and keep aware of her stomack always
i lost me great dane to a twisted stomach he was only 3 years old. One minute he was ok and by the afternoon his stomach had bloated he coulnt be saved it broke my heart.
I lost my beautiful german shepherd to this. She was trying to vomit and was extremely restless. I sat with her but it was so unlike her I rang the emergency vet and took her straight down. This was all within an hour. The vet diagnosed her very quickly and took her straight into sugery. Connie died under anesthetic. She 10 1/2 years old, but was very fit and active. I can’t explain the pain i feel, but if your dog shows any symtoms get them to a vet asap.
Hello there,
Sorry to hear about Connie, this is a perfectly dreadful disease which many owners do not pick up in the early stages, I will be sure to leave your post so that others can read it and learn from it. You did absolutely right in getting her to the vet within the hour but even so too much damage can already have taken place.
I know you are devastated but from the vet’s point of view it is sometimes a devastating situation as well. You do your best, often in the early hours of the morning but sometimes that is just not enough.
Kindest Regards,
Scott
I have a 7 mth old German Shepherd he was taken to the vets just after bank holiday in August of this year 2010, we were told he has a throat infection was given antibiotics told if no better come back. We went back a week later seen the senior vet was told the same thing was given this time ampicillian and told to give him beniyln and he would be better after a week, we are 2 weeks down the line and he is the same if not worse he is showing all the signs for twisted gut/ gastric torsion but no swelling of stomach unsure whether to take him back, he is still eating he has biscuits but we pour hot water over them and allow to soak please can anyone help!!!!
My lab-cross has just had this and thankfully is now on the mend. We were lucky that we spotted it early – he had bloat about 14 months ago and had similar symtoms. The vet removed his spleen and has fixed his stomach to the inside of him, as you said. Weve been told to feed him more often with less amount, but have seen differing views on having the food and water bowl elevated (ie on the first step of the stairs). In your opinion, is this lkely to be better or worse for him ?
Thanks for the question,
As far as I advise my own clients the most important thing you can do is to feed your dog little and often. Say three or four smaller meals in the day. With other diseases such as mega-esophagus it would make a difference in feeding from an elevated position but with bloat / twisted stomach prevention I cannot see it would be of any use
Glad he pulled through …
Regards,
Scott.
We just lost our Masstiff Bullvide to a twisted stomach. Had him for 8 years . We did a lot of research on dogs befor we chose one. I think people should be be aware of this problem in large breeds. Not once did it say anything about twisted stomach. The vet or 40 years said he never ever seen a dog servive this typoe of operation . That they useually end up passing even after the surgury. He also said if you like large breeds that there stomoach should be stapled as a pup. so this problem would’ne accure. Now we have to go through the loss of the best dog ever. May 4 2011
Hello Paulette,
Sorry for your loss, I know you must be very upset, this is a nasty sort of condition. I have known dogs pull through, perhaps around 25% of presented cases. However these were the owners who lived very close to my clinic and got the dogs there within say half an hour of the onset of symptoms.
Stapling the stomach is sometimes carried out during a spay operation in giant breeds and I would be all for that. However as the stapling operation is quite a large procedure I personally would not carry it out on male dogs as a routine because of the risks.
At the end of the day this is an occupational hazard of dogs with a particular body shape and it can just strike out of the blue. I have seen it in many German shepherds, Great Danes, Weimeraners etc.
Regards,
Scott
i lost my very bestfriend 2day ,he had a twisted stomach, he his name was yogi. he was 8 1/2years old, a large male akita. im devastated, an so shocked on how quick it took him, its sure left me truly broken hearted an in a bad state of disbelieve to wot has happend to him today, i have never heard of this condition until to day,, so didnt pick up on the early warning signs early hours this morning , i will do my best from now on to make sure every one i know is aware of this condtion, so they never ever ave to feel the pain we are feeling , dad please take care of yogi 4 me gudnite godbless x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Sorry to hear about your loss,
This is a particularly devastating disease and it strikes so quickly, while we cannot help Yogi now we can try and let others know about it so that they can seek hands on veterinary help the moment they have any suspicion that a twisted stomach is starting.
Regards,
Scott
Yesterday morning I was confronted with this devastating situation. I had once previously heard of this affecting a co-workers German shepherd. It strikes so suddenly and rapidly, that time is of the essence. Unfortunatley I did not heed the warning signs of my best friend and by the time I got her to the emergency clinic the only feasable option was to put her down. She was 10 yr a old German shepherd and my only regret is I didn’t act on the warning signs sooner. I miss her so much, but thanks to this blog it is helping me come to grips with this and my sympathy to all others in their loss
Sorry for your loss Mark, this is a devastating disease for vets as well because naturally people bring their dogs affected with this condition for us to help them. And that is not always possible …
Regards,
Scott.
I made the decision to have my 12year old bull mastiff x boxer put to sleep 3 and a half hours ago. She had a twisted stomach and it all happened in a few hours. She had been absolutely fine all day and out of the blue she began being sick and then within an hour her stomach was huge. I took her to the vet immediately and agreed that with a 30% chance of survival plus her age standing in her way it was best to let her go. It has broken my heart and my childrens` plus her companion is now moping around. I have to say that as soon as i saw her stomach i knew that is what is was and the only reason being the film Marley and Me. Unfortunately it all happened too quickly to save her. I pray that she will love her time running around in doggy heaven, love to u my gorgeous girl, never will u be forgotten x x
Hello Ange,
Sorry for your loss, you must be devastated …
If your dog was twelve years of age then you more than likely made the right decision, very often little can be done.
Regards,
Scott
i lost my family pet on the weekend to the nasty devastating disease twisted stomach his name was oscar the akita and was 8 and a half years old he was a very loving pet i have never heard of this condition until the weekend my family was so upset about it i know it was the best choice for oscar but i still very painfull to the family RIP OSCAR
Our beautiful St Bernard bitch died two days ago as a result of twisted stomach. We were not aware of the symptoms..and certainly did not know that we shouldn’t feed her straight after exercise. We had come back from a long walk down by the river, where she had been jumping in and out of the water, ‘catching’ stones and generally frolicking about. She ate about 30 minutes after returning home.I will ask our vet to be sure to tell owners of big dogs to be aware of this problem.
Hello Lesley,
Sorry to hear about your loss …
It is a fairly common condition is large breed dogs like yours, sometimes something can be done but you have to get your dog to the vet very quickly. The problem is that sometimes even the most caring of owners do not know about this disease so there can be delays in seeking treatment. Please share my article via your Facebook and Twitter accounts so we can spread the word. There are buttons to do this just below the article text.
Regards,
Scott
Like many of you that have written here, I too have experienced the loss of my loyal friend and companion of a little over five years. Tokyo (ironically a Doberman Pincer named by a previous owner) was a truly remarkable animal and possessed a character so unique that I will truly never forget him. The word “devasted” has been used in many postings; I empathize completely.
Of course, it goes without saying that I hold myself accountable for his demise but as I have read and learned more, I realize there was little, if anything, I could have done. When he presented with symptoms, I did rush him to an emergency vet. We arrived a little before 11:00 pm and left at about 1:30 am. I had to have him euthanized because his age (9 1/2) gave him a low liklihood of surving the surgery and/or the recover and the cost for the surgery was prohibitive.
I do understand there is a procedure that can be done to dogs with a propensity for this disorder to occur and now knowing that, I would suggest anyone who’s friend may be a candidate consult his/her vet and explore this option more thoroughly. NO ONE should have to watch their magnificent animal decline the way I watched mine. I stayed with him until the end and buried him in my back yard. And while it has been said that animals do not possess a soul, I KNOW that there is a heaven for animals and that Tokyo is in it running freely and enjoying a lush forest with plenty of everything he will ever need.
Please – do not allow your dog to eat rawhide bones or pieces.
Our 9 yr old Golden Retriever just survived this condition. My 12 yr son told us it was the best Christmas present ever! We visited several family members on Christmas Eve day and he ate several rawhide chips during the afternoon because the family members we visisted also had dogs. Early evening, he became restless and drank lots of water and then tried to throw-up numerous times. After a short time we noticed his stomache get large and hard on one-side and then the other – plus he could not sit down. Evenually, he laid down but would not move. By that time, we had made contact with a vet clinic and they said to bring him right in. They explained what happened – drinking large amounts of water plus repeated attempts of throwing up the rawhide that could not be easily digested lead to the twisted stomach and bloating. His stomach was easily 3/4 times normal size. The vet attempted to relieve the gas and pressure with a needle to the stomach – which did not work. She then feed a tube to his stomach and was able to relieve the gas and remove the contents of his stomacj inlcuding several large rawhide pieces. The stomach reverted back to its noraml position and happily is is resting with us right now in our hotel room on 12/26/11.
The first sign of trouble was around 4:30 pm. He was at the vet by 6:30 pm with the proceedures down shortly after and completed by 8/8:30 pm, We were very lucky – I feel we could have lost Rocky within another 1/2 hour if he had not been treated.
Thank you for sharing this valuable information. It’s so devastating to lose a dog so suddenly. For years I have had rescue danes and mastiffs (among others) and there are a few things I have done to prevent stomach torsions from occurring. Scott, please jump in if you see anything I’m doing wrong, but I have been lucky so far with these steps: One important thing is to make sure your dog food isn’t filled with worthless junk. It’s so frustrating reading the labels of dog foods on standard grocery shelves or even pet food stores. The majority of pet foods here (in the U.S.)- even brands considered to be “scientifically formulated” are almost completely made of fillers. It’s akin to feeding your dog cardboard. I particularly avoid corn (RUN from corn gluten meal) and wheat middlings (which is code for “floor sweepings”). This fluff has no nutritional value meaning you have to feed more for the dog to get the little good stuff in the food. More junk in, more allergies, more bloat, more gas, more poop out. I only hope pet food in other countries is regulated more on the health of the pet, and not so much the profit of the industry.
I also free-feed and all of my dogs (minus one lab, who requires a more Jenny Craig style monitoring) have done a remarkable job maintaining their weight. The rest just calmly nibble a little here and there and never feel they have to hurriedly scarf down a bowl of food. I’m sure this has been key here, as I can remember as a child the flurry of feeding time when my mom fed our dogs only once a day. Dogs eat so calmly once they know food is always around. Thirdly, once I found a food I considered healthy I NEVER switched it up. When converting for the first time (or with a newly acquired dog), make sure to switch gradually, slowly increasing the percent of new food.
Some vets say in order to prevent torsion, no dry food, although that’s all I feed. I see dogs eat much more ravenously when treats (and wet food) are mixed into food also, so I avoid treats as well. Lastly, avoid rawhide chews as large chunks can end up causing distress as well.
I’m so sorry for those people who have lost their babies to this horrible condition and am so thankful somebody is finally spreading the word about it. I only hope my preventative measures are helping, and that I’ve not just been “lucky so far.”
We just lost our girl Willow, a 5-year-old Border Collie, this morning. At 3:30am she presented with some of the signs mentioned above. She had a warm nose and was panting, too. I knew we’d be making a visit to the vet later this morning. I didn’t realize the severity of the signs. She passed away on our way to the vet. Thank you for the information posted. It will help in the future. Willow, you were the best! We will miss you and your “Good Morning” greetings and how you would run to hide behind my legs when you heard fireworks. I’m so sorry…
this is how i lost my dog around last mothers day. it was the worst thing ive been through yet. i had never had to watch an animal die before and the whole time it happened her eyes were looking into mine. i think she was saying goodbye but part of my still thinks she was asking for someone to save her. its an awful thing when it happens.