Gastric Torsion: A Horribly Unhealthy Kind of
Twist - by
Nancy Kay, DVM ©
Torsion,
gastric torsion, gastric dilatation-volvulus,
GDV; these are terms you never
want to hear applied to your
dog. They all mean the
exact same thing- your dog's
stomach is distended with gas
and has twisted on itself, and
emergency surgery offers the
only hope for saving his life.
Here's a visual aid to
help you understand what happens
when a dog develops gastric
torsion. Picture a fanny
pack in your mind. The
pouch of the fanny pack represents
your dog's stomach. One
strap of the fanny pack is the
esophagus that transports food
from your dog's mouth down into
his stomach. The other
strap is the upper small intestine
(duodenum) that transports food
out of the stomach. Now
hold one strap of the fanny
pack in each hand and twirl
the pouch until it twists on
itself causing the straps to
crimp. This is what happens
when gastric torsion occurs-
the stomach twists on itself,
cutting off normal blood flow
to the stomach and surrounding
structures. Additionally,
gas and fluid continue to accumulate
within the stomach and cannot
flow out via the crimped esophagus
or duodenum, so the stomach
progressively distends. A dog
in this situation quickly lapses
into a state of shock and surgical
"decompression" or untwisting
of the stomach is the only way
out of this nightmare. Time
is of the essence- the longer
the stomach remains twisted,
the greater the likelihood of
irreversible devitalization
(death) of the stomach tissue.
Initial
symptoms of gastric torsion
include a bloated appearance
through the midsection (the
ribs look like they are expanding
outward), drooling, nonproductive
retching/vomiting, restlessness,
weakness, shallow breathing,
rapid heart rate (if it can
be felt through the chest wall),
and pale gum color. If
you observe such symptoms, quickly
make some phone calls to find
the closest veterinary hospital
capable of performing immediate
surgery on your best friend.
The sooner surgery can
be performed the greater the
likelihood of a successful outcome.
Irreparable damage to
the stomach tissue is often
the deal breaker if the torsion
is not corrected quickly. At
the time of surgery, not only
is the stomach derotated, it
is tacked (attached with stitches)
to the inside of the abdominal
wall to prevent a repeat spinning
performance. Additionally
if the spleen or portions of
the stomach wall appear devitalized
(deprived of normal blood flow
for too long) they will be removed.
If surgery is successful,
the dog typically has a minimum
two to three day post-operative
stay in the hospital for round
the clock monitoring for post-operative
complications.
Truth
be told, we really don't know
much about what causes gastric
torsion. Clearly, there
is a breed/conformation association-
large deep-chested breeds such
as Great Danes, Irish Setters,
Standard Poodles, Irish Wolfhounds,
Boxers, Dobermans, Weimaraners,
and Rottweilers are particularly
predisposed. Affected
males definitely outnumber females.
One study documented that elevating
the food bowl actually predisposes
to gastric torsion. Other
studies have indicated that
the following factors may also
be part of the recipe that results
in gastric dilatation-volvulus:
eating only one meal per day,
eating rapidly, eating dry foods
that list oils or fats among
the first four label ingredients, exercising in close association to mealtime,
being underweight, and being
of an "anxious" rather than
"happy" personality type. The
only known way to prevent gastric
torsion from occurring is by
performing a prophylactic (preventive) gastropexy procedure (sutures
are used to tack the stomach
wall to the inside lining of
the abdominal cavity). This
does not prevent the bloating
(stomach distending with gas),
but does prevent the life threatening
twisting part of this miserable
disease process.
Would
you like to participate in a
study to learn more about why
dogs develop gastric torsion?
If your dog has ever bloated
(distention of the stomach without
rotation) or has experienced
gastric torsion, I encourage
you to take this survey http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WS2VKFP.
It is being conducted
by Dr. Cynthia Otto from the
University of Pennsylvania School
of Veterinary Medicine in collaboration
with researcher, author and
lecturer, Dr. Carmen Battaglia.
A summary of the results and
findings will be posted at www.breedingbetterdogs.com
in November, 2010. If
you and your dog did have direct
experience with a gastric torsion,
I sure as heck hope yours was
a happy ending.
If you would
like to respond publicly, please visit http://speakingforspot.com/blog/?p=1070.
Nancy Kay, DVM
Diplomate, American
College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
Recipient, American
Animal Hospital Association 2009 Animal Welfare and Humane Ethics
Award
Recipient, 2009 Dog Writers Association of America
Award for Best Blog
Recipient, 2009 Eukanuba Canine Health
Award
Author of Speaking for Spot: Be the
Advocate Your Dog Needs to Live a Happy, Healthy, Longer
Life
Website: http://www.speakingforspot.com
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