Three Dreaded Words

Three Dreaded Words

Large breed dog owners everywhere cower and break into a cold sweat when they hear the term “GDV”. It’s a condition that can strike without warning, at any time of day or night, and render their pet lifeless in a matter of hours. The usual victim is a normal, healthy dog that was romping around just the day before. Its proper name is gastric dilatation/volvulus, meaning “bloat and twist of the stomach”.

There are many risk factors for GDV, but avoiding all of them does not grant full protection. The most frequent patients are—by far—large to giant breed dogs, with great Danes suffering more cases than any other breed. Studies show that half of great Danes will face GDV before the end of their lifespan. Those who have a relative diagnosed with GDV are even more likely candidates for the condition. Breeds with a deep, narrow chest cavity are especially prone to it. These include Weimaraners, pointers, standard poodles, and German shepherds. Feeding from an elevated bowl and using dry dog food seem to increase one’s chances of GDV. Dogs that gobble their food up greedily and those who have a nervous sort of temperament also have a higher risk for this disease.

The basic mechanics of this condition are understandable, if not predictable. The first thing that happens is an accumulation of food contents and air in the stomach, which in the dog is an S-shaped organ just behind the rib cage. Once it’s bloated up, it’s possible for the stomach to fold over on itself so that the entrance and exit are entangled. When that has happened, nothing can get in or out. You may already know that gases are being formed all the time inside the gut. Those gases accumulate inside the pinched-off portion of the stomach, and there is no way for them to escape. The stomach becomes painfully distended and often stretches to the point where it’s permanently damaged. It continues to grow until it dominates the whole abdominal cavity. Breathing becomes more and more difficult, and even nearby blood vessels are closed off by the expansion of this gas-filled monster. The pain is very intense.

Find out if your dog is a breed that’s especially prone to GDV, and feed her in multiple small meals. Don’t allow her to gobble up food and slop down a gallon of water at a time. Watch for the signs of GDV (a direct result of what’s happening inside): pacing and discomfort (as you might feel after an especially large and indiscreet meal) followed by visible expansion of the abdomen in the area of the last few ribs. Intense panting is a function of the anxiety and pain. Sometimes dogs try to vomit, but nothing comes out because the stomach entrance is kinked. One prominent emergency vet says that if your large-breed dog wakes you up pacing and panting, it’s time for the ER. Don’t wait for further developments: a GDV never gets better on its own.

Dr. M. S. Regan