Dilation - Torsion - Gastric Syndrome (GDV)
Gastric dilation and torsion is a very life-threatening condition for the dog. The stomach swells due to a rapid accumulation of gas, expands and rotates along its longitudinal axis, trapping the gas inside it. The stomach thus distended pushes against the chest making breathing difficult, compresses the large veins of the abdomen, preventing the return of blood to the heart.
All this induces in the dog a very serious state of shock which can, if not promptly intervened, lead to death within two or three hours. The dogs at risk are of large size (Dobermann, German Shepherd, Great Dane, Saint Bernard, but also large mestizos), of medium or old age, usually around six years old. The diagnosis of GDV is often simple: the owner reports that the dog, after eating, tried to vomit but was unable to do so and that the abdomen was swollen. What needs to be done in these cases is to get the dog to the nearest veterinary emergency room as quickly as possible.
Technically, decompression of the gas-filled stomach is performed, with the animal under anesthesia, by passing a tube through the dog's mouth to try to reposition the stomach and empty it. The next phase consists of the so-called "gastropexy": the stomach is surgically sutured to the abdominal wall to prevent it from twisting again. Personally, I always recommend, if the animal is stable, to perform the surgery immediately after decompression, as unfortunately sometimes the stomach may have suffered damage and the spleen may also have been affected (in this case the surgeon will decide to remove it or less).
The postoperative period is not without risks for the animal; for this reason it is generally preferable to admit the dog to the veterinary facility. The cause of GDV is still unknown. The following risk factors were identified: the administration of a single meal during the day (better to divide the daily ration into two meals), the rapid intake of the meal and exercise on a full stomach.