Also known as Bloat, Twisted Stomach, Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus or GDV, this condition is one of the most serious emergencies in small animal practice, and it can make all the difference to the outcome if it is recognised immediately.
There are two parts to this condition, the bloat and the torsion. Bloat is when the dog’s stomach fills up with gas, fluid, froth or a mixture of all of these, to a far greater size than normal. Torsion (volvulus) is when the whole stomach twists inside the abdomen so that it is closed off at both its entrance and its exit, just like a sausage which is twisted closed at both ends.
They may both occur together, or one may lead to the other. If bloat occurs first, the enlarged stomach is at greater risk of torsion. If torsion occurs first, bloating will definitely result. No food can leave the stomach, so it ferments, and no gas can be belched up.
Read: GDV or Bloat
The effect of the swollen stomach is that it presses on all of the other vital organs close to it. The breathing will become difficult and if the large blood vessels within the abdomen get squeezed so much that they cannot allow blood flow, then other organs will begin to shut down. The stomach wall and the spleen can become necrotic or dead due to loss of blood flow, and this releases toxins into the bloodstream. It is very painful, and if not corrected, the dog will die.
The reasons for this condition occurring are not fully understood, but there are some well known and definite risk factors. The condition happens mainly in larger breeds, particularly those with a deep-chested shape like Great Danes, German Shepherds, Setters, Wolfhounds and Boxers, but these are not the only breeds affected. It also happens more (but not exclusively) in dogs over 7 years of age, and it is more common in males than in females. The risks increase if the stomach is very full, either with food or with water, so a dog which is fed once daily and eats very quickly, or gets access to the food store and gorges itself, would be at higher risk. Exercising after eating or after a big drink also increases the risk.
Symptoms
The onset of a gastric torsion is usually very rapid. The dog can appear quite normal one minute but once symptoms start they very quickly get worse. The most common symptoms are some or all of:
- Restlessness, anxiety
- Discomfort, followed by worsening pain
- Arched back, reluctance to lie down
- Drooling saliva or froth
- Attempts to vomit (retching) with little being brought up
- Swollen abdomen, often feels hard and if tapped feels like a balloon
- Rapid breathing
- Pale coloured gums and tongue
- Collapse
- Shock, possible death
It is vital to get veterinary attention as soon as possible if you suspect bloat or torsion. Always phone your surgery or your emergency service first as it will save valuable time if you go to the right place where the staff are prepared for your arrival.
Occasionally, there can be a slower onset. This may mean that the stomach has bloated without twisting, but there is still a high risk of torsion occurring so advice should be sought from your surgery.
Diagnosis & Treatment
Diagnosing the condition can be very straightforward if a dog is showing all of the classic symptoms. X-rays may be needed to confirm it. Blood tests will probably be taken to find out how serious the changes in the blood are, because changes in the circulating levels of salts in the blood can be life-threatening. These will be treated with intravenous fluids given quickly and at high volumes. A stomach tube may be passed, but this will not be successful if the stomach has twisted because the tube will not be able to get through the obstructed entrance. The vet may decide to decompress the stomach (let some gas out) by inserting a needle into the dog’s side. The order in which these procedures may be carried out will depend on just how ill the dog is.
A surgical operation will be needed to untwist the stomach, to check for damage to the organs and to try to prevent it from happening again. Some will need immediate surgery and others will need to be stabilised first to improve their chances of survival. Some dogs have to have part of the stomach or the spleen removed if the damage has been severe. The surgery is very high risk especially if the dog is already in shock because of the effects on the circulation and breathing.
When successful surgery is carried out, with the stomach and spleen returned to their normal position or repaired if damaged, it is common to perform a procedure to try to stop the condition occurring again, known as a gastropexy. There are different ways of doing this, but the aim is to anchor the stomach to the abdominal wall so that it is unable to twist. It could still bloat, but hopefully the consequences would not be so serious.
The survival rate following this condition varies a lot, but sadly, many dogs die each year from gastric torsion. The survival rate is better in younger dogs and if immediate treatment is given.
Prevention
- Be aware of the signs to look out for
- Feed larger dogs two or three smaller meals a day
- Do not allow your dog to exercise after eating or after a big drink
- Try to discourage rapid eating by separating competitive dogs at feeding time
- Try a specially shaped feeding bowl designed to slow eating down
- The effects of type of food and feeding from a raised bowl are under constant review and more research will show whether these are significant or not
I suspect that most vets never forget the first case of gastric torsion that they see. Mine was in a Great Dane, which I worked on all night with the help of two nurses. That one was fortunate and survived. It was a great moment for all of us when it left the surgery mid-morning the next day. The nurses jokingly told me that there was another one on the way in but I didn’t believe them, at least, not until I saw it walk in, arriving just as the first one left. Since then I have treated many dogs with gastric torsion and it is always memorable and always a challenge.
My own boxer Martha died of this condition last year despite very prompt attention and all preventative measures being in place. Sadly, her age was against her and our only consolation is that her suffering was very short-lived.
If you are concerned about your dog’s health, talk to your vet or use our interactive Dog Symptom Guide to help decide what to do next.
Discussion
Hi, I have a 6 year old Chiweenie who seems to be suffering from similar symptoms as this. Whenever he gets done eating or pooping he gets extremely bloated with a rock hard stomach and in a lot of pain, he just looks absolutely miserable constantly moving in circles and yelping everytime I might get close to him because he thinks I’m going to pick him up or touch him and constantly is flicking his tounge out. After about an hour or so it goes away for the majority of the day and then usually repeats itself atleast once more before the night is over. This has been going on for about 2 weeks now so I took him to the vet and explained in great detail what was going on but he had no symptoms at the time I took him and she instead told me she found a spot on his back that was causing him quite a bit of pain and said it was from that and that might be causing the swelling as well, I can’t seem to understand how a back pain can cause the very same symptoms explained above. Am I wrong here?
Back pain can present in lots of different ways, and this is one option as the dog holds himself abnormally. So ruling out a spinal problem might be worth talking to your vet about. However… pain from another cause can also cause secondary back pains, so it’s a little bit chicken and egg!
We lost our GD to bloat. He was 8 1/2, and got DX with pneumonia the day before. He came home and was on meds, a good pain killer, gabapentin, and antibiotics. We had the best day after a nights rest on his meds. He played with his brother, another GD and they swung their heads at each other like 2 big giraffes. We picked berries and watched the chickens, chased a squirrel, ate a couple flies, it was a great day. He was fine after he ate and he came to bed and laid down on his big barker bed. He poked my husband with his nose at 1:31 AM and he drew his last breath at 1:47. When I saw his belly and his white gums I flew up to our bedroom to call the vet and he died as I was coming downstairs. We knew it was a risk when we got him, but we miss him so much. He was our baby. He was snoring loudly before I went to sleep and he never cried, never showed signs of stress, I’m assuming those meds helped with than and I am extremely grateful for that because at the end of the day, he died embraced by my husband and home. Although we were frantically trying to fix it for him, I’m so glad he was home with his people. We had to wake up our teenager and let him say goodbye and it was awful. We took him outside and I picked roses out of our garden with our son. We placed every single bloom that I had, dozens on his body. We cried and cried. He always loved stopping by to smell the roses. Then we got him cremated with his favorite toy and favorite blanket. Love you big guy. Love you forever, our sweet baby.
What is recommended if a vet is two hours away? I have an almost 5YO CCR whose mother died of bloat at 5YO. There is no way I could get to an ER vet quickly.
Unfortunately, there’s no legal option I can recommend. I suggest you raise this with your own vet and see if there is any first aid they can recommend for you.
My viszla is lifting his back leg somewhat and acts like he needs to push a bowel movement but nothing happens. He’s somewhat lethargic. He threw up clear liquid with some small white gooey “stuff” in the early a.m. not sure what to do
While it’s not the normal GDV presentation, it can’t be ruled out from this – however, I would say that usually there’s no liquid vomited up at all with a GDV.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t something wrong though – severe constipation can cause these signs, or (even worse) a foreign body trapped in the large bowel. Overall, I’d definitely recommend a vet check – it’s probably just a nasty stomach upset, but the alternatives are potentially very serious.
Hi I have a 4 year husky that recently passed away . I left my husband 2 months ago but just recently came back last month . When I came back home my dog was fine but I didn’t really notice anything . Then one day my husband sent me a picture of his balls and they were swollen and red . So we took him to the vet and she thought by getting him fixed would help the swelling and fix the problem. She was scared to do any surgery on him that day because he was so swelled in the legs she was scared he would bleed too much . There’s no telling how long my dog walked around with swollen balls . I feel so bad . Why did this happen suddenly and why did it kill him ? He also had blood in his poop and was knuckling . He stopped eating but he was still drinking his water . Did we catch it too late ? What happened ? The vet still can’t give us answers . He was only 4.
I’m so sorry for your loss – it’s really confusing and hard to understand.
In this particular situation, it’s doubly confusing because testicular swelling alone isn’t usually a fatal condition. The immediate question is was there another underlying disease process (such as Brucella canis) that caused orchitis 9testicular inflammation) as well as other problems that proved fatal? Was there a testicular tumour that spread? Was this a twisted testicle that went necrotic? or was the testicular problem coincidental to something else?
I think that the only way you’ll be able to find out what happened would be to get a post mortem examination done by a qualified pathologist, and find out what was actually going on. If that’s an option, I would definitely take it.
I have a male Brittany he will be 2 in August. He just recently passed an intestinal obstruction on his own and didn’t need the surgery. Everything was back to normal with him. Then all of a sudden he is back to the crying and hunkering over in pain it happens for a few seconds then stops but it is exactly what he was doing when he still had the blockage. My concern is could he have an infection from the blockage? Would that even cause pain like this? Or is it that he already ate something else and is going through it all over again? I can’t afford another vet bill as this blockage he had was literally only passed not even a week ago. I’m scared and unsure of what to do please help 🙏
What did you end up doing? My dog is showing the exact same symptoms, it’s been a month, and the issue is just not going away completely. It shows signs of going away but returns. What you have written is exactly what is happening with my dog as well. And he is approx 2 yrs old
It could be a lot of things, including scarring from the obstruction; or there may have been more than one foreign body. He really needs veterinary attention – try to find a charity who will support you ASAP. over here in the UK it would be a criminal offence NOT to get him seen by a vet in that condition.
Why is my comment not showin up at all?
Because when we have a huge rush of comments it sometimes takes us a while to get to answer them all!
Sorry, I thought maybe it didnt get submitted.
So my 1 year old husky has had these episodes where she runs to me and cries like she is in pain and cant sit still just super uncomfortable her stomach gets rock hard and then relaxes and repeats for a few minutes and then shes completely fine. Weve tried multiple things such as slow feeding, hand feeding, smaller meals several times a day. But nothing seemed to help, the episodes werent an every day thing, I think a week was the shortest time frame of episodes ever. Shes also had several infections when we first brought her home. We think she is allergic to chicken and since removing all chicken from her diet she has not had any of these episodes except on 2 occasions, one was 3-4 months ago about 24-48 hours after having a chew treat that contained chicken, and the other was Sunday night, she had gotten to the cats food which have chicken. This time there were multiple episodes from midnight to 5 am about an hour or so inbetween episodes, shes never had it happen more than once lasts a few minutes then shes fine. Im thinking its because it was catfood and they contain more protien. Ive been to our vet multiple times about this issue and sent a video of an episode. shes run tests and suggested hungar pains, wants attention, is just talking cuz theyre a talkative breed (she is my 3rd husky, she is clearly crying, in pain, and super uncomfortable) I called the vet afterhours and left a message, they always come in for emergencies, and didnt get called back until they opened, at this point its been 3 hours since she had an episode. They didnt think seeing her was necessary and said she has anxiety and want me to giver her gabapentin and cbd oil, possibly for life. Ive looked up anxiety in dogs, she doesnt display any of those behaviors, except panting but she is a wooly. Shes not destructive, she doesnt pace or seem restless at all except when she has an episode, which has happened on id say maybe not even 10 seperate occasions in the 8 months ive had her. I mentioned all of this and they know about the last 2 times having recently consumed chicken, it seems to me they dont acknowledge she may be allergic to chicken, they know i think that. They said anxiety isnt always behavioral sometimes its internal….I dont want to drug my dog with a seizure medicine and CBD i dont think she has anxiety. So my question is can a dog have a serious allergy to chicken that can cause her stomach to bloat and relax 24-48 hours after consuming, if so what can i do in the event she gets something with chicken again? I really try to read every label and make sure she doesn’t have anything chicken but i can only control my actions and her access when im home, and havnt found a good chicken free cat food preferably for urinary health.
That is complicated, and it’s really hard to know exactly what’s going on!
In terms of an allergy to chicken – it is possible, but food allergies very, very rarely present like this: itchy skin is by far the most common symptom, followed by diarrhoea. A chicken intolerance could cause these signs, but that’s also pretty rare.
However, whatever is going on, you clearly need a more solid diagnosis – these episodes sound really distressing for you and for her. From what you’ve said, it does sound like abdominal pain, and clearly something is triggering it. However, she can’t stay on cat food forever – it isn’t nutritionally balanced for her, especially at only a year old where she hasn’t finished growing and maturing yet. I would be wondering about an inflammatory bowel disease, or even a partial bloat – but without further workup it’s going to be very very hard to get to the bottom of this.
I think it would be worth asking for a referral from your vet to a specialist (board certified) gastroenterologist: whatever’s going on clearly isn’t simple, and it sounds like another opinion from an expert might be the best way forwards here.
Good luck with her, and do let us know how you get on!
Sorry, she is not on cat food, she is on purina pro plan large breed puppy food. She got into the cat food the day before is what I was trying to say. Its hard to get a refferal when I dont get taken seriously, as shes fine when she is seen at an apt. Ive now been to every vet in town so not sure what else i can do.
I’m currently studying to be a vet tech and one of my assignment was to study diseases and health conditions in dogs and speak more in depth and how they affect them. Thank you so much for your article. I also work as a vet receptionist and with constant pet parents calling in worried about their pet, I definitely know to look out for signs of GDV! Thank you!
Hi, I’m hoping this is still monitored my 13year old Weimaraner passed away on Monday. She had a tumour in her ear after TECA from both ears one side had cancer cells that returned as a mass that also became infected but she was fighting it. Even with arthritis in her hips and her back end kept dropping she still followed me everywhere and still jumped on my bed to snooze or shed go hunt one of the kids teddies and bring me it like she always has. On Monday my daughter gave her a little bit of porridge as she’s not been eating big portions and she tried to get over the couch arm to get on my knee so I told her to come around the right way and she got up and fell asleep on my daughters legs but she was laid over them so that her stomach area was slightly raised if that makes sense. Could her sleeping in this way have caused this? because after a while she got up and started heaving with nothing coming up. In less 2mins I was on the phone to my vets and less than 5mins after that I was there at my local vets 2mins up the road. She walked to the car but when we got there the vet was on his way back so I’d put the chair flat so she could lie down, and I laid with her I could tell she was in pain as she looked like she was trying to sleep. Vet arrived and we carried her in and he said it was this torsion or bloat can’t remember and said he could operate but said because of what else she had going on it wouldn’t be best as her heart was also skipping a beat. I never asked him if she could have survived it, I know I stopped her suffering but Iv read things that says you can deflate the stomach why didn’t he do that he just said surgery. Could he have tried that and maybe saved her. I can’t stop thinking about if he’d deflated her stomach that she’d be here and I know her days were limited but she was still so happy and also do you think she knew something wasn’t right when she tried to get on knee, think it was about half an hr after her snooze that she started heaving? Sorry for the long comment, I’m just really struggling she was my baby that supported me through an abusive relationship and feel bad I told her to come lie next to me and didn’t notice if she was in pain. If I knew I’d have napped and cuddled with her instead of my daughter. Is the heaving the first sign? Im just heartbroken. I lost my 12year old staffy in June too suddenly as she had undetected thyroid tumours that caused her larynx not to function properly and so food or acids from her stomach went into her lungs so Iv had two big shock losses in a short space of time thanks for reading
I am so sorry to hear that – it’s been awful for you.
Let’s answer both your questions: firstly, her lying with her stomach slightly raised is very unlikely to have cause it: we can never say never, because not all the risk factors are understood, but it seems very unlikely that that posture alone could have caused a GDV.
Secondly, why didn’t the vet suggest needle decompression. The reason is that all a decompression does is relieve the immediate pressure and buy time: it doesn’t usually allow the stomach to rotate back into its position, so in perhaps 30 minutes she would have been back where you started. The other issue is that her heart was already skipping beats – that means that her electrolyte levels were seriously imbalanced; this is usually due to a build up of lactate and potassium in the blood caused by dying tissue (in this case, the stomach wall and maybe spleen). If, as a fluke chance, her stomach had flipped back the right way again, the release of all these breakdown products all at once as the blood vessels opened up again would almost certainly have killed her quite rapidly (and not very pleasantly).
Unfortunately, from what you’ve said, it sounds as if there weren’t any good options here, but you let her go kindly and humanely and without any more suffering: and that is never wrong, and probably in this case the kindest thing you could have done.
Can this stomach, intestinal twisting be from being poisond some how the only reason I ask is before he started feeling bad I took my dog for a walk I was doing laundry I live in the sticks I was not paying attention but near the neighbors house I thought I saw him eat something I saw something white he may have puked I don’t know then before my dog got sick my neighbor came over and told me that his German Shepard passed he died from his stomach and or his intestines twisted and by the time they realized he died what are the odds of 2 dogs living less than 50 yards apart but the didn’t socialize at all there is a third house close to both of ours what are the odds that both dogs would die in the same way
TY MD
There’s no specific poison that causes a GDV, but if he managed to eat something that foamed or released lots of gas then it is possible, I suppose – although not something I’ve ever seen.
My 9 yr old mini Aussie started throwing up on Sunday at 3pm and then started acting like she just didn’t feel good. She was fine the evening before. Got her to the emergency vet by 8:45 pm. They took X-rays and showed us that she had some kind of blockage. She likes to eat grass so we thought it was probably that. At the vet she had a bm and diarrhea with a small amount of blood and mucous. Then later two more grassy bm’s. It took 5 hours for the treatment of a subcutaneous iv and a barium drink and we took her home to hopefully pass the blockage, along with two medicines. The emergency vet is closed during the day but they said it would take at least 12 hours for the barium to work. By the next day she was worse and nothing had come out. Didn’t want to walk or eat or drink. We got her into a vet office at 5pm who sent us right back to the emergency vet because the barium had not moved. We got to the ER vet as soon as they opened and still had to wait 6 hours for emergency surgery. By this time the intestines were black and nothing could be done to help our baby. They said she had intestinal torsion. We were left with a $3,000 bill and broken hearts. My question is do you feel that the delays at the emergency vet cost our pet her life or could this have been a condition that had been brewing for awhile.
It’s impossible to say for sure, but in general with any infarcted organ (where blood supply is cut off), “time is tissue” – the longer before blood supply is restored, the worse the chances of that tissue surviving. Unfortunately, bowel volvulus (torsion) is rare in dogs and doesn’t usually give the signs you’ve described (vomiting and pain without diarrhoea are much more common), so it is possible that the emergency vets missed it because it wasn’t a normal presentation. Another possibility, though, is that the bowel was inflamed and hypermotile because of the grass blockage, and then it twisted/torsed later.
Sadly, even a post-mortem may not be able to determine which came first; however, that would be the next logical step if you want to find out what happened in more detail.
I’m really sorry you lost her like that – it’s bad enough to lose a dog unexpectedly, but after doing everything right it’s heartbreaking, and I’m so, so sorry for your loss.
Hi,
My 20 month old German shepherd sadly passed because of GDV 2 days ago.
She was fine Saturday morning had her breakfast around 8:30/9
But then started being very mopey by like
12 she wouldn’t lie down in one spot we put it down to the weather
Then around 3pm she was sick it was mostly water but the day before we’d been the vets as she has been diagnosed with EPI and low b12 she was meant to have an injection but it was too traumatic so she didn’t have it but not after the vet attempted a few times.
She had chicken heart treats for first time so we thought this hadn’t agreed with her.
She then had like some bleeding from her bum so we was unsure what to do but it stopped
She continued being sick about 4/5 times but was still drinking fluids
However Around 6pm I noticed her stomach had swollen and then she wouldn’t move and looked like she had suddenly turned we rushed her to the vets who seen her heart rate was rapid and gums white also after X-ray she confirmed sadly it was GDV an the worst side of it. We attempted surgery when stabilised as she so young but was too late all the organs were shutting down.
I’m constantly blaming myself now that I should have took her vets sooner but it didn’t seem as serious as she’s got a sensitive stomach as we realised and with the heat.
Do you think it would have made difference her going earlier?
Do you think the GDV happened after the stress and the way she thrashed about avoiding the b12 injection?
I’m truly devastated 🙁
I am so sorry to hear what happened.
It’s very very difficult to know what the cause of any specific GDV is, and I doubt it is your fault at all.
One factor that is widely associated is drinking a lot, very fast, and then exercising after: in this very hot weather, drinking a lot might have triggered it. Throwing herself around at the vets because she didn’t want the injection is theoretically a possibility, but I’m not convinced it’s likely: lots of dogs object vigorously to injections, but I’ve never had one have a GDV afterwards – and if it was to happen, I would expect it within hours, not the next day.
Earlier treatment does generally lead to a better outcome, but as the initial signs are so vague and non-specific, it’s not exactly surprising that you didn’t recognise what was happening, especially, as you say, given the weather this last week.
Unfortunately, sometimes these things really do “just happen”.
Again, I am so sorry you lost your girl like that.
I have a 5 week old scottish terrier, yorkie mix. About 2 weeks ago, he started having problems with trying to throw up, when he would wake up. His stools also started to get mushy. He gets bouts of being lethargic, his stomach bloatd after eating ( he is bottle fed puppy milk replacer and I have him go slow and burp him through out his feedings)…. because of his size the veterinarians tell me there’s not really a whole lot they can do for him. He had to be hydrated twice sub Q, the first time they checked his glucose level it was 137, 5 days later it was 33 so I’m giving him Karo syrup on his gums when ever he gets lethargic or show signs of low glucose level. The only thing that they had said is it could be fading puppy syndrome, but I feel that is the wrong diagnosis. He is definitely behind his siblings I’ll give them that but for the most part he eats well, has gained weight, trying to play more unless he doesn’t feel good.. I guess my question is what else could he have? Any suggestions at all? I love to see him eat he has a decent appetite I just hate to see him in pain afterwards because of the bloat his tummy is hard it takes a while for it to go away he tries to defecate not much comes out at a time I’m trying to feed him more often less volume I try to feed him every hour that doesn’t always work but he does eat every 2 to 3 hours. I would deeply appreciate any suggestions
There are lots of possibilities, including congenital intestinal or even heart defects; personally, I think the best thing to do would be to get a referral to a specialist neonatology or internal medic and go from there, as if he’s still going strong at 5 weeks, fading puppy is less likely. However, it might take a lot of imaging and tests to get to the bottom of it. Good luck!
My Boston terrier passed away yesterday. If the body stomach feels cold to the touch does that me that he is dying. he had all the symptoms of Gastric Torsion. he was only 3 months old. I had him for 25 days. I was panic/hysterical so I took him to my car to take him to my parents house 2 blocks away. The nearest small pet emergency 24 hr clinic is 50 miles away in Huntsville, Ala. this occured around 11:00 am Sunday morning. I live in a small town all vet clinics are closed. So, I put him on the passengers car seat and all of a sudden is neck twisted to one side and his front arms to another. looked very deformed. My state of mind was a basket case. My question is was that a seizure that he died of when he hit the seat? He made an eerie sound and that was it.
It could have been a seizure, or it could have been an agonal convulsion – during or shortly after death, reflexes can cause the head and limbs to twist violently and the lungs to gasp for air. It’s really nasty, but it sounds like there was nothing else you could have done – so don’t blame yourself.
With this condition, is bleeding from the rectum a symptom?
No, not normally – but if that happens, definitely seek veterinary attention, whatever’s going on!
Hi, I have a 4 year old silver lab , about a year ago she was diagnosed with ITP, she is on meds as we are in the tapering process . About a week ago , she started to get sick , sometimes in the middle of the night , wanting to eat grass , non stop swallowing and did throw up a few times throughout the week , some grass, some was her food . I called her vet and she asked some questions and said her gums are pink , she has an appetite , doesn’t seem to be in pain , she is thinking it’s acid reflux . Well tonight she ate her dinner ( which is way to fast so we just ordered slow feeders) and about 2 hours later she is non stop swallowing and wants to go out and eat grass . I’m thinking she is eating way to fast . ????
It’s quite possible, but I’d suggest a veterinary examination if possible to rule anything else out first.
We just took in our 9 year old Standard Poodle for an X-ray and while under having his teeth cleaned. The X-ray was to see if he has spinal problems. He had some pain and were told by the vet the first way to check was an X-ray and may need an MRI to further diagnose. Up til now we had a dog chiropractor work with him and he seemed to be improving so we thought we should have X-rays to get a better idea. We just received a call from the vet that while incubating him his stomach bloated/turned and we’re taking him into emergency surgery. We are both devastated and crying. We didn’t have to have the X-rays and only did because we thought we could help him. How can this happen and even more so why weren’t we informed of this potential complication? We feel so bad that we did this to our dog and just hope and pray he survives surgery. Had we been informed we really don’t think we would have taken the chance.
To both dilate and torse is very rare – I think I’ve only ever come across one case, it’s definitely not a normal complication of intubation! Hope all goes well…
my 10 month old husky mix has been dry heaving for about two days now. she has no other signs of discomfort. do you know why this could be?
There are a number of options, including oesophagitis, gastritis, and even a transient bloat. I think a vet check is a good idea – dry heaving is a known “red flag” sign for a bloat and I think it would be better investigated sooner rather than later.
I brought my almost 11 year old chocolate lab that was not over weight at 90 pounds in for bloat. Still do not know what caused it and did everything that was recommended to prevent it. Anyway, they immediately did the surgery and he had the gdv, they did notice a pre op heart arrhythmia that I never knew about despite taking him to the vet literally every other week for some type of allergy related issue. After surgery he recovered for nearly two days at the hospital where they monitored a vpc that was rare but did occur. The hospital discharged him to me with gaba pills to help with his pain from the surgery. When he got home he would not eat anything and only drank water and peed. He was on 600 mg of the gaba and it was encouraged to lower it to 300 to encourage the eating. Later that day he had a bowel movement and I felt that was a good sign despite the fact that he couldn’t get up to go to the bathroom because his rear legs was still very weak. Later that night I gave him his gaba meds at 3 am, he walked with me outside and peed and then laid with me on the floor. At 6:30 my wife came downstairs and he wasn’t breathing and passed away while next to me. The vet says it could have been a spiked vpc or a clot, did I do anything wrong. I’m am completely heart broken and cry everyday.
Good morning. After reading your account of your experience with your dear lab, I can sympathize. Your dog was truly fortunate to live in a home surrounded by your love. We too have had several dearly loved dogs in our home. For us, it was comforting to know that when they passed on, they went to another realm of love. Wishing you and yours love and blessings.
No, it sounds like you did everything right. So sorry for your loss – sometimes, these complications can’t be predicted.
II had to put my shepherd mix to sleep today. He bloated and twisted 3 yrs ago and got the surgery. This morning when I let him outside he was fine, a few hours later I went to get him and he was laying weird on the deck, he got up but was lethargic and his gums were pale and his mouth, paws and ears were ice cold, his sides were slightly swollen and he had rectal bleeding. I’m wondering what happen to my dog. We rushed him to an ER vet. When we got rhere the only thing we could do was have him put to sleep. Is rectal bleeding one of the last signs of bloating? I worry he may have ate something toxic or poison but the vet said no. He runs the pastures with my horses and I worry he got into something off my property that he wasnt supposed to. This morning he had only been in my fenced dog yard, last night he ate his dinner fine and seemed happy and normal. Why would there have been rectal bleeding?
Hi- our lab had a very similar situation. It sounds to me like Hemangiosarcoma. Our dog was doing so well and then after eating breakfast, she became lethargic, ice cold, pale gums, etc. we took her to the ER vet within 35 minutes of these symptoms and she died an hour later. There were no warning signs at all leading up to this. It’s just an incredibly aggressive cancer.
It can occasionally happen as the gut dies, but usually takes longer to develop.
So sorry for your loss – if there’s any question mark, you might want to get a post-mortem examination done to see what happened.
My dog has been having small and frequent bouts of diarrhea. Sometimes nothing comes out but tiny air and squirts but he curls his back like he’s trying to go.. He has a normal appetite and is resting comfortably. Should I be concerned? How can I help relieve his symptoms?
Might be colitis; either way, though, I’d suggest a vet check, and maybe a faecal sample in case it’s infectious. Good luck!
I have taken my dog to the veterinarian 6 days ago, his stomach swelled up over night. He gave him 4 medicines, now after 5 days I went back to the veterinarian to let him know that my fur baby will not eat and of course not potty, he is not dehydrated either. I am thinking I should go to an over night clinic now and have some ex-ray done. My veterinarian does not have the equipment at his business. My rocky is a mixed breed of large breed chihuahua/ minpin. He has dropped over 5lbs. He walked alright tonight just doesn’t get excited when he see’s his friends either.
Yes, if it’s not responding to treatment, definitely time for more tests. Good luck!
I had read your article yesterday on GDV rushed to vet told her after reading this i feel all the symptoms are similar to GDV she denied and gave me colicad whereas she also vaccinated him within few hours he diead morning 3:40. Hope we could had best Vets like u in India.
He want eat meat*
Talk to your vet about diets – ideally, a renal diet is best, but if necessary, your vet may be able to prescribe a phosphate binder that will make other foods, like meat, relatively safer to eat.
Hello, I have 12 years old dog after GDV, je has bad kidneys. He is better every Day, but we have problem with eating. He is Very finicky, dont want to eat granuls, canned food, pasta now not rice. He want eat, but is not good for kidneys. What He can eat? Do you know any homeopatic? Or can we help him somehow?? Thanks
My King Charles would have been 14 in April and a very loved Dog He was perfect all day I was always very careful what I fed him We had Bacon for dinner and I gave him a slice because I had no ham left to wrap his Tablets in for the day In no time at all he got the swollen stomach it was Sunday night we brought him straight out to the Vetinary Hospital When we got there it was just by luck a Vet from our own Surgrey was there and knew me well We had a good chat with her and we decided to et him go But I’m worrying was it something I did maybe if I hadn’t given him the slice of bacon as you know they are greedy dogs and he gulped his food down Maybe I should have got the surgery or would it have been cruel to put him through it I’m heartbroken you’ve no idea how much he’s missed
I have a red nose pit only 4 years old. Her stomach is larger than normal, backbone is sunken in, she is having trouble breathing and she acts like she is trying to vomit but nothing is coming up as if she was dry heaving. Please tell me what this could be.
Those signs are consistent with a GDV.
Get off the internet and get your dog to an emergency vet NOW. If it is a GDV she will probably die without urgent treatment.
The article listed the signs and what to do – so don’t waste time asking questions below the line, act on the advice if you want to save your dog’s life.
Hi I have an indie puppy(native Indian dog) which is 4 months old. He vomited foamy white liquid last night. The area around the ribcage shows swelling once it eats. But the stomach or ribcage area doesn’t feel hard. It shows no discomfort if we touch the stomach or restlessness. I am worried if the swelling is a result of bloating. He gulps his food very fast as there is another puppy at home. But we are trying to slow him down. Please let me know if it is serious. There are no other visible symptoms of bloating except of swelling around the ribcage area. And one more thing my puppy is very thin.
Difficult to know what the cause is there, but I’d definitely advise getting him checked over by a vet; I’d be suspicious of a parasite burden (intestinal worms especially) that might be driving the fast eating. If he’s swallowing lots of air, that will cause the swelling and is a risk factor for a torsion.
Hi, my dog passed away a few nights ago, and I’m wondering if it could have been GDV. A couple months ago he received a steroid shot for arthritis in his hips. About a week or 10 days later, he started displaying all these symptoms. He would retch and gag, but nothing would come up. He was panting and drooling, his abdomen was swollen and hard, and he would just stand there with his head hanging low. We took him to the vet and they said it was a reaction to the steroid, gave him shot and something to help the panting and drooling and sent him home. By the next day he was fine. A few weeks later the same thing happened, except this time when he finally laid down, it kind of looked like he was having small seizures. He would stretch his front legs out and roll his head back and then go back to normal, several times. It was late at night, so we decided to give him until morning, and by morning he was fine. Then this past Saturday night, it all happened again: the bloating, panting, drooling, retching and “seizures.” By this time we were frustrated, the steroid should have been out of his system and should not be causing this. Since it had fixed itself the previous times, we decided to give him overnight again, and if it was still happening try to get in touch with our vet, and either way we were going to bring him in the following business day to have them do more intensive research. Unfortunately, he passed during the night. He was 12 years old, and he was an adopted shelter dog so we’re unsure of his breed, but they suspected lab/australian shepherd. He was rather large, at 80 pounds. It’s moot point by now, and I know you can’t diagnose over the internet, but is it possible this was GDV? I’ve never heard of a case with possible seizures, and never heard of it correcting itself a couple times before the dog succumbs, but all the other symptoms sound like textbook GDV.
It’s possible for a bloat without a torsion to occur repeatedly and correct itself, until eventually the stomach twists and it cannot be corrected. Seizure-like activity can happen but is pretty uncommon – it’s usually end-stage due to hypoxia; although writhing around due to pain can also look like a seizure. Unfortunately, side effects of steroids occasionally look a bit like this too, so without a post-mortem examination, it’s not possible to be sure.
I have been mixing my puppy’s kibble with little pieces of chicken for a good 2 weeks. After reading this I am worried that he might have gdv he is not showing signs except he sleeps upside down today I also did touch his stomach he did flinch so I don’t know if I should be worried.
Adding chicken to a dry diet isn’t likely to trigger a GDV; it’s also generally a problem of older dogs not puppies.
My shih tzu has been in pain for days with a very swollen stomach, I’ve given her some metacam and she sleeps straight after. She seems okay in the morning but after dinner today she wasn’t too good. She whimpers when I touch her stomach. Is this an emergency vets visit or do I wait to take her into the vets tomorrow ? Not sure if I’m being completely neurotic here
Definitely an emergency vet visit now – using metacam to mask the pain may well have made the situation much worse. Metacam is contraindicated in most forms of gut disease because it increases the risk of ulcers forming and slows down the healing of the intestine. Call your vet NOW.
Hi! We have a 4 month old yellow lab and she is a very quick eater. Tonight my son gave her the full amount of her food all at once. As soon as she was done eating, she ran to her bed and vomited all of her food and let out a big yelp. We have not fed her anymore and she had a small bit of water after. With in how long would we know if we need to rush to the vet? She went outside and went potty normal and came inside and is laying down. But it has only been about 20 min since it happened.
Thank you so much in advance for a response.
A one-off vomit like that is quite normal, and nothing to be too worried about! If she tried to vomit but can’t, seems to be bloating, or seems restless, then call for advice ASAP.
My Scottish Deerhound has just had aStomach Torsion surgery and a week later she had intestinal liaisons. She had siege for that too. She looks healthy she seems fine but she hasn’t s puking up that white glit at least once a day. I have been advised to give her Hills prescription tinned food and some wine f her dry food for sensitive stomachs four times a day. Her food has been drastically reduced and she seems starving all the time and when I feed her she gulps her food down. At my wits end
Talk to your vet – adhesions are hard to manage, but it can be done, and I really think you need some more veterinary input. Also, I would not recommend giving wine to a dog – they don’t tolerate alcohol well and it is relatively toxic to them.
how to cured a bloat dog
While a mild case may (very rarely) resolve on its own, the only reliable treatment is surgery to decompress (empty) the stomach and then return it to it’s proper position and stitch it in place to stop it twisting.
My Cocker Spaniel not even 7 yet seemed to. E fine in the morning when I left for work. She ate her breakfast like normal. Seemingly she threw up her breakfast according to a family member following by several more times. Unfortunately lack of communication between home front and us was her down fall. When my husband decided to leave work early around lunch time he found her unresponsive and barely breathing. He rushed her to the hospital but she passed away there less than 10 minutes later. They thought a GI blockage/bloat type of situation.
Seemingly her intestines were sucked in or something like that. I called the vet back the next day but real answers we didn’t get. Was it something she ate? Most likely. We’ll never know.
I’m so sorry to hear that. Intussusception, where the intestines fold into one another, is rare but very serious and fast, and can happen with very little warning. The causes aren’t well understood I’m afraid, and it’s uncommon in a dog of that age. So sorry for your loss, and that I can’t tell you why it happened.
Hi,
My dog is a 7 year old German Shepard. He got into my garbage today while I was at work and I noticed his stomach looked big when I got home. I have been reading a lot about bloat and a twisted stomach and I’m a little worried. It’s been hours since he got in the garbage and has not thrown up, or paced around or really shows any discomfort. His stomach is just swollen and is now trying to drink a whole bunch of whater. It’s the middle of the night and he seems to be sleeping ok now but was panting a lot about an hour ago(maybe he was just hot) I am going to call the vet in the morning but I’m worried I shouldn’t wait
Thats what’s happening to my chihuahua right now. exactly. what happened????
I think if he’s resting comfortably then keep a close eye and get him checked in the morning; if he seems distressed or uncomfortable, or you’re worried, contact them earlier.
Hi there.
I’m fairly concerned about our pup. He’s about 6 months old and very playful. Yesterday morning he ate his breakfast and everything was fine. I went to feed him lunch and he refused, which is so out of his character. I noticed that his belly looked tight and slightly swollen. As time went on he just got more and more lazy and seemed in pain when I touched him. I took him to the vet, unfortunately I did not have an English translator and was sent away. As soon as we walked out of the vets office he pooped, it was a much softer poop than normal. And then he puked twice on the way home. Once we were home he was eager to have a small bite and slowly he because playful again. Fast forward to today. He’s had his usual 3 meals, and after dinner I notice he’s laying on his side again with a swollen belly. He’s stilll pretty playful but I can tell his tummy is bothering him. He just woke me up in the middle of the night for a big drink of water. Could this be stomach torsion? I am still about 7 hours away from our vet office being open and I’m terribly worried. He seems pretty uncomfortable.
Unfortunately, it’s impossible to say for sure – it certainly could be, but if he’s able to swallow it’s probably not a full torsion. It could be a serious stomach upset, but I’m afraid without a veterinary examination I can’t say that it isn’t a torsion at this stage. I think an emergency checkup might be needed to rule it out.
My 3 year old Retriever died of Gastric Torsion. I got up in the am to find his stomach had swollen to twice it’s size and had no idea what it was he ran to black door to get outside and the hid under the bushes I managed to coax him out and he tried to do a poop I managed tobring him in and went to phone the Vet but unable to get through. When I went to see if he was ok he had already passed away. It was such a horrible shock he was a super well loved dog . I didn’t know what it was but the vet told me it was Gastic Torsion. Twisted stomach. It happened so fast during the night.
I’m so sorry to hear that. Yes, it can happen incredibly fast.
Hi,
Wondering if you can help me.
My dog has been quiet, shaking, panting and just not himself. He had a bone at the weekend and we think he has eaten some of that. He hasn’t pooped properly since Saturday. On Monday he went to the vets and my dog had x-rays. The vet said all the x-rays were clear but he was full of gas. Tuesday He wasn’t being his normal happy self, his back is curved, belly is swollen but he has been like this for 4 days now. Today he went to work with dad and was quiet but more like himself. We have given him only chicken and rice as that’s what our vet advised. My mum has just taken him out and now he is in the garden shaking, laying down but really panting! He went for a poo but it was runny and nothing big. I’m terrified this is a twisted tummy which on Marley and me is very serious.
Tuesday he was given doggy lacatives, which don’t seem to have done much.
Please help!!!
I think if he’s not responding to the treatment, it’s time to go back to the vets and ask them to take another look at him. If there is a foreign body (e.g. a bit of bone) it may have moved now and be more visible, so perhaps repeat X-rays might be needed; at the very least, it would be wise to confirm that he is on the right treatment.
My 11 and half year old Akita just died Sunday night. She was acting weird after her night walk and was dry heaving. She was having a hard time laying down and getting settled. I finally got her to lay down and I layed down next to her. She passed a couple of hours later. I FHA’s no idea she could be going through this and how painful this was for her. It is breaking my heart all over again that I didn’t know the signs or that something was terribly wrong. Knowing now she was in a lot of pain I just hate myself for not helping her.
I’m so sorry to hear that, please accept our sympathies. Sometimes, things progress so fast that it isn’t immediately obvious what’s going on; however, if she did settle and lie down peacefully, it’s not likely she was in severe pain at the time – she might have gone beyond it, whatever the underlying cause was.
My dog is 2 and we think he has GDV. We took him to the vet about two weeks ago they did X-rays and everything came out clear. He was put on fluids and cernía for vomiting. After that vist he was great till 4days later he started vomiting, not eating and not drinking water. His vomit is green from what we believe is grass since that’s what dogs do when they don’t feel good right? Well we took him in Friday and they did blood work also everything came out clear. Now our vet is saying that he could have Addison’s disease and injected him with steroid and placed fluids in his coat. Do you think he had GDV?
Symptoms seem similar.
I have to say it seems unlikely – most dogs with a GDV can’t vomit, even if they try. The froth that comes up is just mucus from the gullet and mouth, and certainly isn’t green. In addition, a dog with a GDV will usually deteriorate dramatically over hours, not a couple of weeks; and their bloodwork tends to be highly abnormal with dehydration, high potassium and lactate levels. These grumbling vomiting problems are quite hard to diagnose, but a GDV seems much less likely than Addisons, to be honest!
If you’re not sure though, you can always ask your vet for a second opinion, and see what another pair of professional eyes make of the case? This might be something to have a conversation with them about.
I just lost my nine-year-old bulldog I am not sure he was diagnosed properly and now I think that we may have put him down by mistake he definitely had food bloat but the doctor couldn’t confirm by the X-ray that it turned into gdv shear and blood work and he was anemic his gums we’re cold to the touch and pale we knew we were not able toupee $6,000 for surgery so she told us our other option was to put them down he wasn’t retching or vomiting he was laying on his stomach like he wasn’t in any pain but he was very lethargic and he was breathing heavy I kept checking his gums and when we got there they were cold and pale all right before she gave him the shot the temperature started to regulate I almost think that it was just bloat and not gdv and that we lost our dog for no reason and I feel so guilty
I’m so sorry to hear of your loss. However, I don’t think you have anything to feel guilty about – if his gums were cold and pale, that meant he was in severe hypovolaemic shock, and would almost certainly have died without emergency treatment. A food bloat does not cause shock like that, and while a GDV can very rarely self-correct, most dogs die very unpleasantly.
It sounds like you made the right decision to spare your friend that suffering, and that was the right decision to make at the time, given the information you and the vet had.
Hi there,
I hope this site is still monitored and the comments updated. I’m concerned that one of my dogs may have a form of torsion. He was stolen from me by my X and when I got him back I had him checked out. I was concerned at the time about the bulge I saw in his belly area whenever he was laying down. The vet said there was nothing out of the ordinary. I’ve visited a few different vets after this for other reasons with him but I always note my concern about his belly and described how he acts but they don’t seem to think anything of it..
His belly is bloated and it’s noticeable when he’s laying down
Most of the time I catch him just sitting there. He’ll sway a bit after a while like he wants to lay down but doesn’t.
There was one time where he had.. what I thought was .. a coughing fit.. it lasted for about 10 mins including some heaving. After he stopped he seemed fine after that like it never happened. I think there was a little bit of foam that came up.
He’s a bit gassy, and sometimes it’s way foul. He’ll also be startled by his gas… like.. really startled.
This all has been over a 2-3 year time period so I have difficulty believing it could be torsion based on how rapid it can progress but I’m also at a lose as to what else it could be since it’s so similar. He is eating, drinking and pooping just fine. He doesn’t go crazy with his food and eats leisurely.
I plan to take him in again to have him looked at, but I feel I’ll get the same response and just be wasting money on a visit that yields no results. Could this be torsion or maybe something else? Any insight is appreciated!
From what you’ve said, it does seem unlikely that it would be a torsion – as you say, these are emergencies that rapidly progress. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing there though, as a wide range of conditions can cause swelling of the abdomen, from “hidden” or “abdominal” fat, to fluid on the abdomen from liver or heart problems, to intermittent bloat without a torsion, to the presence of tumours, to a gassy intestine because of some really low grade gut issue. Unfortunately, it isn’t possible to determine the cause over the internet!
My suggestion would be to go to your vets with this as the primary cause, and explain to them why you’re concerned, and what you’re worried about. It might be that some imaging (perhaps X-rays or ultrasound scans), or blood tests for gut function like cobalamin and folate, would give you an answer; that said, I must be honest and say that in some cases we never work out what’s going on. However, if all the tests come back clear, it’s unlikely to be anything to worry about, if that makes sense.
Good luck!
Quick action and an excellent vet saved our cockers life on Xmas day! If you know your dogs behaviours, you will see this unfolding right in front of you – it was literally within the space of an hour and vet said had we not got him there so quickly we would have lost him that night. It was the worst thing I’ve ever seen, the speed it takes over if terrifying. Thankfully he had his surgery and is recovering at home.
I have a 14+ Great Pyrenees, he’s been with us for quite a few years, but since he was a rescue we don’t know if he had any previous conditions besides really bad skin allergies. This week he began to exhibit a majority of the symptoms described. This morning he went into a pacing fit, dry heaving, and making a gurgling sound. We have a raised food bowl with hydrolyzed protein dry and wet food, he’s feed two scoops twice a day and half a can of wet in the mornings. He’s on quite a few meds though, for arthritis, allergies, and for a weak thyroid. We have also noticed he seems a little antsier this year, so much so he would bark for hours without a reason. I know he’s an old boy, but I would like to spend some more time with him. Thank you.
Hi Sam,
I’d very strongly advise you get him checked out by a veterinarian who can examine him and try to work out what’s going on – this isn’t something we can really do over the internet, especially if he’s potentially suffering from such a serious condition as a GDV.
I have a small dog.
I recently found out that the mother of my dog passed away from INTESTINAL TORSION of the age 7, Could you please tell me if this is a genetically transmitted to offspring?
Not normally genetic, but there are factors that can lead to a torsion. Deep chest, exercise immediately after food etc.
Sadly I just lost my 4 year old Rotti.
A bone was thrown and she ran to get it but the rope she was on wasn’t long enough. It was an innocent accident. She went into distress 3 days later. I took her to vet and she checked her over stating that she thought it was her hips. I took her to a pet Chiro. His adjustment helped immensely with the help of pain meds from vet. I took her 2 weeks later for another adjustment. Again , she seemed much better.
So much better that I tried lengthening her walk. Half way through that walk she started to eat grass. I thought it was just the pain of the hip muscles. We got back and she was in distress. I gave her 2 of the pain pills and thought she’d be ok.
My husband sat up with her until almost 2 am until she finally threw up and seemed settled.
My son found her on kitchen floor in the morning and she had passed away.
My question is, could this have been tortion? It was a month after initial onset. We are devastated. She was only 4.
We found her dead with blood coming out rectum and mouth plus nose.
Plz help us with answers.
I’m really sorry to hear about that – it’s such a terrible shock. Unfortunately, it’s not possible in most cases to determine the exact cause of death without a post-mortem examination (an autopsy, in other words). From what you’ve said, I don’t think that this was likely to be a torsion; a catastrophic gastrointestinal haemorrhage (such as a ruptured stomach ulcer) seems more likely, although why it occurred is difficult to say without more information. Perhaps you could talk to your veterinary practice about arranging an autopsy, if you wanted to know a definitive reason, although even then, sometimes we never find out the reasons.
My guide dog has got this now an we were told not to work our dogs for 2 hours after food. She still got it. She has been in intensive care for 5 days and the operation took 5 long hours. Thankfully my angel is on the mend and is now eating but is still in doggy hospital. It happened so fast.
My dog is 18month lab/retriever. Fed twice daily on dried food carefully measured. I was advised by his seller not to exercise him for 1 hour before and after meals. I am allowing him to walk/run for 10minutes before his first meal but not afterwards. Do you have any advise on this? Also, we live beside the sea and he loves chewing dried kelp seaweed which he then swallows! No apparent affects. Comments please?
My dog is 18month lab/retriever. Fed twice daily on dried food carefully measured. I was advised by his seller not to exercise him for 1 hour before and after meals. I am allowing him to walk/run for 10minutes before his first meal but not afterwards. Do you have any advise on this? Also, we live beside the sea and he loves chewing dried kelp seaweed which he then swallows! No apparent affects. Comments please?
How long after a meal should you leave before walking a dog!
Hi, at least an hour… it allows the digestive system to start doing its job!
How long after a meal should you leave before walking a dog!
Hi, at least an hour… it allows the digestive system to start doing its job!
Dear Madam,
I am unsure if my dog (11+) has started to show signs of gastric torsion. She shows discomfort when I touch her stomach and sometimes her chest as well. She passes little stool and most of the time its dry. She has week legs now but still walk, less active. I took her to the vet but they did not notice anything strange. I’m from Sri Lanka and our veterinary care is not so developed. I hope you can help me in this.
Please tell me if there is anything I can do to make her better. She is fine but I’m worried.
Thank you
Best regards,
Akemi
Thank you for having this site!!!
Hi, gastric torsion tends to result in vomiting as well and the condition can also progress quickly. The stomach area swells considerably and often the dog paces trying to get comfortable. It could be she is constipated from what you say about her stools, or there could be something a bit more serious going on… given her age, it is best if she has not improved to return to the vet and have them check her over again. Dave RVN
Dear Madam,
I am unsure if my dog (11+) has started to show signs of gastric torsion. She shows discomfort when I touch her stomach and sometimes her chest as well. She passes little stool and most of the time its dry. She has week legs now but still walk, less active. I took her to the vet but they did not notice anything strange. I’m from Sri Lanka and our veterinary care is not so developed. I hope you can help me in this.
Please tell me if there is anything I can do to make her better. She is fine but I’m worried.
Thank you
Best regards,
Akemi
Thank you for having this site!!!
Hi, gastric torsion tends to result in vomiting as well and the condition can also progress quickly. The stomach area swells considerably and often the dog paces trying to get comfortable. It could be she is constipated from what you say about her stools, or there could be something a bit more serious going on… given her age, it is best if she has not improved to return to the vet and have them check her over again. Dave RVN