Poppy is the symbol for remembrance and this Poppy is certainly a case we will remember! One busy Monday afternoon we got a call that Poppy a 6 year old Weimaraner was bloated and unsettled. Immediately the receptionists hear the words bloated and weimaraner it set alarm bells ringing. You see in dogs with a large chest like a Weimaraner, Doberman, German Shepherd etc a condition can occur called a twisted stomach or to give it its formal name a gastric torsion or Gastric Dilattaion Volvulus (Gastric- stomach, Dilatation -swollen, Volvulus- twisted). Bloat is the actual act of any organ becomng full of gas but in these large breed dogs the problem is the stomach has more space to move around and then twist on itself. As the stomach begins to dilate and expand, the pressure in the stomach begins to increase. The increased pressure and size of the stomach may have several severe consequences, including:
- prevention of adequate blood return to the heart from the abdomen
- loss of blood flow to the lining of the stomach
- rupture of the stomach wall
- pressure on the diaphragm preventing the lungs from adequately expanding leading to decreased ability to maintain normal breathing.
In Poppy’s case she became the priority. Thankfully the owner reported it had only been going on for about 2 hours that she hadn’t been quite right. Often this is a condition we see at night where a few hours may have elapsed. Poppy was visibly distressed and very uncomfortable on her abdomen. She was immediately given pain relief, intavenous fluid was given in both front legs to help support her circulation and she was taken to theatre.
This is an example x-ray from a GDV, this isn’t actually Poppy
Poppy had been very lucky that her owners had acted quickly. The stomach was emptied and rotated back in position and then sewn to the muscle to keep it in place. The quick acting had meant that there hadn’t been much damage or compromise to Poppy and her internal organs. Poppy was kept in for 48 hours but 6 hours after her op she was already up and out for alittle walk. We tried to encourage her to eat but the first night she wasn’t interested.
Poppy was thankfully discharged home after she had been eating well and passing normal motions. Unfortunately post op Poppy got an abscess on her neck from an injection. In the grand scheme of things with everything that could have gone wrong we were happy to accept this as our only problem!
The video on the left shows Poppy up and about the same evening as her op!
As a vet we still don’t know all the risk factors of a GDV but it is recommended not to exercise your dog for an hour before or after feeding. This syndrome is not completely understood; however, it is known that there is an association in dogs that:
- have a deep chest (increased thoracic height to width ratio)
- are fed a single large meal once daily
- are older
- are related to other dogs that have had the condition
- It has also been suggested that elevated feeding, dogs that have previously had a spleen removed, large or giant breed dogs, and stress may result in an increased incidence of this condition.
- A 2006 study also determined that dogs fed dry dog foods that list oils (e.g. sunflower oil, animal fat) among the first four label ingredients predispose a high risk dog to GDV.
Personally I have also seen dogs that had not been fed and there was just fluid in their stomachs. In Poppy’s case it was a very warm day and she had been panting a lot which I wonder whether it was a contributory factor as again she had more fluid in her stomach than food. I defininatly think Poppy is here today because her owners were so on the ball and noticed the odd behaviour quickly. The photo above is of Poppy and her brother who by the sounds of it is a bit of a veterinary miracle too!