GDV: attention large-breed dog owners!

Posted in: Pets on October 26, 2010 at 8:01 am |

By Dr. Ohad Barnea

It was a nice summer night; my wife and I were walking our late Weimaraner, Ness, along Abbot Blvd. in Fort lee, after having a nice dinner with my parents.  Ness, too, ate very well that evening.  As we were walking, he suddenly stopped and started to vomit and retch.  He then collapsed onto his side.  I tried to get him up but, when I was not successful, it hit me; he was bloating in front of my eyes — his stomach got filled with air, and it started to rotate around itself like a swollen balloon filled with water, putting pressure on the aorta, the big blood vessel we all need in order to live.  He needed an emergency surgery to relieve the stomach from the pressure that had built up.

If you have a large size, deep-chested, dog — weighing 50lbs or more — you should become familiar with the symptoms and the predisposing factors of GDV (Gastro-Dilatation-Volvulus).  Acute vomiting, collapse, and shortness of breath are all possible symptoms.  While we are not sure what exactly causes GDV, here are tips I give to my clients:

1. Avoid dry foods that are rich in carbohydrates and cause gas to form in the stomach;

2. Don’t feed your dog from elevated dishes; let your dog eat from ground/floor level;

3. Always feed after a walk or exercise, never before;

4. Feed small meals, instead of one big meal.

As for my Ness, he survived the surgery, but had to give up his fancy elevated dish-stand I got for him during my trip to Maine.

Dr. Ohad Barnea is a 1992 graduate of Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine and the owner of Tenafly Veterinary Center and Cliffside Animal Hospital.

Tags: Paws for Thought