Dilatation Syndrome in Dogs

  • Gastric dilatation syndrome is a medical emergency that can be fatal if not treated quickly.
  • Large and older dogs are more susceptible to this condition.
  • Factors such as diet, stress, and behavior can increase the risk of dilation.
  • Preventive gastropexy is the most effective solution to prevent the onset of this disease in predisposed dogs.
Miriam

9 minutes

woman and dog sitting back to back

Syndrome stomach dilation It is a sudden disorder and of emergency which, if not recognized and treated immediately, It is fatalYou can prevent it with preventive gastropexy.

El torsion syndrome due to dilation of the stomach of the dog is a condition in which the stomach swells abnormally and twists on itself, effectively creating a bag closed at both ends. This causes increased swelling due to increased gas inside.

The circulation of the blood vessels at the torsion points is blocked.

If the torsion is total, there may also be a dislocation of the spleen that undergoes necrosis. The result is unfortunate if action is not taken as quickly as possible.

Causes and predisposing factors of stomach dilation in dogs

The causes of it No. they are fully known. Many studies have been carried out on cases, predisposition and possible causes of the disease, with fairly approximate results.

The most obvious fact and true is that it occurs above all in large or very large dogs and with a particular conformation of the chest deep and wide.

Breeds like:

  • St. Bernard
  • Great dane
  • Gordon setter
  • Italian bracco
  • brazilian row
  • irish setter
  • standard bum
  • Neapolitan Mastiff and many other breeds involved.

dilated stomach syndrome in dogs

The frequency of cases is 50% Most en dogs older than 6 years that in dogs from 2 to 4 years.

In addition, a physiological laxity of the ligaments of the stomach, present in elderly dogs, makes the possibility of the disease appearing greater in the latter.

On April 60nd % of cases occurred between 18.00:24.00 and XNUMX:XNUMX. (Presumably because meals are given more frequently at night.)

Other possible causes are closely related to nutrition and behavior during and after a meal:

  • diets with poorly digestible and coarse foods – table scraps and the like
  • small size croquettes
  • managing a large meal
  • drink large amounts of water immediately after a meal
  • voracity in food (also for fear of other dogs stealing the food)
  • agitation of the animal immediately after feeding.

They were also evaluated the behaviors in the 8 hours immediately articles to the event, for which precipitating factors were considered:

  • el Stress
  • travel long
  • stay in the kennel
  • bigger meal usual
  • change of meal times

however, in large dogs that are already predisposed in terms of breed and size (Study of the Purdue University).

black dog with yellow eyes

The role of nutrition

A 2000 study looked at different aspects of nutrition:

  • food at home : has been associated with a 59% decrease in the risk of dilation/torsion (GDV),
  • wet diet : found one 28% decrease (Glickman LT et al., 2000)
  • eating table scraps No. was effective in protection (Pipan M et al. 2012)
  • adding fish or eggs to the dry diet reduced the risk.

Finally, the administration of a large amount of food, supplied in a single daily meal, seems directly related and a higher probability of presenting with GDV, as demonstrated by a prospective study of 106 dogs with GDV and 212 healthy dogs (control group). The hypothesis that would explain this phenomenon is that a large volume of food can excessively distend the stomach wall and increase its weight, causing stretching of the gastric ligaments (Raghavan M et al., 2004)

Importance of dog emotion

The character can also influence the incidence:

  • agitated dogs
  • aggressive
  • fearful
  • anxious

they seem to be more predisposed than calmer animals (Glickman LT et al., 2000; Pipan M et al., 2012).

A fact common to various animals is that they have lived Stressful events in the 24 hours prior to the onset of GDV, such as kennel confinement (p<0,05) or a car trip (p<0,025). (Elwood CM, 1998)

Ingestion of foreign bodies and incidence of GDV

A 2012 study of 118 cases treated surgically for GDV, 12 (10,2%) they had also ingested a concomitant foreign body.

According to the statistical analyzes carried out, it was concluded that dogs that had ingested foreign bodies They had almost five times more likely To present DVG That the others.

dog with sad look

Symptoms of stomach dilation in dogs.

The symptoms of the disease are, fortunately, very well recognizable.
The dog is shown:

  • agitated, does not find peace
  • sigue going up y down
  • He tries to vomit, to no avail.
  • tendency to lie down with the belly resting in the cold
  • sudden and pronounced swelling stomach (not always present)

There have been cases of torsion in the absence of swelling, especially in dogs fed fresh and therefore less fermentable food.

This fact should alarm all owners of predisposed dogs, who should not think that diet alone can be protective.
Although a fresh homemade diet can improve, the onset of disease cannot be considered impossible even with this type of diet.

In the torsion of the stomach in dogs, time is of the essence!

The only solution is emergency surgery. The lack of diagnosis or the late diagnosis of the disease arises because many times we do not notice its appearance, since happens at night.

black dog

How is torsion of the stomach in dogs treated?

The dog must be moved emergency to an emergency service which will be alerted during the journey.

No maneuver can be useful on the part of the owner if it is not punctuality in rescuing the dog and taking it to a clinic.

Once the doctors have stabilized the dog's condition, surgery is the only solution.

The operation consists of repositioning the stomach in its correct inclination, checking for lesions in the spleen and other organs and vessels.

It will be essential to stomach ligation o gastropexy, to the chest walls to avoid recurrences which inevitably reappear in the absence of this precaution.

After surgery, The dog eats again in the following 24 hours, but it is advisable to administer hyperdigestible food and in small quantities.

Prevention (not fully effective methods)

La prevention of the Syndrome Gastric Torsion Dilatation consists of a series of behavioral habits related to the dog feeding. However, these precautions do not are absolutely enough to significantly reduce the incidence of disease onset.

Let's see them.

  • Give two or more small meals up to date.
  • Dogs must be left separate and quiet during the meal, so they don't feel the stress and rush of having to finish their food early for fear that other dogs will steal it.
  • Do not increase the amount of coup food
  • No give foods indigestible and coarse.
  • Feed Croquetas great and place in a large bowl to spread. The use of feeders specifically designed to slow down food intake is not recommended, as they increase stress and air intake.
  • Manage hyperdigestible foods to help empty the stomach
  • Keep the animal quiet during at least two hours after a meal: a short walk can ease digestion and speed up stomach emptying.
  • The position of the bowl (either high or low with respect to the dog's head) is a piece of information, apparently not relevant, however, it seems that the high bowl increases the entry of air and therefore more swelling, but not attempted.
  • An diet rich in unsaturated fatty acids has the ability to reduce microbial fermentation, a possible cause of swelling (Meyer & Zentek 2001)

Preventive gastropexy in dogs.

The only truly effective and definitive preventive solution in dogs with a high predisposition to Torsion-Dilation Syndrome of the Stomach is the PREVENTIVE GASTROPEXY.

Preventive gastropexy is a surgical procedure that consists of fix the stomach walls to the dog's ribs. This way, even in the event of dilation, the organ remains in position, allowing it to empty naturally and without difficulty.

This intervention can be easily performed with the technique laparoscopic, a minimally invasive surgical technique that allows the surgeon to perform all necessary maneuvers through two very small holes made in the dog's sides. Healing of small wounds is much faster and easier than traditional non-laparoscopic gastropexy surgery.. In addition, it can be done (in females) also during their sterilization phase and always through the same small hole.

From today our clinic offers a service fully laparoscopic gastropexy. One of the few in Italy to face this type of intervention.

En conclusion

Canine Dilation of the Stomach Syndrome It is a potentially fatal disease in predisposed dogs. Since there are no certainties and positive results on the possibilities of prevention in the behavior and feeding of these subjects, preventive gastropexy It appears to be the only alternative solution to prevent the onset of the disease. This, if performed laparoscopically, becomes an acceptable solution both in terms of wound healing times and virtually nonexistent scarring. It is also much less painful for the dog, especially in the postoperative phase, with the resulting reduced need for medication.

Finally, one last piece of advice: if you haven't already done so, consider activating health and accident insurance Tippet (Powered by Marsh).

With less than 1 euro a day, you will be able to cover the veterinary, diagnostic and surgical medical expenses of your pet.

Add as preferred source in Google