I just wanted to share with you the first successful GDV surgery in my life at Leicester PDSA Hospital 🙂
My patient survived and doing well after this difficult and stressful procedure when every second counts! Here is some info about this serious condition, photos show X-rays taken before surgery, spleenic torsion related to GDV during splenectomy and the patient the day after.
Twisted Stomach, Gastric Dilatation Volvulus (GDV) is a life-threatening condition in dogs. All breeds can suffer from it but the most common are Great Danes, Weimaraners, St. Bernards, Irish Setters.
Early signs are often associated with abdominal pain: standing and stretching, drooling, distended belly and retching without producing anything. As the stomach begins to dilate, the pressure in the stomach begins to rise and causes serious problems including reduced blood return to the heart, rupture of the stomach wall, pressure on the diaphragm, difficulty breathing, collapse and shock.
Treatment includes stabilisation, decompression of the stomach and surgery to return the stomach to the normal position. Despite surgery, prognosis is often guarded as intoxication and infection can cause irreversible internal organ changes.
