kyleanddrake

Doc E,
i was reading one of your topics on pointinglabs.com it talks about how we should all have our food and water dishes at ground level. I always have, but u said it helps lower the possibilities of Gastric torsion. I was just wondering what exactly that was. Thanks..

and if anyone else knows drop a line....


KyleandDrake

drfatguy

Gastric torsion is just what it says. The stomach twists (re: gastric=stomach, torsion=twist). This is a problem is larger dogs and can kill them.

Dr Fatguy

Rachswid

I've watched a dog die from gastric torsion, its not a pleasant way to go!
The vet was to far away, and a vet near by wouldn't help him because it wasn't his patient[:@] The dog died in the car on the way to his vet.
And believe me I've spread the word on the other vet.

Doc E

Gastric Volvulus goes by quite a few different names. Gastric Torsion, Twisted Gut being the most common. Do a websearch (like Google) with "Gastric Volvulus" as your search words. In Gastric Volvulus, the stomach twists 180 degrees or more around itself. It is an emergency (life threatening) situation and Emergency surgery is the only option. Usually the Vet will also staple the stomach to the inner rib cage in order to help prevent this from happening again.

It used to be thought that raising the dog's food and water bowls off the ground might help reduce the incidence rate -- but the latest word is that having them at ground level is better. Deep chested breeds Laarge or Giant breeds (particularly Great Danes and Labs) are particularly prone to this problem.

uplandchessies

Actually, a dog eating from an elavated bowl has no correlation to bloat/GDV. My deep-chested Chessies have been eating from elavated food and water bowls since birth with no problems. One is going to be 10 years-old in October, the other just turned 4 in April.

Although several factors can influence bloat, it has more to do with feeding a dog before or after rigorous exercise, hence the reason to allow dog to cool down before feeding or giving large amounts of water. Just pull bloat or GDV up on the web.

MNfowlplay

Thanks everyone

wvvet

Whether the food bowl is up or down is not nearly as important as the amount of food in the bowl. The primary cause of Gastric Dilation and Volvulus Syndrome (GDV) is the ingestion of an excessive amount of food quickly. The books say it can occur in any breed, although I have never seen one in a dog under 50#. German Shepards, Great Danes, Rotts, St. Benards, and Labs are your highest risk breeds. GDV is an emergency situation. Just remember these 2 symptoms. If you have a dog that suddenly develops a bloated abdomen that tries to vomit, but can't, get him somewhere QUICK.