A High Commitment Team Dedicated to Caring for Your Pet
CASE #3
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Gus
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Gus is a 9-year-old neutered male Weimaraner. Gus is ordinarily an
outgoing happy dog, but that seemed to change last November. Suddenly
he appeared uncomfortable and made numerous attempts to vomit. In
addition, his abdomen was becoming quite distended. Although it was
the middle of the night, his owner realized immediately that Gus could
be seriously ill and called Lexington Animal Hospital for an emergency
examination. At the hospital it was confirmed that Gus was indeed in distress. His x-rays revealed an enlarged, distended stomach that had twisted around itself. This condition is known as Gastric Dilation-Volvulus (GDV) or bloat. Bloat can make a dog extremely uncomfortable in a very short period of time. In addition the enlarged stomach applies pressure to major blood vessels, leading to shock and often death. Fortunately, Gus has an attentive owner and he was rushed to surgery to correct his condition. In order to correct the problem and prevent recurrence, the stomach was repositioned and surgically attached to a rib on the inside of the abdominal wall. By doing this, the stomach will no longer be in danger of twisting on itself. The surgery went well and Gus stayed in the hospital intensive care unit overnight in order to closely observe him and provide intravenous fluids. Today Gus is back to his old self, no doubt thankful that his owner recognized the early signs of his distress. Bloat is a relatively common condition affecting large-breed dogs including Weimaraners, Great Danes, Labradors, German Shepherds, and others. Many of these dogs are deep-chested, providing more room for the stomach to rotate on itself. All owners of large breed dogs should be aware of the signs of this life-threatening disease: abdominal distension, unsuccessful attempts to vomit, discomfort, and restlessness. In order to prevent the problem, it is helpful to feed smaller more frequent meals to these breeds. In addition access to large volumes of water should be discouraged, particularly after vigorous exercise. |
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2627 Cordes Drive Sugar Land, Texas 77479 24-Hour Emergency Care for Our Clients Phone:(281) 980-3737 Fax: (281) 265-5584 Email:info@lexingtonpethospital.com |
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