Torsion of the stomach in dogs is a much more common problem than one can imagine, so much so that perhaps our dog may suffer from it on occasion. That is why it is very important to know what it is, what its symptoms are and of course how to prevent it.
It is a very simple ailment to detect and act quickly in case you have it, it can be the difference between saving or not your life. Let’s go over the characteristics of stomach torsion in a simple way.
Index of contents
- 1 What is stomach twisting in dogs?
- 2 What are the symptoms of stomach twisting in a dog?
- 3 What to do if I detect symptoms of a stomach twist in my dog?
- 4 How to avoid stomach torsion in dogs?
- 5 After a stomach twist … Will they have a normal life?
What is stomach twisting in dogs?
When a dog’s stomach fills up with food or gas, it dilates by natural physiology just as it does in humans. But dogs have their stomach held by two tendons, which are sometimes not strong enough to hold properly.
When this happens, the dog’s stomach can acquire unnatural postures, becoming writhing in such a way that its contents cannot pass into the intestine, nor can it be vomited. Similarly, the blood inside the stomach cannot circulate either.
This problem can seriously affect other vital organs of our dog, leading to death in many cases. It is not a disease, it is simply an evil that our dogs can suffer.
What are the symptoms of stomach twisting in a dog?
Fortunately for us humans, detecting a stomach / gastric torsion is very simple. And if we act quickly we can greatly increase the chances that our dog will survive. These are the main symptoms that we will be able to appreciate:
- Excessive panting, nervousness, excess excitement, anxiety.
- Body tremorsabdominal tremors (not to be confused with cold tremors).
- Attempts to vomit, excess salivation, cough, foam in the mouth, dizziness
- Trouble breathing, inflammation of the stomach area
What to do if I detect symptoms of a stomach twist in my dog?
If you detect one or more of the symptoms of gastric torsion in dogs, you should immediately go to a vet / vet clinic. Speed in acting is a fundamental factor that can make the difference between our dog surviving or dying.
There are no home remedies and absolutely nothing we can do., we must go to a veterinaryn or our dog will die. There are veterinary clinics that are open (or on call) 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
The vet will immediately put an intravenous line to our dog to hydrate him, he will try to perform a stomach wash or, depending on the state, operate directly. It is a long operation, which is why some dogs cannot endure so many hours of anesthesia, unfortunately.
If the operation ends correctly and we follow the guidelines that we can read below, our dog may have a healthy and happy life with normality.
How to avoid stomach torsion in dogs?
Gastric torsion occurs mainly in large breed dogs, although that does not mean that small breed dogs do not suffer from it. There are some simple tips that we must follow to prevent our dog from suffering from it.
In fact, they are tips that we should all follow, regardless of whether our dog is more or less likely to suffer from it, since they are common sense tips.
- Wait an hour before feeding our dog, if he has been running or doing intense physical exercise.
- Wait until our dog is completely relaxed before feeding him, avoid feeding them if they are excessively excited.
- Avoid drinking a lot of water continuously, such as if they come thirsty after exercising with us. We will give them water, but if we see that it is excessive, we will withdraw it and give it little by little.
- Avoid all physical exercise for at least an hour after each meal. It is best to take a nap.
- Avoid biting, avoid eating excessive amounts. It is much better to divide the food into two, three or four times a day, for example.
- Although not scientifically proven, some studies indicate that putting the feeder halfway between the ground and your head somewhat prevents twisting.
After a stomach twist … Will they have a normal life?
Of course, a stomach twist it can be solved with an operation, which although long and complex, saves the lives of many dogs every year.
Our vet will tell us everything we need to know to prevent it from happening again, it is even possible that after the operation our dog has more strengthened those tendons. But being realistic, there will always be the risk that it can be repeated, so we must follow these guidelines in detail.
They can lead a normal life, of games and themselves, as they always have. We simply must bear in mind some indications, which are the same ones that we have presented here.