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Ollie, the handsome 2 ½ year old boxer had spent the day chasing his toy and bouncing round the garden with his brother, Jake. But, after his dinner, he became restless and started trying, unsuccessfully, to vomit. His human helpers, Andrea and Gary, became very worried about his increasing distress when Ollie asked to go outside, then lay on the grass and wouldn’t get up. His midriff felt tight, and started to rapidly swell, so they decided to seek help.

As soon as Ollie arrived at the Animal Emergency Centre the duty vet and nurses knew he required immediate attention. His stomach was twisted and filling with gas, pressing on vital organs and causing much discomfort. They also knew that without urgent life-saving surgery Ollie would almost certainly die. Straight away Ollie was stabilised, given pain relief, and prepped for surgery.

Andrea reports that within a few days of his return home, Ollie was fighting fit. In fact it was difficult convincing him to stay calm enough to recuperate! Almost a year on, you wouldn’t know there had ever been a problem, and with the preventative surgery performed at the time of the emergency procedure, he won’t suffer this awful condition in the future. This was a great outcome for Ollie, but Andrea shudders to think what might have happened if she had waited until morning to have him examined. She was surprised how swiftly Ollie deteriorated.

GDV, or Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus (twisted stomach/bloat) occurs mainly in large breed, often older, deep chested dogs. GDV is a life threatening emergency, so if you suspect your dog is bloating seek veterinary attention IMMEDIATELY. Speak to your regular veterinarian about prophylactic
surgery if you suspect you own an at risk breed.