25/08/2026
This is Bear!! Isn’t he beautiful 🤩
A few weeks back poor Bear had a very dangerous condition called a GDV, Gastric Dilation-Volvulus. The stomach fills with air and twists on its axis cutting off the blood supply. It is a life threatening emergency! The owners knew Bear wasn’t right and spoke to Vet Emma who immediately told them to come straight in. Time is very much of the essence in this situation. Bear was examined and immediately taken for X-rays which confirmed our suspicions. As Bear was close to 76kg, Vet Annmarie and Nurse Barbara came in to assist. Surgery was undertaken through the night and Bear’s stomach was untwisted and sutured to the abdomen wall to prevent it happening again. It was very difficult physically because of Bear’s size but thankfully the surgery went very well, due to the phenomenal efforts of both vets Emma and Annmarie. Bear recovered very well and went home to his fantastic owners ❤️ below are pictures of Bear during his stay, at home in recovery and posing 🥰
GDV as mentioned is a life threatening condition that needs immediate attention, it’s much more likely in larger deep chested breed dogs.
Symptoms include:
➡️ dry heaving
➡️ swollen hard drum like abdomen
➡️ excessive drooling
➡️ very restless
If you have a large breed dog, there are tips to try avoid GDV:
➡️ small meals little and often
➡️ using puzzle feeders or slow feeding bowls to slow down eating
➡️ rest after eating a meal for an hour or two
➡️ avoid stress at meal times to reduce air swallowing
➡️ restrict car travel before and after meals for an hour or two
➡️ feed from the floor, previous advice was to use raised feed bowls but new advice is to feed from the floor
If you are concerned that your dog has a GDV then call your vet immediately!