Inversion of the stomach in dogs

The inversion of the stomach in dogs cannot be called a rare pathology; it is often diagnosed in the friends of our four-legged dogs. Moreover, it arises unexpectedly, develops rapidly, and the owner has only a few hours to deliver the pet to the veterinary clinic, otherwise the animal will die. How does such a dangerous pathological condition manifest itself, and what methods are used to treat it?

Causes of pathology

This disease is due to the fact that, unlike the human, the canine stomach is very weakly fixed, in addition, it is located horizontally. All this greatly increases the risk of organ twisting around the esophagus and contributes to the development of concomitant complications. A similar disease has not yet been fully studied, but experts still identify a number of factors that provoke an inversion of the stomach:

1. Dimensions, body weight and age of the dog . Large, massive individuals experience more intense stretching of the internal ligaments, so they quickly lose their elasticity. They are not able to fix the filled organ in the desired position, which leads to its twisting.
2. An unbalanced diet . Dogs, in fact, are predators, which many owners forget, including a lot of cereals and vegetables on their menu, or feed the dog with low-quality dry food. Both that, and another - it is wrong as 70-75% of a pet's diet should consist of meat ingredients. The dog does not get the necessary components and begins to eat more, which increases the load on the digestive tract. The walls of the stomach are greatly stretched, thinning, their elasticity decreases.
3. Irregular, rare meals . Dogs receiving food once a day or less are at risk for stomach upset.
4. Eat fast food . Pets that actively, practically without chewing, consume food, swallow a lot of excess air, because of which the organ expands.
5. Walking immediately after feeding . If the owner feeds the pet and immediately leads him outside, the stomach, filled with undigested food, can stretch and twist when the dog is actively moving.
6. Heredity . If the puppy’s parents suffered from a similar pathology, then he may later manifest it.
7. Stressful situations . According to statistics, anxious, restless dogs that have suffered a nervous shock are more likely to suffer from inversion.

More often, gastric upset develops in representatives of large and giant breeds: bullmastiffs, Dobermans, Labradors, etc.

Symptoms of stomach upset in dogs

The pathology develops so quickly that within an hour or two pronounced symptoms appear in the dog:

• general condition deteriorates sharply (with activity after feeding);
• the pet is anxious, constantly messing around in search of a more comfortable posture that can reduce pain symptoms;
• frequent attacks of vomiting with copious discharge of salivary mucous fluid, which do not stop after emptying the stomach;
• the volume of the abdominal cavity increases rapidly, when listening, you can determine strong gas formation, but there are no sounds of intestinal activity;
• there is a blue or pallor of the conjunctiva, nasal mucosa, jaws, genitals;
• shortness of breath appears;
• body temperature goes down;
• due to the fact that the pathology leads to the squeezing of blood vessels and nerve trunks, the dog is getting harder and harder to get up.

The owner, who discovered such a condition of the pet, unfortunately, cannot help him on his own. It is important not to get confused and take him to a veterinary clinic as soon as possible.

Diagnostic methods

First of all, the veterinarian examines the dog, probes the peritoneum. After he collects an anamnesis, interviewing the owner, especially important information is that the dog ate, how long and how much.

As the main diagnostic method, an x-ray of the peritoneum is prescribed. Usually this is enough to identify violations. In some clinics, instead of radiological, an ultrasound scan is performed.

It is possible to confirm the occurrence of gastric torsion if a gastric tube is inserted. Excessive gas escapes through the tube, filling the stomach, which provides short-term relief. But gas accumulation continues, and after some time the abdominal cavity swells again. This is a clear sign of gastric obstruction.

Naturally, such a procedure requires certain skills, so it should be carried out by a specialist.

Treatment of stomach upset

No pills and physiotherapy are able to rid the animal of this pathological condition. Mandatory operation. And the sooner the inversion is diagnosed and the four-legged patient is operated on, the more likely it is that the pet will recover.

The intervention is carried out urgently, in some cases, surgeons puncture the abdominal wall to release excess air and reduce pressure on the organ.

The operation includes the following steps:

• the surgeon cuts a small area of ​​the abdominal wall;
• gives the twisted body a normal position;
• fixes the stomach using a special technology that does not allow the body to be wrapped in the future - it hem it to the abdominal wall;
• through the probe, the specialist empties and rinses the affected organ;
• if dead tissue is found during surgical manipulation, their excision is required;
• in the end, the abdominal cavity is washed with antiseptic agents, examined for bleeding;
• at the end of the procedure, if the surgeon makes sure that there are no complications, he sutures the incision.

After surgery, a four-legged patient is prescribed a series of tests and ultrasound to identify possible disorders in the functioning of the digestive tract. If pathologies were discovered, then the doctor is engaged in their treatment. In certain situations, after surgery, the patient needs parenteral nutrition.

The duration of the recovery and rehabilitation period is due to many factors - the severity of the disease, the presence of complications and other ailments, age-related characteristics of the dog. Young animals are rehabilitated much faster than their older counterparts. Usually, the animal is in the hospital for 2-3 days, in a complicated condition, it takes about 4-5 days to recover.

The pet must starve for two days, daily its seams are processed. The wound remaining after the operation is closed with a bandage. To avoid the development of infection, the dog is prescribed antibacterial agents, in addition, the doctor may recommend taking supportive and antiemetic medications. Suture material is removed after 10-14 days.

What can I confuse with this condition?

Symptoms of inversion are similar to symptoms of acute expansion of the stomach. Only in the second pathological condition does not the organ twist, only its swelling occurs due to accumulated gases. With acute expansion, it is sufficient to use a probe, less often, gases are released by puncture of the walls of the stomach - a specialist punctures the organ with a sharp needle, and through the holes the gases exit.

Procedures relieve the patient from unpleasant manifestations. This violation is not dangerous, but very often, following a similar pathology, an inversion develops, so the dog needs to be examined.

Stomach upset is a serious pathology, the development of which is much easier to prevent than after sending the four-legged pet to the operating table. The owner should take care of the proper, proper nutrition of the dog, adhering to certain rules, and ensure good conditions. Older animals should be especially careful, because it is much more difficult for them to cope with various diseases.