i was devestated when nenz died from bloat. i looked up alot of info about bloat and preventing it. i then asked my vet if she did gastropexies (tacking the stomach so it doesn't flip) and she said, yes, it has been a fairly common request lately, and i was given a quote of about $350. i was wondering if anyone else here has had this done, and has it been successful in preventing death? i have read that dogs that bloat usually have something wrong with the flap in their throat that moves when they burp, the dogs that bloat for some reason, the flap doesn't move or something, they can't burp and that causes the stomach to fill with gas. nenz never burped, and i think that may be why. both my gsd and poodle burp alot, which i am guessing is a good sign? i am wondering if they are still at risk for bloat? would the gastropexies be a worthwhile investment? would appreciate your opinions, thanks. i don't want to be heartbroken again.

I am not sure but I think the gastroplexy will keep the stomach from twisting, which cuts off the blood supply. But even with one, if a dog bloats and the gas cannot escape they could die. I believe it is an emergency situation with or without. You would maybe buy sometime to get to a vet by having one though. I would think your current dogs burping is a good thing but not sure if "alot"  is good. It sounds like maybe their food could be causing to much gas. I wish I could answer your other questions. Maybe you should ask your vet his/her opinion.

vet said that the gastropexy would stop the stomach from flipping, but didn't say much other than that sometimes bloat just happens for no reason in any large breed dog. my girls burp after drinking water, they gulp it down really fast.

They might be gulping alot of air too. Maybe try a smaller or shallow bowl so they can't drink so fast. I switched to a smaller bowl cuz my youngest was such a slob and it slowed her down. I also have a Bistro waterer and my oldest drinks real slow from it, she hates it when it glugs as it fills up....

Eating too Fast can also cause Bloat, 9 month old Pup Goran is like a wolf with his food,

so i feed hime a small bit at a time by hand or in his bowl with a short break between his having each small amount

If left to himself his ration of food will be gone in no more than 15 seconds

Steve

Belching is genetic.  It is a normal useful response to the buildup of gases in the gut, Robert.  A GSD that doesn't belch is much more likely to bloat and twist.  Torsion is the end result of bloat where the stomach inflates and then rises in the abdominal cavity and twists while rising.  Splenic torsion is different and can be caused by twisting or disruption of blod flow by blunt force injury or splenic colic.

Bloat and GDV are two entirely separate entities.

A Gastropexy will not prevent bloat but it will prevent the stomach turning over thus cutting off blood supply etc.

try big blocks of ice in the water dish  and bricks in the food bowl this slows them down!!!!!

GAS X with every meal is easy

My take on it is that it won't prevent bloat, but will certainly be helpful to have the stomach tacked.  $350!  Wow, that's dirt cheap compared to what it would cost around here.  I've considered doing it on my guys, I work at a vet so the cost would not be an issue.  However, some practices do it Laparoscopically so the dog would not have to be cut open. 

Overall, I don't think that it's a bad idea. 

The U.S. military is now routinely tacking stomachs on GSDs and Malis prior to deployment.