Gastropexy- any downside? Experiences please?? - Page 1

So, Capri is getting spayed (partial spay- hysterectomy only!) next week, as now that I have her son here as well as my APBT, I now have 2 males to separate her from 3x per year, thus doubling my separation efforts, multiplying my workload as far as exercise (since they've got to be separated)  and the potential for problems is growing exponentially and now is just too great in my opinion, since I do not live alone and cannot control the environment 100%. Plus, with her cycling so often I worry a little more about pyo, though there isn't much published to support my worry about that.  

Anyway, the vet said she'd like to do a gastropexy (perpendicular to her spine) because she practiced 9 years in an emergency clinic and never wants to see another case of torsion, and I am curious if anyone here has ever had a NEGATIVE result afterwards. I would never do it on a dog not having their abdominal cavity opened anyway, but while they're in there....doesn't seem like a terrible idea, her being a nearly 8yr old GSD who will eat anything that isn't nailed down. 

Would really appreciate people's experience with it, positive or negative. I can research, but would like to hear actual peer experiences. Any input is greatly appreciated! 

I had Bev tacked when she was spayed 2 years ago. Jenni. I asked the vet his usually procedure, he said he tacks at one spot. I asked him to do it at 2 different areas and he did. She seemed to have more pain for a few days than I would have expected from a simple spay only and her appetite was off for a day- she had a complete spay .  The other 2 incisions were small, about 1". Otherwise I'd have to say the entire process was not remarkable.

I agree with your vet. Having seen more than a few GSD's with torsion, I feel as if it's well worth the extra surgery. BTW,  I still give her a Gas-x with every meal. I'm sure you know she can still bloat, but if the surgery is done correctly, she will not suffer from torsion.

The only negative I have been able to find thus far sounds like an issue with skill- they "can" accidentally catch too much and cause blockages, but if she says she nearly always does them with a spay, I would bet she's pretty darn good at them. Incidentally, her practice is dedicated wholly to service dogs and police dogs, so she deals primarily with dogs from bloat-prone breeds. 

I will clarify that she means tacking both sides, but I did ask her where she tacks and she said "sides" perpendicular to her spine, so that sounds like the best plan to me, if you're going to do a gastropexy. Knock on wood, Pri has never had an episode and we joke about her being bionic and not made of organic material, but I'd sure hate to have her have an issue later in life. They're going to be in there anyway....

Bev has never had any digestive issues either, but she is a GSD after all . Erring on the side of caution.........

I've been reading Great Dane forums and found a list of types of gastropexy and their pros and cons. Seems all only make one tack on the right abdominal wall??? http://www.gdca.org/health/GDVBloat.html

I opted for 2 tacks because I've heard of dogs that were tacked in only one spot that developed torsion when the tack tore loose. My vet never heard of that, so it's probably not very common. Two tacks = a fail safe in my mind.

Who is giving Blitzen a thumbs down for noting "two tacks" are recommended?  Here is my personal story with "more than one tack"

I had an old female GSD with torsion at 10 year old.  I went to a well known emergency vet, in the region, that had done hundreds of gastropexy's under emergency conditions.  He was also a standard poodle breeder, so did them for his own dogs as well. My dogs spleen twisted and took the stomach with it.  She had no damage to the stomach or intestines at the time a surgery, the vet elected to remove the spleen due to the swelling not going down.  He did more than one tack and it lasted 3.5 years with no complications, before having to put her down due to severe arthritis.  I did take her back to the same e-vet 3 times, post surgery, after the stiches were out, due to panic of it happening again, but every time it was just gas build up, that passed on its own without tubing. 

Bloat can reoccur after surgery if its not done correctly.  Gas can even build up in there from time to time while it heals, making the dog a little uncomfortable and is to be expected a few months after the surgery.  The surgery was done at 2:00am in the morning at the e-vet and she spent the next 3 days overnight at my regular vet, while he observed her heart function.  She walked both in and out of the surgery, under her own power.

I am a believer in the Gastropexy procedure, BUT, it seems, the vet needs to have lots of experience under their belt for it to be successful.  For example, in my dog club, NOT one of the breeders has had success with Gastropexy surgeries, in 30+ years of dog breeding.  They all say unanimously that it is a waste of money.  However, none could tell me how many tacks the dogs got, nor could they tell me how many Gastropexy's their vets had done prior to their dog receiving one.  

I still have the post-op x-rays on a digital file as well, can't post them now though (at work)

I read about one or two cases that still had torsion, but I wonder how it was done...and I noticed that it was a Great Dane who was extremely bloated for a while before it happened, ie, the weight was just eventually too great and it ripped. I'd like to think I'm not that stupid as to let her go that long but of course, there is always the middle of the night...

I'm going to clarify. I swear she said "sides," plural, but this chart confused me. 

As a side note, I think you angered someone, Blitzen. 

Momo, I just wonder what they base "success" on. If they think it'll prevent bloat, then of course they'll be disappointed. If they realize it will only stop or delay torsion, then I'd expect a different result. Do you have any insight on that? 

@Jenni78, they are all surprised when I tell them how long it lasted.  But you are right, I still took that dog to the vet 3 times after the surgery, thinking she was having a real bloat episode.  I was wrong in all 3 cases, but I'll bet the people in my club falsely assumed, the surgery was making the dogs "bloat proof"