Actually, heredity is a factor in that deep chested dogs are ALL predisposed to bloat....according to our vet-surgeon. Also what you feed, how you feed, how irritable your dog's digestive system is, parasites, etc. It is a 'perfect storm' situation, so that when you combine a few of the very common factors together, you have the problem. All our GSDs have deep chests, some more so than others. My vet also said that the younger the dog, the poorer they do once some necrosis of the GI system has occurred. He said that young dogs immune systems are not developed enough to fight a full blown sepsis, & that even if the necrotic bowel is removed, the pup would not survive. With bloat, as opposed to intersusseption, you can not create a surgical anastomy of the stomache, as can be done with the bowel, so gastric torsion is far more serious. A dog's GI tract is not attached to the wall of the perineum, so it can flop around in there under the best of circumstances. Gastroplexy &/or bowel plication stabilizes the stomache &/or bowel against the inner wall of the abdomen, a lot of stitching or stapling, & it's not a guarantee, but it offers some protection for those very deep chested dogs. Still, owners need to be vigilant for the signs & symptoms of gastric torsion or bowel intersusseption. We were lucky, we caught it in our girl in time.

So sorry for your loss. jackie harris