German Shepherd Dog > How much does gastic torsion surgery cost (15 replies)

How much does gastic torsion surgery cost
by chad76 on 12 February 2012 - 02:37
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 My 18 month old GSD started acting as though something was really wrong last Friday night. I could only find one vet clinic that was open that time of night, and took her there. After taking x-rays the doctor came in the room and said her stomach had flipped and required surgery. They charged me $3,600.00 up front and said the cost could go higher if there was problems. I agreed and paided the money. The surgery went well and seen my girl today.
 IM not loaded with money, but I care for my GSD like my kid. Just wondering if I got taken for a ride?
     
  
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by muttlover25 on 12 February 2012 - 02:49
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My 9 year old female had the surgery in August her total costs were $2600. She did not have any complications and also didn't need her spleen etc removed.  She also only stayed one night, I have previous experience with Bloat and was a Tech for a few years so I felt comfortable bringing her home the next evening though I did have the vet put a pain patch on her.  Cost would have been another $1000 per day that she stayed at the vet hospital.   I had to put down $1000 cash/check or credit card and pay the remaining balance when the dog was picked up.  I think $3600 is alot of money for a surgery with no complications such as Spleen removal etc. How long your dog ends up staying at the vet hospital is another factor.  Hoping things go well for her!
Amy

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by Renofan2 on 12 February 2012 - 03:23
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One of my gsd's bloated 1.5 years ago and I paid $3,600.00 and then my other one kep bloating but no torsion.  Happened 4 x with emergency visits and treatment running about $800.00.  On the 4th time I had them go in an tack her even thought the stomach had not flipped and that ran me around $1600.00.

Cheryl

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by Emoore on 12 February 2012 - 03:41
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I've heard anything from $2500-$5000 for emergency bloat surgery, depending on complications.  
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by hexe on 12 February 2012 - 08:47
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The cost will vary depending on a number of things, from the economics of the location the practice services, to the time of day for the emergency surgery, plus treatment-related things such as the complexity of the surgery involved, whether or not there was cardiac arrhythmia to deal with, how much fluid volume the dog had to be given, and so forth. $3600 isn't the least expensive charge I've heard, true, but it's nowhere near the highest, either. Just glad your dog made it through the surgery, and hopefully will continue to recover uneventfully. Eighteen months of age is on the young side for bloat and torsion...hopefully, the surgeon tacked the stomach while they were in there.
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by Nans gsd on 12 February 2012 - 15:48
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It is $5,000 to walk into our emergency clinic in so. Cal with bloat, the surgery is another $5,000 from what I understand and of course, with no guarantees;  don't know what that includes would imagine a few days in emergency care, med, etc.  My friend lost 2 bitches to bloat and was told with both that the probably could not save them.??  So no I don't think $3600.00 sounds over-prices, but yes it is a lot of money.  Nan HOpe she heals well.
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by Kalibeck on 12 February 2012 - 23:38
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Our girl had an intrasusseption, her surgery with plication of the bowel cost $4700.00, not counting the $400.00 or so spent at the regular vet prior to the trip to the surgeon.  And that's reasonable for around here. The new emergency vet in Allentown costs $1600.00 to walk through the dog off hours, no matter what the situation, & then you have your vet & procedure & supplies billed on top of that. So, $3700.00 sounds damn fair to me! Especially with a good outcome. Hope she continues to do well! jackie harris
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by carebear on 13 February 2012 - 06:36
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by MezandBeau on 14 February 2012 - 04:37
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The cost in Australia, at least for my vet, is a lot less.  Those who've read my posts from January would know my 9month old pup had emergency surgery for a twisted stomach and spent a few days at the surgery.  That cost me just over AUD$1,000.  The second surgery a week later when his spleen twisted around his stomach cost around $1250 as he needed extra meds (thanks to it being the second time it'd happened in such a short space of time).  So for two lots of emergency after hours surgery and probably about 8 days in hospital and all x-rays, medications etc cost just over AUD$2250.  After reading these posts I've gone from feeling sorry for my bank balance to much more relieved!

 
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by momosgarage on 14 February 2012 - 16:30
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I'm in Southern California and my female bloated when she was 9 years old (about to turn 10).  The Emergency vet near my home cost $3000 with the spleen being removed.  I then spent another $500 for my regular vet to monitor her overnight for 3 days to make sure there was no arrhythmia.

However, she bloated on a Sunday night at 10:00PM, thats the peak hourly rate for my emergency vet.  If my regular vet had done the surgery with tacking and spleen removal, it would have been around $1000 for the surgery alone.

I would say it depends on how you e-vet runs his practice.  Mine seems honest and runs a tight ship, so he doesn't overcharge to make up for poor business practices.  My e-vet was very, very experienced with bloat surgeries and had even done the procedure on a few of the poodles he has bred over the years.  I got lucky, the e-vet knew exactly what he was doing, he was famliar with my female from a prior visit and my regualr vet was nearby to the e-vet and my home, so after care was affordable. 

It was a very exhausting ordeal, waiting for surgery, waiting for the vet monitoring to be done and then sleeping on the floor for a couple of weeks and watching her like a hawk to make sure she didn't nibble her stitches or have some other kind of relapse. 

Although not always recommended, I would say look into gettting the stomach tacked when you get spaying/neuterng done and possibly also an intestine tacking to prevent mesenteric torsion.
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by guddu on 15 February 2012 - 01:10
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"Although not always recommended, I would say look into gettting the stomach tacked when you get spaying/neuterng done and possibly also an intestine tacking to prevent mesenteric torsion."

Absolutely the wrong thing to do, IMHO.
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by myret on 15 February 2012 - 06:59
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These gastric torsion is very expensive everywhere In the world it is very expensive In Europe to , my male had this a few years ago and had surgery I paid 25000 kr I had to go to the bank and borrow the money
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by momosgarage on 15 February 2012 - 16:19
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guddu, may I ask why its the wrong thing to do?  We don't know what lines the OP's dog comes from, so re-occuring bloat and a possible mesenteric torsion episode are a real possibility.

If the dog is nearly full grown and has bloated already at a young age, I think alive with "possible complications from tacking" is better than being found "dead" after coming home from work.  The OP said the dog was 18 months, but didn't say if the dog was spayed/neutered yet.  I think its very reasonable to have the tacking and neutering/spaying done all at once in another 12-18 months.

Almost everyone at my club that have owned many GSD, had a least one bloat in thier lifetime.  All got thier stomachs tacked and lived into the mid teens.  I have to double check, but last I heard all Lackland AFB working dogs get tacked too.
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by hexe on 15 February 2012 - 22:23
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Yes, I know for sure that all the GSDs at Lackland DO have gastropexy done.  Don't think they tack the intestines, though.
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by Emoore on 15 February 2012 - 22:45
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Guddu, I'd like to hear why having the stomach tacked is the wrong thing to do, too.  I'm planning on having my dog's done this summer.  
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by Kiana96 on 16 February 2012 - 22:15
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My male just had the gastric torsion surgery last August, I'm in Dallas, TX area.  Middle of the night, no bloat.  I was quoted $2500-$3000 at emergency vet...end result was $2500 there and another $500 at my regular vet to monitor the next day.

Worst night of my life, I'll be getting the stomach tack preventatively for all my dogs in the future.  Bitches during the spay and males after they mature, between 2-4.

I too would be interested why tacking of the stomach would be a bad idea.  My daughter is a trauma surgeon (apparently this happens in people as well) and she said the tacking was a good idea.

Linda

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