Bloat--stomch stitching - Page 1

How successful is the stitching of the stomach in the prevention of bloat?

Can most any vet do it or is a specialist needed? How expensive a procedure? Shouldn't be much I think.

Any side effect?

I am thinking about this procedure when my older female is spayed.

Thanks

HighDesertGSD

Tacking the stomach does not prevent bloat-it is a preventative measure to keep the stomach from flipping.
My twelve year old male is a GDV survivor-his stomach was tacked during the emergency surgery-we have not had a reoccurance.

A year ago my 4 year female was tacked during an emergency surgery for a foreign object obstruction-at that time I inquired as to the charge for having my young male tacked-the UMVTH quoted $1800. I had it done with my new vet later last year for $400.00-other then an auto immunity issue thereafter, he really had no problems-the AI issue has resolved itself, as to whether it was actually related, I do not know.

During my research, I've discovered they now have several ways of tacking the stomach-even tacking is not fool proof in the prevention of flipping.  Will I have the others done-when I can do so-the one GDV experience was more then enough for my lifetime.

I wish I could say that it did prevent bloat, but after my Arco bloated just after his 9th birthday, we did emergency surgery and we tacked his stomach, he did great and made it through surgery no problems. It was just a little over 2yrs later that he bloated again, I had to rush him to a vet 20 plus minutes away and by the time we got there he was very miserable, but the vet and his family were waiting as we rushed in the door. Within a few minutes he was on the table and having his second GDV surgery. The first surgeries tacking was still intact and he was still able to twist enough to cause him problems. So far we are 6mos past his second surgery and he is doing great! Hopefully we don't ever have to deal with a third. I would still recommend to do a preventative surgery if you can! Having to deal with it twice is way more than enough! I hope the last time was it.

This is really the third "bloat" I have had to deal with, the first was worse because it was called Mesenteric Volvulus, which is where my GSD Hallmark bloated but the twist was below his stomach where his intestines attach to the stomach. He had no symptoms of GDV bloat, he was active and happy all day, ate his food, played with my other dogs. I went home to let them out at lunch and he came out of his crate seemed a little stressed, not bloated at all abdomen wasn't even sensitive, he went out and played with the other dogs, then tried to potty but very little came out, put him back in his crate and went back to work then went to check on him again and when I let him out of his crate he did a nose dive to the ground, rushed him to the emergency vet because my vet was at lunch, they tried barium he immediately vommited it up, asked if they should try again I said no just cut him open, and they did and called back within minutes that he was being kept alive by the dr.s staff I told them to stop and let him go! They said everything below his stomach was dead! His stomach was pink and healthy, the dr. said that even had I gotten him in early in the morning there would have been nothing that could have been done for him, he likely did this in the very early hours of the day 3 or so in the morning and within an hour or so all the organs below were dead and he was no longer in pain and couldn't feel anything that is why he was happy and playing and why he could eat with out throwing up. I had never heard of it before and pray that I never have to deal with that again! He was the greatest boy around!!!  To the best of my knowledge there is no preventative surgery for that, but that happened in 1999 while I was living in Wisconsin and I don't know if there is a preventative now or not.

I hope I never have to deal with either one again!!!

My puppy's intrasusseption was just below the intersection of stomache & intestine, fortunately when she got to the vet surgeon her bowels were just dusky & bruised looking....he plicated her entire bowel, her entire gi tract, to the lining of her peritoneum....as the tech said, "A whole lot of  stapling!" And even she has had a couple close calls since then. When they x-ray her gut it looks so funny, row upon row of intestine neatly lined up inside her, instead of the natural jumble. They always bring her x-rays out to comment on them, even the girls who've seen it before. I think it's worth doing....but here's a question for the experts, if a dog has had surgery like that, can they still be shown & compete in Schutzhund? jackie harris