Gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV), also known as bloat, occurs when a dog's stomach enlarges with gas or fluid and rotates on its axis. It can cause shock and organ damage due to reduced blood flow. Risk factors include age, breed, eating habits. Diagnosis is made via x-rays showing abnormal stomach positioning. Treatment involves stabilizing the patient, decompressing the stomach, surgically correcting the rotation, and attaching the stomach to the abdominal wall to prevent future twisting (gastropexy). Post-operative care focuses on monitoring for arrhythmias and providing supportive care like IV fluids and antibiotics.

1. GASTRIC DILATATION AND
VOLVULUS IN DOGS
Submitted by :
B.Sangeetha
KV/19-007

2. Defination
● Enlargement of the stomach associated with
rotation on its mesenteric axis is referred to as
gastric Dilatation volvulus (GDV).
● The term simple Dilatation refers to as stomach
that is engorged with air or froth but not
malpositioned.
Synonyms: Gastric torsion or bloat.

3. Predisposing factors
● Male gender
● Increasing age
● Underweight fed with large volume of food
per meal
● Eating rapidly
● Fearful temperament

4. Pathophysiology
● The stomach becomes enlarged as gas or
fluid or both accumulate in the lumen.
● The cause of GDV is unknown, but
excercise after ingestion of large meals of
highly processed food or water has been
suggested to contribute to it.

5. ● Generally,with GDV the stomach rotates in a clockwise
direction. The rotation may be 90 to 360 degrees but usually
is 220 to 270 degrees.
● The duodenum and pylorus move ventrally and to the left of
the midline and become displaced between the esophagus
and stomach.
● Caudal venacava and portal vein compression by the
distended stomach reduces venous return and cardiac
output, causing myocardial ischemia.
● Central venous pressure,stroke volume, mean arterial
pressures, and cardiac output are reduced.

6. ● Obstructive shock and inadequate tissue perfusion affect
multiple organs,including the kidneys,heart,
pancreas,stomach and small intestine.
● Cardiac arrhythmias occur in many dogs with GDV,
particularly those with gastric necrosis.

7. Clinical signs :
● Shock
● Weak peripheral pulse
● Tachycardia
● Dyspnea
● Pale mucus membrane
● Prolonged capillary refill time
● Distended / bloated abdomen

8. Physical examination findings
● Abdominal palpation often reveals various degrees
of abdominal tympany or enlargement.
Diagnostic imaging
● Right lateral and dorsoventral radiographic views
are preferred in order to facilitate filling the
abnormally displaced pylorus with air so that it can
be easily identified.

9. ● The pylorus is normally located ventral to the
fundus on the lateral view and on the right side of
the abdomen on the dorsoventral view.
● On a right lateral view of a dog with GDV the
pylorus lies cranial to the body of the stomach and
is seperated from the rest of the stomach by soft
tissue(reverse c sign or double bubble)
● On the dorsoventral view, the pylorus appears as a
gas filled structures to the left of medicine.

10. Right lateral view Dorso ventral view

11. Medical management
● Stabilizing the patient’s condition is the initial objective.
● One or more large bore catheters should be placed in
either a jugular or both cephalic veins.
● Broad spectrum antibiotics (ampicillin plus enrofloxacin)
should be administered.
● If the animal is dyspneic,oxygen therapy may be given
by nasal insufflation or mask.
● Gastric decompression should be performed while
shock therapy is initiated.

12. ● The stomach may be decompressed
percutaneously with several large bore intravenous
catheters or a small trocar, or a stomach tube may
be passed.
● Once the air has been removed, the stomach
should be flushed with warm water.
● Failure to lavage the stomach usually results in
rapid redilatation after the tube is withdrawn.

13. Radiographs may be taken after the patient has been
decompressed and is stable.
Surgical treatment
Positioning
● The dog is placed in dorsal recumbency and the
abdomen is prepared for a midline abdominal
incision.
● The prepared area should extend from midthorax to
the pubis.

14. The goals of surgical treatment are threefold.
● To inspect the stomach and spleen so as identify and
remove damaged or necrotic tissues.
● To decompress the stomach and correct any
subsequent malpositioning.
● To adhere the stomach the body wall to prevent
subsequent malpositioning.

15. Anaesthesia
Induction
● Oxymorphone - 0.1 mg /kg I/v
● Diazepem - 0.25 to 0.5 mg /kg I/v
● Aceprmazine -0.02 mg /kg I/v
Maintainance
● 2% Isoflurane
● Propofol

16. ● Decompress the stomach before repositioning by using
large bore needle(14 or 16 guage) attached to suction.
● If the needle becomes occluded with ingesta, have an
assignment pass an orogastric stomach tube and
perform gastric lavage.
● Intra operative manipulation of the cardia usually allows
the tube to be passed into the stomach without
difficulty.

17. ● If adequate decompression is still not achieved or an
assistant is not available, a small gastrotomy incision
can be performed to remove the gastric contents.
● For a clock wise rotation,once the stomach has been
decompressed,rotate it counterclock wise by grasping
the pylorus with the right hand and the greater
curvature with the left.Push the greater curvature or
fundus of the stomach toward the table while
simultaneously elevating the pylorus toward the
incision.

18. ● Push the greater curvature or fundus of the stomach
toward the table while simultaneously elevating the
pylorus toward the incision.
● Check to make sure the spleen is normally positioned
in the left abdominal quadrant. If there is splenic
necrosis or significant infarction , perform a partial or
complete splenectomy.
● Remove or invaginate necrotic gastric tissues.

19. ● Verify that the gastropexy is ligament is not torsed, and
before closure palpate the intra abdominal esophagus
to ensure that the stomach is derotated.
● Perform a permanent gastropexy.

20. Gastropexy
● It is a surgical technique in which the stomach
wall is adhered to the body wall.
● It is done for the prevention of reoccurrence of
GDV.

21. Types
● Tube gastropexy
● Circumcostal gastropexy
● Incisional gastropexy
● Belt- loop gastropexy

22. Tube gastropexy
Surgical technique
● A foley catheter is placed through stab incision
in abdominal wall.
● A purse string suture placed in pylori antrum
and a stab incision is made into the gastric
lumen.

23. ● Catheter is placed through gastric stab incision.
● The balloon is inflated and the purse string suture
is tied.
● The pyloric antrum is sutured to abdominal wall
with pre placed simple interrupted sutures.
Advantage : Relatively quick and technically simple.
Disadvantage: Local or generalized peritonitis.

25. Circumcostal gastropexy
● Flap is created from muscularis layer of ventral pyloric
antrum
● Incision is made over the costochondral junction of the
most complete caudal rib.
● Gastric flap placed beneath exposed rib.
● Flap is resutured to its original gastric margins.

26. Advantage
● Stronger than any other gastropexy
● Lower reoccurrence
● No special post operative management.
Disadvantage
● Difficult technique
● Rib fracture
● Pneumothorax

28. Incisional gastropexy
Surgical technique
● Longitudinal incision in the muscularis layer of the
ventral pyloric antrum.
● Incision into peritonitium and transverse abdominus
muscles intbeh right ventrolateral abdominal wall.
● Gastric incision is sutured to abdominal wall incision
with simple continuous pattern.

29. Advantage
● Relatively simple
● Quick
● Avoid complications of tube gastropexy
Disadvantage
● Invasion as a purely prophylactic technique.

30. INCISIONAL GASTROPEXY

31. Belt loop gastropexy
Surgical technique
● Modification of circumcostal technique.Two
parallel stab incisions made in the parietal
peritoneum and transversus muscle.
● Flap is made in ventral pyloric antrum.
● Gastric flap is passed through abdominal loop
and sutured back to original gastric margins.

32. Advantage
● Quick
● Technically simple
Disadvantage
● Some degree of technical difficulty.

33. BELT LOOP GASTROPEXY

34. Post operative care :
● Electrolyte fluid and acid basis status should be
monitored closely postoperatively.
● Many dogs with GDV are hypokalemic
postoperatively and require potassium
supplementation.
● Small amounts of water and soft low fat food should
be offered 12 to 24 hrs after surgery and the patient
observed for vomiting.

35. ● If vomiting is severe or continuous, a centrally acting
antiemetic may be given.
● H2 receptor antagonists (eg cimetidine, ranitidine,
famotidine) reduce gastric acidity and may be
beneficial.
● Intravenous fluid therapy should be continued until the
patient's oral fluid is taken is adequate to maintain
hydration.
● Cardiac arrhythmias are common in dogs with GDV and
usually begin 12 to 36 hrs after surgery.

36. Antiarrythmic therapy :
● Lidocaine - slow I/v bolus of lidocaine 2-4 mg/kg
● The. I/v drip 50 microgram /kg
Antibiotics :
● Amoxicillin & clavulanate -15 -25
● Cefazolin -20 mg/kg
● Glucocorticoids : Prednisolone -30 mg/kg