Dog with the twisted stomach, aka the "smurf hat"

I see you have smurf hat too.

It's a real condition, especially in large/giant breeds. I have mastiffs and it is somewhat of a common condition with the breed. Best thing is to let them chill for a while after eating to let their food digest. It is also referred to as bloat.

Also yes, I read that when dogs eat one large meal quickly, or drink a lot of water right after, or exercise right after, or etc etc, they get smurf hat.

Does this not strike anyone as odd?

I mean if my dog survives I wont have to worry-- I ordered the old rivet to the body wall to keep the stomach squared away.

I may have them throw in that glass portal type thing they had on the LSU cow while we are at it.

Seriously tho. I'm a small bit skeptical of this. But unfortunately I can't call anyone's bluff on it, because it's my dog.

My lab died from it. Sure seemed real to me...

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I marvel at the number of heretofore healthy dogs that suddenly develop smurf hat that requires immediate surgery.

I'm just looking to understand the condition better. I know we have two resident vets on here. I'm puzzled at how a species as successful as dogs could have forgotten to naturally select for a stomach that wouldn't, you know, tie itself in a knot. And apparently it happens a lot. I'm real curious.

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Natural selection doesn't really apply as much with domesticated animals like dogs, cats, pigs, cows, etc because we're selectively breeding for different characteristics that we find desirable for one reason or another, not just letting them compete for survival in the wild. For natural selection to have a more powerful effect it would also have to hit animals before they are old enough to breed or have the chance to reproduce.

Anyway, GDV isn't completely understood. What presents in the case of an emergency is a really bloated/gas filled stomach which has torqued around so that the gas can't easily be passed back up the esophagus. It is more common in some larger breed dogs (which we bred thru artificial selection) with a deep chest. Perhaps this is a function of the size of the stomach and the room in the abdomen it has to move around (perhaps along with the wrong combination of a big meal, gas formation, and exercise to torque the stomach you may be unlucky enough to see a case).

It is an emergency procedure and the outcome is going to be in question. Restoring fluid volumes along with relieving the gas distension and torsion are some of the major concerns going into the procedure.

Ain't no way my lab has this. She farts and burps pretty much constantly. Stinky little bitch

That is how I lost my Weimaraner pal.

My St Bernard had GDV immediately after an FHO... Fortunately he was already in the ICU at the vet school from his hip surgery... He had a second procedure that day and the GDV caused no more problems for him...

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That is how I lost my Weimaraner pal

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Just got one and have been warned bout it constantly. Vet went so far as to tell me to spread out her food in a giant oven pan to make her eat slow.