Causes of gastric torsion in dogs

Generally speaking, this is related to the motility of the stomach, and breed and genetics are also closely related to this disease.
1. When a dog’s stomach is empty, it will not shake and turn over. Once the stomach is heavy (for example, after eating a lot, drinking a lot of water, and then panting rapidly, causing too much air in the stomach), there will be a huge external force. A shaking stomach may cause gastric torsion.
2. Huge psychological pressure can also cause gastric torsion, such as: dog competitions, mating, giving birth to puppies, boarding, just arriving at a new home, etc.
3. Other factors that are prone to gastric volvulus
1) Age. Older dogs are prone to gastric torsion. Dogs over 7 years old are twice as likely to develop gastric torsion as dogs between 2 and 4 years old.
2) Gender. Male dogs are more likely to develop gastric torsion.
3) Body shape. Slender dogs are more susceptible to gastric torsion.
4) Temperament. Dogs who are more anxious, nervous, and easily fearful are more likely to suffer from gastric torsion.

What is gastric volvulus in dogs

The stomach is turned over due to a huge external impact. There are ligaments connecting the spleen and stomach, so generally the spleen and stomach will twist together.
After gastric torsion, the inability of blood to pass through will cause ischemia and trauma to other internal organs, resulting in necrosis and eventually shock and death. Once gastric torsion occurs, the dog's physical condition will deteriorate rapidly, his life will be critical, and he may even die within a few hours. Even with treated dogs, the mortality rate is as high as 25-33%, and there is a 50% chance that survivors will not fully recover.

How to prevent gastric torsion in dogs

Gastric torsion is not a chronic disease and has no warning signs. But by paying attention to the following points, you can avoid gastric torsion in dogs as much as possible.

1. Feed the dog regularly and quantitatively, and do not let the dog eat too much. Especially for large dogs, don’t let them eat a lot after being hungry for a long time. This feeding method is very unhealthy for the dog’s stomach and will also increase the probability of the dog’s gastric torsion.
2. Avoid letting your dog eat too fast.
3. Give your dog plenty of water, but avoid drinking a lot of water after meals. Drinking water will expand the food, which will increase the burden on the dog's stomach and increase the possibility of gastric torsion.
4. Avoid letting the dog do strenuous exercise one hour before or two hours after the meal, or do things that will make the dog feel nervous.
5. Avoid feeding foods that may produce gas, such as soybeans, peas, etc.
6. If you want to change the type of feed, you can slowly allow the dog to adapt to it for 3-5 days.
7. Do not feed too much food at one time. It is best to divide it into 2-3 meals.
8. For dogs that may occur, it is best to eat alone and in a quiet place.

Finally, to summarize, if you pay attention to your dog’s healthy diet and healthy and scientific feeding, the possibility of your dog suffering from gastric torsion is still very low. If unfortunately, an accident occurs, please respond as quickly as possibleThe sooner you are diagnosed and treated in the hospital, the higher the chance of recovery.