Stomach tacking

[rdeborah]

Is it necessary to tack my mastiff's stomach. I walk her first thing in the morning and then feed her. I feed her two hours before our nightly walk. I feed her with a raised dish. She does not eat fast. Not sure what to do. She is 13 months.

 

[marke]

my thought would be no ,I seen a study that estimated a 5% chance in any large or giant breed dog ….. that 5%number would be mainly middle aged male dogs , and I would guess the majority of them high strung , defensive , nervous dogs ……..females being a small percentage of that 5%……….. I've had 1 stomach torsion , 1 intestinal torsion in about 60 dogs , both middle aged defensive males ………. I know of only one of my pups ever having a stomach tack , I've never heard of any of my pups getting a torsion ……. the breed ddb , the one with the tacked stomach lived to 10-11yrs , it didn't bother her one way or the other …… I read some crazy stat saying 42% of great danes will have a torsion , I'm not familiar with the breed , but the number seems a bit far fetched to me ?

 

[Boxergirl]

I take GDV very seriously. My daughter worked at an ER clinic and it was much more common that many people think and in all breeds of dogs. Some, of course, more than others. Like Great Danes and Irish Wolfhounds. There have been fairly recent studies that have shown that bloat and torsion may have a hereditary factor. I don't think that tacking is something you have to do, but if it makes you more comfortable it's something that can be done when you have her spayed. I would suggest watching some videos so that you know what GDV looks like, because it doesn't look like much and can be easy to miss. There are two videos that I'll post below. One dog made it and the other didn't. There's a video that pops up high on the YouTube list with an EM. I do not suggest that anyone take this man's advice of rolling the dog on their back and moving them back and forth. I also do not suggest anyone that suspects bloat spends time looking for a home remedy on the internet as that man did. I know you wouldn't do that, rdeborah, but I wanted to put it out there for anyone lurking. If bloat is suspected an immediate trip to the emergency vet is the correct course of action. FWIW, a dog can still bloat after having their stomach tacked. What it prevents is torsion.

Here's some information for you. Videos, a chart, and an article.

https://www.instituteofcaninebiology.org/bloat-purdue-study.html

 

[Nik]

I take GDV very seriously. My daughter worked at an ER clinic and it was much more common that many people think and in all breeds of dogs. Some, of course, more than others. Like Great Danes and Irish Wolfhounds. There have been fairly recent studies that have shown that bloat and torsion may have a hereditary factor. I don't think that tacking is something you have to do, but if it makes you more comfortable it's something that can be done when you have her spayed. I would suggest watching some videos so that you know what GDV looks like, because it doesn't look like much and can be easy to miss. There are two videos that I'll post below. One dog made it and the other didn't. There's a video that pops up high on the YouTube list with an EM. I do not suggest that anyone take this man's advice of rolling the dog on their back and moving them back and forth. I also do not suggest anyone that suspects bloat spends time looking for a home remedy on the internet as that man did. I know you wouldn't do that, rdeborah, but I wanted to put it out there for anyone lurking. If bloat is suspected an immediate trip to the emergency vet is the correct course of action. FWIW, a dog can still bloat after having their stomach tacked. What it prevents is torsion.

Here's some information for you. Videos, a chart, and an article.

https://www.instituteofcaninebiology.org/bloat-purdue-study.html

View attachment 61289

I can't even imagine anyone trying a home remedy to cure bloat. Bloat is such a serious thing. As you know that is how I lost my Cerberus despite rushing him to er the moment we discovered it. I agree with boxergirl if it will give you piece of mind then go ahead and do it when you do the spay.

 

[marke]

I wouldn't doubt it's genetic ,seems to be deep chested long bodied dogs , middle aged males , and high strung …….. the two dogs I've had that had torsions were not related to the dogs I've bred or kept , I didn't like their temperaments , they were both the two most defensive dogs I've ever had ………. maybe an idea would be to ask the breeder if they have any issues with gdv in the family of dogs yours is out of ? I wouldn't even think about telling someone who was getting a puppy from me to get the dogs stomach tacked , or even mention gvd , but I would think of stuff that I've seen affect my dogs ……. if it's the breeder telling you this , i'd imagine they have a reason for it ……....

 

[Boxergirl]

I forgot this one.

http://www.iwane.org/acp_point_v2.htm

 

[Nik]

I wouldn't doubt it's genetic ,seems to be deep chested long bodied dogs , middle aged males , and high strung …….. the two dogs I've had that had torsions were not related to the dogs I've bred or kept , I didn't like their temperaments , they were both the two most defensive dogs I've ever had ………. maybe an idea would be to ask the breeder if they have any issues with gdv in the family of dogs yours is out of ? I wouldn't even think about telling someone who was getting a puppy from me to get the dogs stomach tacked , or even mention gvd , but I would think of stuff that I've seen affect my dogs ……. if it's the breeder telling you this , i'd imagine they have a reason for it ……....

Good point about the breeder mentioning it having a reason.

My Cerberus who we lost to bloat didn’t have a defensive personality. He was the sweetest calmest and least aggressive or defensive dog I have ever seen. He also wasn’t a fast eater or drinker (which increases the risk as well). We never allowed playing right after meal time and regardless being older he no longer ran around like a crazy thing when outside. He was a standard poodle and a senior dog. My understanding is the risk is higher in elderly dogs but aside from age and size he had no other risk factors.

 

[rdeborah]

Thanks for all the info. My vet mentioned it. Not the breeder who I got Lola from.