Last Saturday I returned for selling a load of hay around 1 pm. While I was eating some lunch I heard an intersting bark from the kennel, interesting enough for me to investigate. The two females were lounging, but Sam my 9 year old was pacing. Not only was he pacing, he was swollen like a tick.
I got Kim, my wife and newly graduated Vet, and her reaction was "Get in the car NOW!!!!"
Sam was bloated and appeared to have a gastric torsion. We headed to Ames to get him to the vet school, but his gums were turning white and his breathing was becoming shallower. To top it off we had just cleaned out the Expedition so we had no tools. After three calls the the ICU clinician at the vet school Kim decided we needed to trocar Sam (Put a hole in his stomach to relieve the pressure).
The clinician said "use your stethescope to find the ping and insert the canula..." Well, we had not stethescope and no canula. Next the clinician suggest inserting a needle, sorry no needle.
The only instrument of sufficient sharpness was a Zebra M-402 Mechanical Pencil. So in the back seat of our Ford Expedition Kim poked a hole in Sam's stomach with a pencil, without this he would have died.
After he started breathing more easily I was a little relieved, but that didn't stop me from driving to Ames along US30 at 90 MPH to get him into surgery. There was no necrosis to any tissue and the suregery went well, Kim even scrubed in and did Gastropexy.
We are truly fortunate that Sam survived. He is at home resting. His complete underside is shaved and he is sore, but he is alive.
Jim
Bloat +New Vet + 90 MPH Drive +Mechanical Pencil = Lucky Dog
Holy cow Kurz! That's one lucky pup! 
- Steven
Justus Kennels.com
Justus James Ayres SH CGC - Justus - Rest in Peace, buddy.
Wind River's JK Clara Belle - Belle
Wind River's JK Black Tie Affair - Tux
Justus Kennels.com
Justus James Ayres SH CGC - Justus - Rest in Peace, buddy.
Wind River's JK Clara Belle - Belle
Wind River's JK Black Tie Affair - Tux
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Firstarrow@work
It is great your wife was able to save him!!!
I like to hear about happy endings to these stories.
Mav......
I like to hear about happy endings to these stories.
Mav......
We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare and love we can spare.
And in return, dogs give us their all. It's the best deal man has ever made.
-M. Acklam
Knine's Ghost Rider
Paisley
Ch Ruffwood's Dixie Girl FD
And in return, dogs give us their all. It's the best deal man has ever made.
-M. Acklam
Knine's Ghost Rider
Paisley
Ch Ruffwood's Dixie Girl FD
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Wagonmaster
- GDF Junkie
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- Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2005 10:22 am
- Location: Minneapolis, MN
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Kurzhaar
It was a torsion. They fused the stomach to the body wall, called a Gastropexy.
We've never noticed any bloat problems with Sam. This can be an issue in deep chested dogs.
Here is a photo of the pencil she used. I am going to frame the one used Saturday for her office as her "First Emergency Tool".
Jim
We've never noticed any bloat problems with Sam. This can be an issue in deep chested dogs.
Here is a photo of the pencil she used. I am going to frame the one used Saturday for her office as her "First Emergency Tool".
Jim
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Wagonmaster
- GDF Junkie
- Posts: 3372
- Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2005 10:22 am
- Location: Minneapolis, MN
I have heard that, but I think it can be an issue with any kind of dog. A friend had a young male field trial derby not particularly deep chested really tearing it up in the trials, and had the same problem, and also the same solution, attach the stomach to the chest wall.This can be an issue in deep chested dogs.
Who knows what does it. I have gone through the blockage stuff. Not fun nor cheap and alot of anguish over the outcome.
Glad to hear the outcome was good. What a trip.
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MNOutdoorsman
Just so you know, it can happen again even after the gastropexy.
I had a yellow lab develop a gastric torsion. He always gulped his food as fast as he could get it down. One day, right after I fed him, he came around the corner panting, whining, and he was as big around as a barrel. I called my Father, a Vet, and he said get him here as fast as you can. By the time I arrived at his office his gums and tongue were blue. We decompressed him which also can be dangerous. Sometimes they can go into shock after all the pressure is let off. Their blood pressure drops out. My Father did the gastroplexy and he healed up fine.
About a year and a half later I found him dead in the kennel all bloated up. It was really cold out so I fed him and went in the house. I didn't go back out to see him again that night. I found him in the morning. He always gulped his food and that is what we think caused it. They get too much air in with the food and the stomach tips over. I didn't know how to slow down his eating. Maybe putting something in the food bowl so he had to eat around it would have worked.
If the dog gulps his food, try to slow him down. If he doesn't, I don't what to tell you.
MNOutdoorsman
I had a yellow lab develop a gastric torsion. He always gulped his food as fast as he could get it down. One day, right after I fed him, he came around the corner panting, whining, and he was as big around as a barrel. I called my Father, a Vet, and he said get him here as fast as you can. By the time I arrived at his office his gums and tongue were blue. We decompressed him which also can be dangerous. Sometimes they can go into shock after all the pressure is let off. Their blood pressure drops out. My Father did the gastroplexy and he healed up fine.
About a year and a half later I found him dead in the kennel all bloated up. It was really cold out so I fed him and went in the house. I didn't go back out to see him again that night. I found him in the morning. He always gulped his food and that is what we think caused it. They get too much air in with the food and the stomach tips over. I didn't know how to slow down his eating. Maybe putting something in the food bowl so he had to eat around it would have worked.
If the dog gulps his food, try to slow him down. If he doesn't, I don't what to tell you.
MNOutdoorsman