Gastropexy is a procedure where your pet’s stomach is stitched to the wall inside their abdomen to avoid any twisting and risk of developing what we call Gastic Dilation and Volvulus (GDV) / Bloat which can be fatal.

Two main risk factors for GDV are anxiety and a dog’s body shape. GDV can happen to any breed of dog but tends to occur in deep, barrel-chested dogs such as Great Danes, St. Bernards, greyhounds, German Shepherds, Weimaraners, boxers, etc. GDV often can be a fatal emergency that causes the dog’s stomach to distend and twist resulting in severe secondary effects to the spleen, stomach and cardiovascular system causing shock, infections and potentially death. Without treatment, a dog with GDV will experience significant pain and can die within hours (it’s not the same time frame for every dog). Excess gas can still be a problem, but tacking the stomach to the wall significantly reduces the stomach’s ability to twist. If the stomach becomes distended, it’s unpleasant and uncomfortable but not fatal. Unfortunately, the preventive procedure is not a complete guarantee that the dog will never have a twisted stomach, but with gastropexy surgery, the possibility of twisting drops to approximately 6% from 90%.

If your dog is not a predisposed breed or mixed breed and does not have other risk factors for GDV, you can discuss with your veterinarian if a prophylactic gastropexy is advised/necessary. If you do have a large breed dog and/or other risk factors and have concerns about bloat, talk with your veterinarian about the potential benefits and risks of gastropexy to see if it is a good option for your dog.