Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Emergency stomach surgery saved a German shepherd military dog
By Beitler, Alan L et al.·Published in Military medicine·2011·541st Forward Surgical Team (Airborne)·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Emergency canine surgery in a deployed forward surgical team: a case report.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-and-a-half-year-old German shepherd military working dog was brought in with severe lethargy, rapid heart rate, excessive drooling, and a swollen belly. These symptoms were caused by a serious condition called gastric dilatation with volvulus, which is when the stomach twists and fills with gas. Since the dog couldn't be evacuated to a regular veterinarian, a forward surgical team performed emergency surgery to untwist the stomach and secure it in place. Thankfully, the dog made a full recovery after the procedure.
People also search for: German shepherd stomach twist symptoms · dog emergency surgery recovery · gastric dilatation volvulus treatment
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Forward surgical teams (FSTs) perform a variety of non-doctrinal functions. During their deployment to Afghanistan, the 541st FST (Airborne) performed emergency surgery on a German shepherd military working dog (MWD). METHODS: Retrospective examination of a case of veterinary surgery in a deployed FST. RESULTS: A 5 1/2-year-old German shepherd MWD presented with extreme lethargy, tachycardia, excessive drooling, and a firm, distended abdomen. These conditions resulted from gastric dilatation with volvulus. Since evacuation to a veterinarian was untenable, emergency laparotomy was performed in the FST. The gastric dilatation with volvulus was treated by detorsion and gastropexy, and the canine patient fully recovered. CONCLUSION: Canine surgery can be safely performed in an FST. Based on the number of MWDs deployed throughout the theater, FSTs may be called upon to care for them in the absence of available veterinary care.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21539175/