Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Foreign objects in stomach raise risk of bloat and twisting
By de Battisti, Anna et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2012·Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Gastric foreign body as a risk factor for gastric dilatation and volvulus in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that large or giant breed dogs with a gastric foreign body (something stuck in their stomach) are about five times more likely to develop gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV), a serious condition where the stomach twists and fills with gas. This means if your big dog has eaten something they shouldn’t have, it could lead to a life-threatening situation. If you notice symptoms like a swollen belly, retching, or restlessness, it's crucial to get them to the vet quickly. The presence of a foreign body was identified as a significant risk factor for GDV in these dogs.
People also search for: dog stomach swelling · GDV in large breed dogs · foreign body in dog stomach symptoms · how to prevent GDV in dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether the presence of a gastric foreign body (gFB) is a significant risk factor for gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV) in dogs and to quantify the change in likelihood of developing GDV associated with the presence of a gFB. DESIGN: Retrospective case-control study. ANIMALS: 118 large- or giant-breed dogs treated surgically for an episode of GDV and 342 large- or giant-breed dogs (> 12 months old) that underwent abdominal surgery for reasons other than GDV. PROCEDURES: During exploratory celiotomy, all dogs underwent palpation and visual examination of the entire gastrointestinal tract. A foreign body was defined as nondigestible or slowly digestible material palpated during gastrointestinal tract examination that was causing clinical signs or was > 10 cm in length or > 2 cm in width. RESULTS: The incidence of gFBs was significantly higher in the group of dogs with GDV. The presence of a gFB, age, weight, and purebred status were significant risk factors for GDV. Odds ratios were calculated for gFB (OR, 4.920), age (OR, 1.157), weight (OR, 0.958) and purebred status (OR, 4.836). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Gastric foreign body was found to be a significant risk factor for GDV in dogs. The study findings suggested that a large- or giant-breed dog with a gFB was approximately 5 times as likely to develop GDV as a similar dog with no gFB. Results indicated that there was a strong correlation between gFB and GDV in dogs. However, further cohort studies are needed to determine whether there is a causal relationship between the presence of a gFB and the development of GDV in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23078566/