Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Does weather affect gastric dilatation-volvulus in dogs?
By Moore, George E et al.·Published in International journal of biometeorology·2008·Department of Comparative Pathobiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Meteorological influence on the occurrence of gastric dilatation-volvulus in military working dogs in Texas.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of military working dogs in Texas experienced a serious condition called gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), where the stomach twists and can be life-threatening. Researchers looked into whether changes in temperature and atmospheric pressure could influence the occurrence of GDV. They found that GDV cases were more common during the colder months, particularly November through January, and that lower daily maximum temperatures were linked to higher risk. However, while some temperature drops and changes in barometric pressure were noted, they weren't strong predictors of GDV.
People also search for: dog GDV symptoms · military working dog stomach problems · gastric dilatation treatment in dogs
Abstract
Gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) is a life-threatening condition in dogs and other species in which the stomach dilates and rotates on itself. The etiology of the disease is multi-factorial, but explicit precipitating causes are unknown. This study sought to determine if there was a significant association between changes in hourly-measured temperature and/or atmospheric pressure and the occurrence of GDV in the population of high-risk working dogs in Texas. The odds of a day being a GDV day, given certain temperature and atmospheric pressure conditions for that day or the day before, was estimated using logistic regression models. There were 57 days in which GDV(s) occurred, representing 2.60% of the days in the 6-year study period. The months of November, December, and January collectively accounted for almost half (47%) of all cases. Disease risk was negatively associated with daily maximum temperature. An increased risk of GDV was weakly associated with the occurrence of large hourly drops in temperature that day and of higher minimum barometric pressure that day and the day before GDV occurrence, but extreme changes were not predictive of the disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17690918/