A GDV is one of the most serious emergencies that any dog a can suffer. The survival rates if not rapidly diagnosed and treated are really low, but rapid emergency surgery can genuinely save lives. 

What is a GDV?

GDV stands for Gastric Dilation and Volvulus. It occurs when the stomach fills with gas (Dilation or Bloat) and then twists on itself (Volvulus or Torsion). As it twists, it traps the gas inside; this also blocks the blood vessels returning blood to the heart, meaning that dogs with a GDV rapidly go into shock. As the body is starved of oxygen (due to the shock state), tissues start to die, releasing potassium into the blood vessels. This can slow and stop the heart. This is a real, top-priority emergency as affected dogs can die within an hour or so of first showing symptoms.

What causes it?

The exact cause isn’t known for certain, but we do know that deep-chested dogs (e.g. Setters or Great Danes) are at increased risk; there also seems to be a genetic component as animals who have a litter-mate who suffers a GDV are more likely to develop one themselves. In addition, exercising vigorously immediately after eating also seems to be a risk factor.

What are the symptoms?

In most cases, the dog initially appears restless or uncomfortable; then they begin to retch. This is usually without actually producing anything, although in some cases some frothy foam may appear. This is a “red-flag” danger sign! Soon afterwards, you may notice the abdomen (tummy) beginning to expand and bloat, and they will then rapidly show signs of shock with pale gums, weakness, fast heart rate, and collapse. Once the dog is has reached this stage, the prognosis is poor, and many dogs actually die on their way into the clinic.

How do your vets diagnose it?

The symptoms are usually pretty clear, however, an X-ray will confirm the diagnosis if necessary.

How can it be treated?

The immediate first aid that our veterinary team will perform is to try and pass a stomach tube and let the gas out of the stomach. This won’t fix the problem but will buy ten to twenty minutes to get them stable enough for surgery. If the dog is in severe distress, but it isn’t possible to pass a tube past the twist in the stomach, the vet may be able to use a needle to release the gas.

The biggest problem with this condition is how unstable these dogs are – most GDV dogs are so sick on arrival that anaesthesia for surgery could easily be fatal. It’s necessary to treat the shock (with massive doses of intravenous fluids) and bring their blood potassium down into the safe range (usually with fluids, although sometimes medications may be used as well) before they can be operated on. Once they are in a better physiological state, we’ll rush them into theatre, and the vet will open the abdomen and decompress the stomach. If any part of the stomach has been starved of blood for too long and has died, we’ll remove these sections. Likewise, it is sometimes necessary to remove the dog’s spleen if it has become twisted as well.

The next phase is to fix the stomach to the abdominal wall so it cannot twist again in the future – this is called a gastropexy. In fact, if you have a very high-risk dog, we can perform this as an optional (non-emergency) treatment, typically at the same time as neutering, to prevent them developing a GDV in the future.

A dog who has had GDV surgery will usually need a while as an inpatient in intensive care to recover; however, if they make it through surgery, the prognosis is usually fairly good.

What’s the prognosis?

According to the latest research, about 60% of dogs with a GDV will die. However, if they are stable enough to be operated on, the majority of these (80%) will survive. The take-home message is that the earlier they’re seen by our vets, the more likely it is that they’ll come home – so don’t delay!

If you think your dog MIGHT be showing signs of a GDV, call us IMMEDIATELY!

Could he have a prostate problem? 

There are a number of possible reasons older dogs can struggle to pass faeces, but yes, a prostate problem is quite possible, especially if he’s entire (not been neutered). 

So, what could be causing it?

Firstly, I’m afraid, we need to define what “it” is! Is he passing normal faeces, and just taking longer about it? Are his faeces really hard and dry, or an unusual shape? Does it seem to be painful for him, and if so, is there blood in the poo? These questions will really help to work out what’s going on – but any problem going to the toilet needs checking by your vet, as some of these conditions need professional attention.

Constipation is a fairly common problem in dogs – it is usually due to diet – especially eating things they shouldn’t! Foreign materials, such as cloth or soil, may ball up in the lower intestine (assuming they don’t cause a blockage further up); and chewed up bone can form a “faecolith” – a solid “rock” of bone powder, preventing normal pooing. Other problems may be too little (or even too much!) fibre in the diet. Lack of exercise is also a possible cause – many dogs can’t move their bowels effectively without exercise. If your dog isn’t getting out for a walk and/or a run regularly, some degree of constipation is often the result.

Constipated dogs strain to pass faeces, and what does come out is often dry and hard.

Obstipation is much more serious, and it’s where constipation goes untreated. The colon becomes completely jammed with material and unable to function. Often, this results in vomiting as well as constipation as food in the gut becomes “backed up”.

Nerve damage can lead to difficulty pooing, but it’s uncommon. Obviously, if you suspect your dog has a spinal problem, contact us as soon as possible!

Arthritis is another cause of these symptoms in dogs, and one most people don’t even think about. Dogs can’t go to the toilet normally unless they can squat; if their joints are stiff and sore, they may struggle to go normally.

Prostate disease is very common in older entire male dogs (obviously, bitches are immune…). The most common problem is benign prostatic hyperplasia (or BPH) – a simple enlarged prostate gland, caused by the action of testosterone. As the gland enlarges, it pushes on the rectum, making it harder for the dog to push faeces out; this often has the effect of producing “ribbons” of poo, which are flattened by the obstruction. BPH cannot happen in a neutered dog – no testicles = no testosterone, so the prostate shrinks and becomes inactive.

Other problems that some dogs may suffer from are prostatitis – this is an infection of the prostate, and often results in painful defecation, and sometimes difficulty urinating. It also tends to result in blood or even pus in the urine and semen; and if the dog is standing at stud, you may notice he seems to lose his sex drive because ejaculation is so painful.

Occasionally, dogs may suffer from prostatic tumours, although they’re pretty rare.

So what can be done?

Well, first of all you need to know what the problem is! That means you need to bring him in so one of our vets can check him over.

Simple constipation can often be resolved with a mild laxative and a change in diet. If the cause is lack of exercise, treatment is easy enough – get him out more!

Obstipation, on the other hand, needs more aggressive treatment, with laxatives and an enema under sedation or anaesthesia (essentially, we wash out the rectum and colon, usually with soapy water).

Spinal lesions need more aggressive treatment, usually in a specialist referral centre.

If your dog is arthritic, sadly, it cannot be cured; however, there are supplements and medications that may slow down its progression, and modern painkillers can make him comfortable again.

Prostate problems can almost always be improved by castration – no more testicles = no more problem. If this, for whatever reason, isn’t an option, there are drugs that mimic the effects of castration, without surgery, and will likewise cure BPH. Prostatitis is almost always a result of BPH – antibiotics and occasionally surgical drainage of the prostate are needed to treat the infection, but without castration (surgical or chemical) it’ll keep coming back. Sadly, there are very few effective treatments for prostate tumours, but we can usually make the patient more comfortable and manage the symptoms.

So, if your dog is constipated – get him down to us and our vets will check him over and see what we can do to fix it.

Deciding whether or not to breed from a pet can be really hard; and it’s very easy to talk yourself into doing something that you later regret…! So in this blog, we’ll look at some of the things you have to consider when breeding from a pet bitch… 

Are her genes good enough to preserve?

Just because a dog is a fantastic pet, with a great character and temperament, it doesn’t necessarily follow that she’s good breeding material. Remember too, that there are thousands of homeless dogs in rescue centres – you should have a good reason for adding to the numbers of dogs in the world.

Now, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t breed from her – but you need to be certain that you’re adding something special to the canine gene pool. For example, it’s usually unwise to breed a crossbred dog, unless there’s something in particular you want to preserve – this is because you can have no idea how the puppies will turn out! I’ll also point out that, for the purposes of genetics, “breeds” like Jackpoos or Labradoodles are crossbreds – they cannot breed true. Pure-breed dogs have very limited genetic variability, meaning that the offspring are likely to be physically, as well as genetically, similar to the parents; this is not necessarily true of crossbreds, because of a genetic phenomenon known as masked recessive genes.

If your bitch has or has had any potentially heritable diseases (like an undershot jaw, entropion – turned in eyelids – or a cruciate ligament injury), then you don’t want to breed from her. You should also never breed a dog without a good hip – and elbow score; and you might also consider getting DNA tests done for other genetic conditions known in the breed – give us a ring and we’ll be able to advise you on what tests are available. Sadly there are too many dogs from substandard bloodlines being produced, especially when the breed is in fashion, resulting in serious health and welfare problems in future generations.

Is she medically a good candidate for breeding?

In other words, is she physiologically and medically fit to be mated and bear a litter? The first thing to consider is her age – as a rule of thumb, dogs start their seasons in their second year of life; however, this is really variable – especially between breeds, as giant breed dogs are much slower to reach maturity than small breeds are. Generally speaking, however, it is never wise to breed a bitch for the first time under 1 year of age and over 7. For most dogs, however, 2 years of age is the safe minimum. If you’re considering breeding a young or older bitch, give us a ring and we’ll be able to advise you.

The next question is whether she has any medical conditions that would make it difficult, or impossible, to bear a litter successfully. For this, you’ll need to bring her in – make an appointment to see one of our vets for a pre-breeding check. Conditions that may impair her breeding ability include pelvis injuries, hormone imbalances like Cushing’s Disease, and many more, so let us make sure she’s in tip-top condition!

Can you take care of her while pregnant and whelping?

Pregnancy itself is pretty easy for most bitches – however, whelping can be very hard on them. You need to know what danger signs to look out for, when to call us, and when it’s an emergency. You also need to budget for pregnancy scans and a contingency fund to cover a caesarean operation if whelping goes badly.  

Are you legally covered?

There is a specific law covering breeding bitches – the  Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999; this means that you need a license to breed from a bitch if you are producing 5 or more litters per year on the premises, or if the local authority suspects that you are breeding for commercial gain. If in doubt, contact your local Environmental Health Office for advice (strangely, they’re the people responsible for enforcing the Act!).

What will you do with the puppies?

A bitch may produce up to 12 (or even more!) puppies in a single litter (although this is rare). You need to be able to care for them, get them vaccinated and microchipped, and then find good loving homes for them all. Can you do that?

Will the benefits outweigh the potential costs?

Successfully breeding and rearing a litter of puppies is incredibly satisfying; however, it is also expensive and occasionally heartwrenching. You need to be ready for that – and don’t assume you’ll necessarily make the money back when you sell the puppies!

If you want to breed your bitch, give us a ring and we can talk you through all the details!

Probably the most common behavioural “problem” in dogs is inappropriate jumping. This can either be jumping at you, the owner; or at visitors to the house; in either case, it can be really frustrating and embarrassing! 

Why does my dog jump at my visitors?

To control this behaviour, it’s important to understand why dogs do it in the first place. In the vast majority of dogs, there are two main drivers for jumping – firstly, a desire for attention; and secondly, that they have inadvertently been trained to do it.

Most dogs crave attention; and jumping up is a way to try and interact with you on your level (i.e. 3 or 4 feet above their heads when they’re standing on the ground!). This is especially an issue when you have visitors – because the chances are, you’re greeting or talking to your guests, and ignoring the dog. Of course, you know that’s because your visitors are only around temporarily, and your dog is a permanent part of the family – but they don’t see things like that. They just see you ignoring them and lavishing your attention on your guests, meaning that they feel left out. Of course, it is quite possible that they want attention from your guests as well!

In addition, most puppies learn early on that jumping (especially balancing on their hind legs) gets them attention. As puppies, this is often in the form of reward (fuss, even treats, as people think that they’ve “learnt a trick”). As adults, this may continue, or their owners may shout at them – but when you’re shouting at your dog, you are still giving them attention, and not ignoring them (which, from their point of view, is worse than being scolded). Our inconsistency here doesn’t help – many people are happy for their dog to jump at them, but not at guests, or when wearing some clothes but not others – but by accepting (or rewarding) any jumping behaviour, they are essentially teaching the dog that jumping at people is acceptable. Dogs are generally poor at distinguishing between those situations when a behaviour is acceptable and those when it isn’t.

There is a third possible reason, although fortunately, it is very rare – it may be a form of aggression towards your guests. If a dog makes warning signals (hackles raised, growling, tail down etc) and these are ignored, they may make mock attacks, that could be misinterpreted as jumping. In this situation, the dog will be showing their teeth, growling and possibly snapping. This is very unusual but is very dangerous if it does occur.

So, jumping up may be seen as a way for your dog to demand attention from you – or from your visitors themselves. Alternatively, it may be because they have learnt that jumping is an appropriate response when they’re excited to meet new people; or because people aren’t responding to their “get out of my home” signals. Whatever the cause, however, it isn’t acceptable behaviour – and the bigger the dog, the less acceptable it will be to your visitors!

So, what can be done to stop it?

If your dog is jumping and showing signs of aggression, stop reading this now and contact a qualified canine behaviourist. This is a potentially dangerous situation and requires professional attention.

However, it is far, far more likely that your dog is attention-seeking and/or excited. In these situations, there are two main approaches to stopping dogs from jumping up. It is vitally important to remember that neither of them involves punishment. Punishing your dog for jumping will, at best, confuse them; and at worst result in a frightened and potentially aggressive dog – this is a recipe for disaster.

The first method is to divert the jumping behaviour into something more appropriate – usually a “sit” command. As the dog gets more and more excited and bouncy, you tell them to sit – and then reward them when they do, with fuss and/or a treat. This way, the dog gets some attention and learns that “sit” is appropriate, but “jump” isn’t. Meanwhile, you can continue to greet and chat to your guests, while your dog sits obediently at your feet…

It sounds great, but it does take some work and practice! Ideally, invite some friends who can regularly visit, and who understand the training you’re doing; they can visit (and even come in/go out/come back in repeatedly while you train your dog).

The other thing you can do (and this is really useful on its own or in conjunction with “sit” training) is to completely ignore your dog whenever they jump. You do, however, reward them when their front feet are on the floor. This way, you are teaching them that jumping does NOT result in attention, but standing on all fours does. Again, having “mock-visitors” will help reinforce the fact that what you’re teaching them is universal – it doesn’t go out of the window when new and exciting people are around!

In both cases, it takes time and patience – but it is more than worth it to teach them suitable behaviour before they knock over your elderly aunt, or squash your young nephew! If you’re struggling, contact a qualified canine behaviourist (our vets will be able to recommend one) who can help.