# Gastropexy



## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

Mia will be spayed in the next couple of months, and so I need to start thinking about pexy as well. It's been a while since I've had a LB, and I know the thinking on pexy has moved around a lot in the intervening years.

So, a quick poll of the large breed dog owners: Did you/will you have a pexy done? Why or why not? Thanks in advance.


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## spookychick13 (Jan 26, 2010)

If I had neutered Flip myself I would have done it without a doubt.

So that's a yes here.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

I will pexy every single large/giant breed dog that I own without question. Why? Because its a safe, reliable and inexpensive (most places will do it for a nominal fee on top of the spay fee) preventative surgery that saves lives. Beats the heck out of having a dog get GDV and have the surgery done in am ER situation, if the dog even survives the whole ordeal. Also, the peace of mind is worth it alone, you'll never have to plan your dogs lifestyle around when it last ate. No more paranoia about if and when your dog will get GDV.


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## PalmettoPaws (Dec 30, 2009)

Savannah is a Standard Poodle. She's five years old now and was spayed when she was around 11 months or so. Honestly, I had never heard of gastropexy when she was spayed and my vet never mentioned it I guess possibly because Standard Poodles aren't technically considered a large breed (though they are deep chested and prone to bloat) but I'm not sure. I've never been too careful about when or how I feed Savannah and she's never had a problem with bloat. Had I been told about it then yes I probably would have had it done for safety's sake but like I said thankfully she has been fine.


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

I did not Pexy Annie (Boxer) when she was spayed, because to be honest, I hadn't really heard much about it or given much consideration. I wish I had now, just for peace of mind. 
Zailey (Great Dane) will have a pexy done at the time of her spay (18-24 months) as will any other Dane I own. I will probably Pexy my future Boxers as well, as they are deep chested and prone to bloat, and... well... have YOU ever tired to contain a Boxer's energy after meal time?


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

Okay, first a Great Dane is far different from a Standard Poodle. Danes are very highly at risk for bloat and any downsides of preventative gastropexy, IMO, are worth the risk. 

Standard Poodles are at risk but not nearly as much as a Dane. I personally do not believe that preventative gastropexy is appropriate for every standard poodle. 

Does Mia have dogs affected with bloat in her lines? Is she particularly deep chested and narrow? Millie is not so I did not do preventative gastropexy with her. I do not believe in unnecessary surgery. If I had known about preventative gastropexy, I _would_ have had it done with Henry when he was younger: he has always been tall (27 in. at the withers) and has an extremely deep and narrow chest. I _now_ know how to look at the Poodle Health Registry (PHR) and know that he had bloat in his lines. He bloated/twisted in March so he had emergency gastropexy done. It is still possible to bloat and (rarely) twist even with a gastropexy done (as some people with standard poodles on PF can attest), so I am constantly taking as many precautions as possible with Henry.


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

I would without a doubt do one if I had a LB dog prone to bloat. Both my parents Standard Poodles bloated. I am a worrier and having that peace of mind would be totally worth it. :smile:


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

I have also seen standard poodles who have gotten GDV. Even smaller ones that don't fit the typical body shape that are more prone. I've seen a 40 pound GSP bloat. ANY dog that has a deep chest, regardless of breed should be pexied in my opinion. Especially when they are already under anesthesia for spay or neuter. Is it more invasive? Yes but if anyone here has experience GDV will tell you that the extra procedure is worth every penny.


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

danemama08 said:


> I have also seen standard poodles who have gotten GDV. Even smaller ones that don't fit the typical body shape that are more prone. I've seen a 40 pound GSP bloat. ANY dog that has a deep chest, regardless of breed should be pexied in my opinion. Especially when they are already under anesthesia for spay or neuter. Is it more invasive? Yes but if anyone here has experience GDV will tell you that the extra procedure is worth every penny.


The morning I came into work, at a boarding facility in Denver, and found a 9 month old Ridgeback in her kennel, dead, from bloat- I was convinced that for certain breeds, it's worth it. Puppies "aren't supposed to" bloat and torsion. 
I wish I had done more research before having Annie spayed, and am considering having a pexy done, anyway, as an entirely separate operation.


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## cprcheetah (Jul 14, 2010)

I lost a 9 month old Weimaraner to torsion. I also raised several litters of standard poodles and none of their lines had torsions in their history yet had a puppy bloat at just 4 years old. So in the future my standard poodles with have a pexy done. My sister shows standard poodles and one of the handlers she is considering won't take the dogs unless they've had a gastroplexy done. So it is a risk worth considering.


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

danemama08 said:


> Is it more invasive? Yes but if anyone here has experience GDV will tell you that the extra procedure is worth every penny.


Except for me. I have experienced GDV with Henry and do not recommend it for every dog. But - that is just my opinion and not everyone will agree  I prefer to take the approach of controlling as many environmental factors as possible. Again, if I had a dog that clearly had it in their lines (like Henry), I would say preventative gastropexy is a wise decision.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

If I adopted a GDV prone dog that was already spayed or neutered I'd have the pexy done regardless. While there are risks to putting dogs under anesthesia, I think the bigger risk is leaving a GDV prone dog un-pexied. JUst make sure you do all the necessary precautions for surgery to lessen the chances of complications.



BrownieM said:


> Except for me. I have experienced GDV with Henry and do not recommend it for every dog. But - that is just my opinion and not everyone will agree  I prefer to take the approach of controlling as many environmental factors as possible. Again, if I had a dog that clearly had it in their lines (like Henry), I would say preventative gastropexy is a wise decision.


Yes, we *fully* disagree on this point. As a foster/volunteer for the Dane rescue, all the environmental "preventatives" (raised feeders, restricted activity, restricted water intake, etc) don't work. They just provide the people who care for GDV prone dogs some peace of mind making them believe that they are doing some good, but in reality it doesn't prevent these dogs from getting GDV and possibly dying. I think on average we see about 6-8 GDV related deaths (this doesn't include all the dogs that get GDV and survive...) per year in our foster dogs and ALL foster families are well versed in these "preventatives". If they were effective in saving lives or preventing GDV we wouldn't lose quite so many dogs or use up so many funds treating it.

I don't recommend doing a pexy on every dog, just GDV prone dogs.


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

Danemama - you do mean GDV : Gastric Dilation and Volvulus, not GVD. :smile:


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

BrownieM said:


> Danemama - you do mean GDV : Gastric Dilation and Volvulus, not GVD. :smile:


I have no idea what you are talking about  :tongue:


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

danemama08 said:


> If I adopted a GDV prone dog that was already spayed or neutered I'd have the pexy done regardless. While there are risks to putting dogs under anesthesia, I think the bigger risk is leaving a GDV prone dog un-pexied. JUst make sure you do all the necessary precautions for surgery to lessen the chances of complications.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I think that our different views have to do largely with the fact that you own a Dane and have spent time around so many Danes in rescue. Bloat does occur in standard poodles, but it just doesn't occur enough for me to say that someone with a standard poodle should absolutely, undoubtedly tack their poodle. With a standard poodle, IMO, it truly depends on the individual dog, and it is worth considering both sides as well as consulting a vet and possibly the breeder.

ETA: I am not against preventative gastropexy in the least. I just think its important to consider the individual dog, environmental factors, familial factors, consult veterinarians and even the breeder before deciding whether or not tacking is appropriate in the given case. I very well may or may not decide to tack Millie as she continues to mature. I also may or may not tack my standard poodle puppy I plan on purchasing in the next 2 years :wink:. The only time I think that gastropexy should absolutely NOT be done is if the dog being used for breeding/for stud. IMO, gastropexy on this dog/bitch would prevent one from knowing if the dog was passing a predisposition of bloat to puppies.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

BrownieM said:


> I think that our different views have to do largely with the fact that you own a Dane and have spent time around so many Danes in rescue. Bloat does occur in standard poodles, but it just doesn't occur enough for me to say that someone with a standard poodle should absolutely, undoubtedly tack their poodle. With a standard poodle, IMO, it truly depends on the individual dog, and it is worth considering both sides as well as consulting a vet and possibly the breeder.


I totally agree with this, which is why I said that I recommend getting a pexy done on any GDV prone dog...regardless of breed :wink:


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## xxshaelxx (Mar 8, 2010)

Vets really should talk more about this with their clients before doing spay/neuter surgeries...that way people will know more about it, and will be more likely to get the surgery done.

So, question, are Siberian Huskies prone to bloat? I mean, I don't really know if they would be considered deep-chested or not.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Honestly I think it depends more on their body shape than their breed. While pretty much every great Dane is at risk, there can be individuals in a normally low risk breed that have the right body shape. I don't think that huskies are a high risk breed.


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## xxshaelxx (Mar 8, 2010)

Still...I would have liked to know of the option when I was getting them spayed/neutered so I could have taken the precaution and done it anyways...

In my opinion, Amaya and Ryou have more of a deep chest than many other Siberian Huskies do. I'd just rather be safe than sorry... Especially since Ryou is a gulper, and he doesn't eat elevated. Then again, he has much larger pieces of meat in his stomach than little bits of kibble. haha.


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