# Stomach Tacking?



## Lesley1905 (Aug 25, 2010)

Hey everyone,

A friend of mine just had his 8 month female GSD spayed last week. He was telling me that his vet "tacked" her stomach so she could never get bloat. I guess they take the lining of the stomach and tack it to the abdominal wall so it can never flip. I've never heard of this and find it very odd! I also think it is weird that they did it on an 8 month old puppy who is still growing. My vet has never mentioned anything like this to me, this is the first time I have ever heard of this and I don't think it sounds right...what are your opinions on this, anyone ever heard of doing this?


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

It's a fairly common procedure to do after a dog has suffered bloat/torsion of the stomach.


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## Lesley1905 (Aug 25, 2010)

Ohhhh...but is it safe for a pup to have it done?


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## fkeeley (Aug 31, 2006)

It has become very popular now due to the tendency of bloat in GSD or any deep chested dogs but i'm not sure, like you said, that it would be wise to do on a puppy that is still growing. However, I have heard of the proceedure being done as the dog is getting neutered/spayed. Although it might help, a dog can still bloat even with the stomach tackled; just won't twist.


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## Lesley1905 (Aug 25, 2010)

Good info thanks! Does anyone on here have it done to their dogs?


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

I would never do it unless my dog came from a line of dogs with bloat problems or I had had a previous dog with bloat and was just plain terrified of going through that again.


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## GSDLoverII (May 12, 2004)

*Yes, all 3 of my dogs have their stomachs tacked down.*
*Kaiser bloated and had his tacked down in the emergency room and then we had both girls stomachs tacked down as a precautionary measure even though none of my dogs are related.*



"When the dogs have dental or veterinary appointments, the handlers are there right alongside their dogs. The U.S. Army Europe Military Working Dog Program is in the process of making sure all dogs have a gastropexy operation, a surgical procedure performed on large-breed dogs to prevent bloat, a life-threatening condition in which the stomach flips over and expands, trapping air and gases in the stomach."

*http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=51700*

http://www.dfwvetsurgeons.com/t-gastropexy.html


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## GSDLoverII (May 12, 2004)

*Some surgeons have advocated performing an elective gastropexy concurrent with neutering. A laparoscopic-assisted technique has been recently developed to perform a gastropexy without having to perform a laparotomy.* *


*http://www.dfwvetsurgeons.com/t-gastropexy.html*


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## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

Did the vet inform your friend that he was going to do this, or did he go ahead and do it? From the way it's worded, it sounded like the vet went ahead and did it and the dog's owner was made aware after the fact. 

Seems unlikely, but if that's what happened, I'd be furious if a vet took it upon him/herself to do something like that without my say-so.


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

My vet cardiologist friend pexied his Lab as a fairly young dog. My vet pexied his two GSDs when around a year old. My friend had a dog and when the sibling torsioned by 2 years of age, she pexied her dog. 

I will get Hogan pexied soon, he is 1.5. After having had two dogs torsion, I think gastropexy is a good idea. A vet experienced with the procedure is best so as to get a a high chance of working. 

It can be done after a bloat/torsion event, but they do not always survive those happenings. It is also much less risky to do surgery on a healthy dog than on one compromised. 

If my vet went ahead and threw in a pexy, I would be okay with that! Now if he threw in a neutering... not so happy!


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## Lesley1905 (Aug 25, 2010)

Konotashi said:


> Did the vet inform your friend that he was going to do this, or did he go ahead and do it? From the way it's worded, it sounded like the vet went ahead and did it and the dog's owner was made aware after the fact.
> 
> Seems unlikely, but if that's what happened, I'd be furious if a vet took it upon him/herself to do something like that without my say-so.


No, my friend, Jason, told the vet to go ahead and do it. I agree, I would have been furious myself if they just did it without asking! Glad I asked about this, it sounds like a good idea and I'll have to consider it whenever I neuter Brody. The good thing is, I'm working at a vet now so they won't charge me full price


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## lish91883 (Nov 2, 2006)

I just had my female done last Monday. I have gone through bloat & torsion once and almost lost my dog. I never want to have to go through it again. Once I pay for hers, I will be doing my male.


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## KatieStanley (Apr 27, 2010)

This is the first time I've heard of this procedure. Very interesting!


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## GSDLoverII (May 12, 2004)

If they "threw in a gastropexy", I would be suprised as they cost us around $1,200 for each dog. I would be happy!


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

Wow, around 200.00 for a pexy here.


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## GSDLoverII (May 12, 2004)

*Ya, with Kaiser's emergency bloat and having both girls* _gastropexied, it was close to $10k for just that._


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## JudynRich (Apr 16, 2010)

I requested this when my girls were spayed last summer, but the cost was an additional $680. per dog...we just couldn't swing it!


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## Lesley1905 (Aug 25, 2010)

Ahhh thats alot of money!! Hmmm...when I start working at the vet in January, hopefully we will get a nice chunk off!


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## JudynRich (Apr 16, 2010)

What a great idea...work at the vet for a discount...I wonder if they need weekend help?


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## GSDLoverII (May 12, 2004)

Really!! "WILL WORK TO PAY VET BILLS":help:


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## Lesley1905 (Aug 25, 2010)

GSDLoverII said:


> Really!! "WILL WORK TO PAY VET BILLS":help:


 
Aint that the truth!!


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

Lesley1905 said:


> Hey everyone,
> 
> A friend of mine just had his 8 month female GSD spayed last week. He was telling me that his vet "tacked" her stomach so she could never get bloat. ...


Bruiser showed a couple problems which I took as a warning that he was a serious candidate for bloat/torsion some time in the future, so I had his stomach tacked when he had a surgical procedure to remove a growth on his leg.

Just as a reminded, dogs can still bloat with this type of surgery, it just prevents torstion (which is deadly if not surgically corrected fast). I always keep Gas-X on hand "just in case!"


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## HankfordT (Dec 4, 2010)

*Stomach Tacking*

I had the procedure, a gastropexy, performed on my 6 month GSD when he went in for neutering. My vet explained that it is a safe time to perform this surgery because he is going under anesthesia for his neutering already and it is always safe to limit the number of times anesthesia is used. The procedure was performed by a wonderful vet at our local Banfield (which is inside PetSmart) and was much less expensive (around $300 for the medicine, surgery and neutering) than other vet offices wanted (one office was asking over $1,000 for the surgery alone). I think the surgery was a wonderful idea because bloat/torsion is very common for GSDs. Also, why wait until he is bloating and it becomes an emergency, one which you may not receive help in time or at all? While it is a new a preventive surgery advances in medicine and medical technology should be taken advantage of.


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## Lesley1905 (Aug 25, 2010)

HankfordT said:


> I had the procedure, a gastropexy, performed on my 6 month GSD when he went in for neutering. My vet explained that it is a safe time to perform this surgery because he is going under anesthesia for his neutering already and it is always safe to limit the number of times anesthesia is used. The procedure was performed by a wonderful vet at our local Banfield (which is inside PetSmart) and was much less expensive (around $300 for the medicine, surgery and neutering) than other vet offices wanted (one office was asking over $1,000 for the surgery alone). I think the surgery was a wonderful idea because bloat/torsion is very common for GSDs. Also, why wait until he is bloating and it becomes an emergency, one which you may not receive help in time or at all? While it is a new a preventive surgery advances in medicine and medical technology should be taken advantage of.


I agree!! I'll have to talk to my vet/boss whenever I get Brody neutered!!


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