What is gastric torsion?
The name gastric torsion is a bit misleading and many vets prefer the term “bloat”. Gastric torsion or bloat occurs when large quantities of gas, food or liquid or any combination of these components cause the stomach to dilate beyond a normal distension amount. Is some instances the stomach will the partially roll over, leading to the actual gastric torsion, or may even roll over completely blocking any material from leaving the stomach through the digestive tract or esophagus. This full turn is known as gastric volvolus. All three, bloat, gastric torsion or gastric volvolus can be fatal the first time they occur in dogs that are at risk for the condition. In some cases the gastric torsion or gastric volvolus is caused by sudden or rapid movement when the dog has a full stomach. This cause is not always the case, however many dogs that eat a very large meal then immediately run, jump, roll around or play with other dogs do develop bloat in various degrees at some time in their life. U