Gastro-Intestinal
Acute & Chronic Vomiting
Vomiting that has been going on for several days or longer can be due to a number of conditions. Small patients and puppies should be seen ASAP due to their high risk of dehydration.
GI Work-Up
The causes of vomiting and/or diarrhea are many, ranging from food allergies, worms, hormone problems, ingested foreign objects, cancer, kidney disease, pancreatic disease, liver disease, intestinal disease, twisted intestines, intestinal thickening, and sometimes unknown (idiopathic). If your pet has recurrent gastrointestinal signs, then a number of tests, trials, or procedures need to be done to best treat the cause. Obtaining a thorough history (to determine if the problem is small intestine, large intestine, vomiting or regurgitation, type of foods fed in the past, exposure to objects, viruses, etc.) is important.
Depending on your pet's symptoms, age, and history; various tests and supportive care may need to be performed.
1. X-rays (Radiographs) of the abdomen
2. Blood work to look for internal organ function and inflammation
3. Specific blood and fecal tests for parasites, viruses, bacteria
4. Barium X-rays (Upper GI study)
5. Endoscopy or exploratory for more severe cases
Supportive care will involve fluids (either in-hospital with an IV catheter or out-patient) and meds as needed. It is also important to not feed your pet or to only feed what is recommended by your veterinarian during the recovery phase.
Viral Enteritis (Parvovirus)
Intestinal virus infections can be caused by a number of viruses, the most severe of which is Parvovirus. Parvovirus is a life threatening intestinal infection most often seen in young dogs. Although dogs with parvovirus can recover, the treatment involves hospitalization, IV fluids, IV antibiotics, and intense nursing care.
Abdominal Exploratory
Abdominal exploratory surgery is very useful to visualize the internal organs and help get a diagnosis as to the nature of your pet’s problem. During surgery, samples of the internal organs can be obtained for a pathologist to analyze.
During surgery, conditions may be noted that require repair. Every attempt will be made to anticipate these, but sometimes there is no way to accurately predict what will be found and an accurate estimate and prognosis cannot be given until the time of the surgery.
Gastric Dilation/Volvulus (GDV) -- Stomach Torsion
Gastric dilation/volvulus is a complex and a very serious condition. For reasons not completely understood, in some dogs, especially large and giant breeds, the stomach fills with gas and then rotates and twists in the abdomen. A series of life threatening events follow; the wall of the stomach may die as the stomach rotates or the spleen may follow and may die. There are a number of toxins released in the blood stream that cause damage and irregularities to the heart. Shock and death can occur quickly.
The treatment of this condition involves 4 stages:
1.) Diagnosis with x-rays,
2.) Initial decompression of the stomach and treatment of heart irregularities and shock,
3.) Surgery to de-rotate the stomach, removal of the spleen and/or dead portions of the stomach (if needed), and attaching the stomach to the body wall to help prevent recurrences,
4.) Post-operative care which consists of continued treatment of the heart problems, shock, and continued attempts to prevent recurrences.