Gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) is a rapidly fatal emergency affecting large deep-chested dogs in which the stomach twists, cutting off blood supply and causing severe pain and shock.
GDV is one of the most acutely painful conditions a dog can experience. Gastric ischemia — tissue death from cut-off blood supply — causes severe abdominal pain from the moment of volvulus. Dogs in GDV rapidly enter shock, experiencing cardiovascular collapse alongside abdominal agony. The window between symptom onset and death is measured in hours, meaning delayed recognition is catastrophic. Dogs that survive emergency surgery require intensive postoperative care and may develop cardiac arrhythmias from reperfusion injury. The preventability of most GDV through prophylactic gastropexy makes the ongoing failure to routinely offer this procedure to high-risk breeds a significant welfare gap. Breed selection that perpetuates deep-chest conformation in high-risk dogs reflects a systemic welfare problem in canine breeding.