Fortunately for Rex, his owner Jim recognized immediately that he was not acting right and seemed painful in the stomach. Jim immediately called the veterinary clinic and Rex was seen immediately that Saturday afternoon for treatment.

X-rays were taken of Rex's stomach area to confirm the diagnosis of GDV. It was necessary to perform immediate surgery to save Rex's life. Surgery would involve making a very large incision is his body cavity to manually "untwist" his stomach and then surgically tack it in position so that it would not re-twist again in the future.

Rex was rapidly becoming sick from shock due to the GDV, so it was necessary to begin aggressive IV fluid treatment prior to surgery and attempt to stabilize his condition.

Surgery was performed immediately and even though there was some discoloration to his intestine, correction of the twisted stomach went well and he recovered quickly post operatively.

Rex remained in the hospital for two days following surgery for supportive care  until his intestinal function was back to normal and he was eating and drinking normally. Jim reports that Rex is doing well and very happy to be home on his own personal canine "couch" that Jim has for him.

We would like to recognize Jim for his immediate awareness of Rex's condition and prompt response to seek treatment. Jim saved Rex's life by getting him to us right away so we could take the necessary steps to correct his condition.

Our Saturday afternoon with Rex, who by the way tops the scale close to 200 pounds, will long be remembered by our hospital team as we all worked together with our best efforts to save his life. Thank you Jim for trusting us with Rex's care. We hope you have many more happy years together.