Management of Gastric Dilatation/Volvulus and its Cardiac Complication in a Saint Bernard

Abstract

A five-year-old Saint Bernard was presented at the Small Animal Hospital, Chulalongkorn University with clinical signs of acute abdominal distention and severe pain. The gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV) was diagnosed and was confirmed at surgery. The volvulus appeared in both stomach and spleen in which both organs were partially damaged. The dog developed cardiac arrhythmia the next day after surgery starting with accelerated idioventricular rhythm. Multiple types of arrhythmias were seen including ventricular tachycardia with R on T phenomenon and paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. The antiarrhythmic drugs, amiodarone and carvedilol were given to convert to normal sinus rhythm and drugs were withdrawn a week later without recurrent arrhythmia. The dog was recovered completely without any medication after 3 weeks of hospitalization.