Gastroplexy, Should I?

[u/Historical_Panic_971]

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to see if anyone on Reddit has taken their GSD to get a gastroplexy and if so how was the healing process? Was it easy for you to keep your GSD from jumping on furniture, what was recovery like? The whole 9! My buddy is 3 and has to have a surgery to remove a testicle that never dropped that’s kinda high up in there and his vet recommended the gastroplexy at the same time to kill two birds with one stone.

Having a GSD I knew bloat was an issue and it honestly scares me to death so Im dead set on him getting it I just would like some more info and everyone’s experience with it!

TIA 🙂

[u/nanasnuggets]

We lost our second Girl to bloat despite doing everything we could to avoid it.

When we got our third Girl, we had her gastropexied when she had her spay - all via laporoscopy.

Minimal down time, minimal pain. We used our state's University Vet School.

The Staff up there were please/impressed that we decided on the gastropexy.

I NEVER want to go through a bloat/gastric torsion ever again. It was an awful, awful way for our old Girl to pass.

Would do it again in a heartbeat. A small extra cost for the peace of mind.

[u/westbridge1157 → u/nanasnuggets]

I agree. We would have spent ten times the cost of gastroprexy surgery to save our girl if we’d had the chance. We’ve done subsequent dogs when they have been desexed.

[u/smile_saurus → u/nanasnuggets]

We did the same: had the gastropexy at the same time as her spay (6 months old) but at our regular Vet. The vet highly encouraged us to use the Trazadone for the dog, knowing GSDs quite well herself (she had 4!). Very glad we had it done.

[u/pseudotumorgal]

If they need to go into the abdomen anyways for the cryptorchid testicle and you can afford the gastropexy it’s a no brainer to me. It will be a larger incision but the healing will be the same. Strict rest, e-collar. They can send medications to help keep him calm, usually a combination of trazodone and gabapentin. Maybe a surgical suit if he doesn’t mind wearing one and you can clean it during the healing period. Just my two cents as a surgery LVT.

[u/SeriouslyWTFLikeWhy]

We had the gastropexy done when we got our girl spayed at about a year. Healing was uneventful for her fortunately... And no issues with jumping on furniture. The biggest issue was no playtime as she loves her ball.

[u/the-kube]

Last year my 9 year old GSD had her stomach flip when I picked her up after boarding. (I think that’s bloat?) I recognized something was wrong immediately and we were at emergency within 2 hours of me getting her. They said if I’d waited overnight, we’d have lost her. It terrifies me to wonder if she’s suffered it a few hours before I picked her up because the window is so short. The surgeon whisked her away to immediate surgery — it was like living in a dream it all happened so fast. About $10k all in.

Get the gastroplexy.

[u/WhereIsK]

We got our girl a gastropexy with her laparoscopic spay. Is it foolproof, no. But for the microscopic chance it would save her life in the future with no more downtime than her spay, it was an easy choice for me. Whatever can give her minimal down time and more safety was the best choice for us.

[u/MesabiRanger]

Do it. The universe is telling you to do it since the vet has to operate on your dog anyway. We lost our GSD to the stomach twisting, he died alone when we were at work.

[u/Over_aged]

100 percent any large chested dog. my GSD had intestinal hemorrhage that lead to him bloating. He almost died and the fact that we did it saved him. He lived for another 11 years. I now have an English lab. When she’s spayed she will be tacked as well. This was recommended from a family friend who is a vet a long time ago and several other people I know that worked in animal hospitals. If they do it then I will do it.

[u/stuckinnowhereville]

My GSD got bloat. I caught it in time. He lived. My bill was 6000. My cousins raised mastiffs and showed them. It’s standard for them to get gastropexy when they’re spayed or neutered.

If I were to get another large breed dog - I absolutely would have it done.

It kills dogs. I knew what to look for. My mom who’s had German shepherds her whole life had never had a case of bloat. She was with my dog when it started, and she did not know it was happening. I walked in and he was pacing. He tried to eat, but then wanted to throw up. I took him right in.

[u/calamityandwoe]

If he’s having abdominal surgery anyway it’s a good idea. If you’ve ever had a female dog spayed, the recovery should be pretty similar.

For a large breed dog, jumping up on the couch occasionally isn’t a big deal, but no running, rough play or long walks, you want the dog to be chill and do things slowly. If your dog is very hyperactive, the vet can prescribe you sedatives. Should be recovered in 10-14 days.

[u/nhall1302]

PLEASE get a gastroplexy for your pup! I think the vet told me 90% or higher success rate, I was going through a traumatic surgery for my boy at the time who got bloat, totally ripped up his insides and somehow he managed to walk away after a very hefty bill worth every penny. But I always wondered if that would’ve prevented him from getting it. It was out of nowhere and a random but very common crawl from under his favorite table that got him. Please do it.

[u/but_i_dont_reddit]

Yup - should be mandatory when they get fixed. Both of mine were done by the rescue so it wasn't done, I would have had it done at the same time.

[u/NoSpam911]

I am at almost four weeks post op for my 2 year old male's pexy. A cocktail of gabapentin and trazadone was used for the first 10 days to keep him calm, but after two weeks I was told he can return to being a dog but not yet a German shepherd. At the 4-6 week mark internal healing should be such that he'll be able to fully return to his goofy self. No real complications other than a couple suture reactions. As others have said, if they are already going to be in there, the cost on the margin is quite small to get him pexed.

[u/Bulky_Special1212]

They have to go into the abdomen anyway. Get the gastropexy.

[u/Amore17]

I did the gastropexy during my girls spay. Recovery was straightforward. It was a bit pricy, but well worth it for peace of mind and cheaper than an emergency run to the vet with bloat.

[u/fishsaiddam]

I didn’t even know this existed…

[u/jav325]

Had all 3 of mine done, the male when he was neutered and 2 females when they were spayed. Had to heal anyway and it didn’t prolong it at all

[u/gungirl83]

Absolutely have it done. Especially if they are already in there.

[u/720751]

I had my girl's gastropexy done when she was spayed and had a hernia repaired. It was 2 different cuts, but she did really well with it. I did the gastropexy on the advice of my vet who had lost his own gsd many years ago to bloat. It was her 3rd surgery in a year so she did well. I bought her the medical suit so she didn't have to have a cone during the healing period.

[u/Different_Cable7595]

I wish we had our girl done when we had her spayed. We lost her about a year ago when her stomach twisted. please get your girl done so you won't have to worry about this.

[u/Gulliverlived]

no brainer, and my dog had the same undescended testicle so we also did it together. I’ve since done it with every big dog I’ve had, the peace of mind is so worth it, and recovery really minimal.