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Using dry dog food label information, the hypothesis was tested that the risk of gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) increases with an increasing number of soy and cereal ingredients and a decreasing number of animal-protein ingredients among the first four ingredients. A nested case-control study was conducted with 85 GDV cases and 194 controls consuming a single brand and variety of dry food. Neither an increasing number of animal-protein ingredients (P=0.79) nor an increasing number of soy and cereal ingredients (P=0.83) among the first four ingredients significantly influenced GDV risk. An unexpected finding was that dry foods containing an oil or fat ingredient (e.g., sunflower oil, animal fat) among the first four ingredients were associated with a significant (P=0.01), 2.4-fold increased risk of GDV. These findings suggest that the feeding of dry dog foods that list oils or fats among the first four label ingredients predispose a high-risk dog to GDV.

A nested case-control study was conducted among 1634 dogs with complete diet information in a 5-year prospective study to determine diet-related risk factors for gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV). Cases included 106 dogs that developed GDV; controls included 212 dogs without GDV that were frequency matched to cases by year of GDV onset. Proportionate energy consumed from major food types and from carbohydrates was determined. Dogs were categorized as consuming either a low volume or high volume of food based on the median number of cups of food fed per kg of body weight per meal. Dogs fed a larger volume of food per meal were at a significantly (P<0.05) increased risk of GDV, regardless of the number of meals fed daily. For both large- and giant-breed dogs, the risk of GDV was highest for dogs fed a larger volume of food once daily.

The lifetime probability of death from gastric dilation-volvulus (GDV) for five dog breeds was estimated based on published breed-specific longevity and GDV incidence. These breeds were Great Dane, Irish Setter, Rottweiler, Standard Poodle and Weimaraner. Lifetime risk (95% CI) of GDV in these breeds ranged from 3.9% (0-11.2%) for Rottweiler to 36.7% (25.2-44.6%) for Great Dane. A decision-tree analysis for prophylactic gastropexy--using lifetime probability of death from GDV and expected cost savings for veterinary services as outcome measures--was undertaken to determine the preferred course of action in several dog breeds. Prophylactic gastropexy was the preferred choice of action for all breeds examined, with the reduction in mortality (versus no gastropexy) ranging from 2.2-fold (Rottweiler) to 29.6-fold (Great Dane). Assuming a prophylactic gastropexy costs US$ 400, the procedure was cost-effective when the lifetime risk of GDV was > or = 34%. The maximum and minimum estimated breakeven costs for the gastopexy procedure ranged from US$ 20 (Rottweiler) to US$ 435 (Great Dane). The cost-effectiveness of prophylactic gastropexy was most sensitive to the cost of treating GDV (US$ 1500). Prophylactic gastropexy raises ethical issues that need to be considered by veterinarians and dog breeders.

Objective: To identify non-dietary risk factors for gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) in large breed and giant breed dogs., Design: Prospective cohort study., Animals: 1,637 dogs > or = 6 months old of the following breeds: Akita, Bloodhound, Collie, Great Dane, Irish Setter, Irish Wolfhound, Newfoundland, Rottweiler, Saint Bernard, Standard Poodle, and Weimaraner., Procedure: Owners of dogs that did not have a history of GDV were recruited at dog shows, and the dog's length and height and the depth and width of its thorax and abdomen were measured. Information concerning the dog's medical history, genetic background, personality, and diet was obtained from the owners, and owners were contacted by mail and telephone at approximately 1-year intervals to determine whether dogs had developed GDV or died. Incidence of GDV, calculated on the basis of dog-years at risk for dogs that were or were not exposed to potential risk factors, was used to calculate the relative risk of GDV., Results and Clinical Relevance: Cumulative incidence of GDV during the study was 6% for large breed and giant breed dogs. Factors significantly associated with an increased risk of GDV were increasing age, having a first-degree relative with a history of GDV, having a faster speed of eating, and having a raised feeding bowl. Approximately 20 and 52% of cases of GDV among the large breed and giant breed dogs, respectively, were attributed to having a raised feed bowl.

Objective: To compare incidence of and breed-related risk factors for gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) among 11 dog breeds (Akita, Bloodhound, Collie, Great Dane, Irish Setter, Irish Wolfhound, Newfoundland, Rottweiler, Saint Bernard, Standard Poodle, and Weimaraner)., Design: Prospective cohort study., Animals: 1,914 dogs., Procedure: Owners of dogs that did not have a history of GDV were recruited at dog shows, and the dog's length and height and depth and width of the thorax and abdomen were measured. Information concerning the dogs' medical history, genetic background, personality, and diet was obtained from owners, and owners were contacted by mail and telephone at approximately 1-year intervals to determine whether dogs had developed GDV or died. Incidence of GDV based on the number of dog-years at risk was calculated for each breed, and breed-related risk factors were identified., Results and Clinical Relevance: Incidence of GDV for the 7 large (23 to 45 kg [50 to 99 lb]) and 4 giant (> 45 kg [> 99 lb]) breeds was 23 and 26 cases/1,000 dog-years at risk, respectively. Of the 105 dogs that developed GDV, 30 (28.6%) died. Incidence of GDV increased with increasing age. Cumulative incidence of GDV was 5.7% for all breeds. The only breed-specific characteristic significantly associated with a decreased incidence of GDV was an owner-perceived personality trait of happiness.

Dogs (n = 136) with gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) syndrome were followed over time to measure recurrence and mortality rates and to identify prognostic factors. Thirty-three (24.3%) died or were euthanized during the first seven days. Of 85 cases that were followed for up to three years, nine (10.6%) cases each had a recurrence of GDV and seven (8.2%) cases died or were euthanized. The median survival times for cases that had gastropexies and those that did not were 547 and 188 days, respectively. Depressed or comatose cases on admission were three and 36 times, respectively, more likely to die than alert cases, while cases with gastric necrosis were 11 times more likely to die.

Body measurements, history of gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), and other data were obtained for 155 Irish setters at the 1994 National Specialty Show. The dogs ranged in age from 6.5 months to 12.4 years (mean+/-standard deviation [SD], 3.6+/-2.6 years); 11 (7%) of the dogs had histories of GDV. Gastric dilatation-volvulus risk increased 33% for each year of age (p of 0.01). Dogs with the deepest thorax relative to width (ratio range, 1.61 to 1.85) had a significantly greater GDV risk than those with the shallowest thorax (ratio range, 1.20 to 1.50); the odds ratio was 8.45; the 95% confidence limits were 1.44 to 49.57; and the p value equaled 0.02. Having a relative (particularly a parent) with GDV also increased GDV risk. Five-generation pedigrees yielded a significantly higher mean coefficient of relationship for the 11 dogs with GDV than for the 11 dogs without GDV.

Thoracic depth/width ratios (TDWRs) were calculated from measurements of the parents (i.e., common dam and two sires) and puppies in two litters of Irish setters. The TDWRs of the parents, distribution of TDWRs in the litters, and comparisons with earlier population studies suggest that an incompletely dominant major gene and a background of minor genes and environmental factors are responsible for the TDWR. A history of gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) (i.e., bloat) was correlated with high TDWRs in this family as it was for Irish setters and certain other breeds studied earlier. It may be possible to reduce the incidence of GDV by selective breeding of dogs with lower TDWRs.

A study was conducted of 101 dogs (i.e., case dogs) that had acute episodes of gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) and 101 dogs (i.e., control dogs) with nonGDV-related problems. The control dogs were matched individually to case dogs by breed or size, and age. Predisposing factors that significantly (p less than 0.10) increased a dog's risk of GDV were male gender, being underweight, eating one meal daily, eating rapidly, and a fearful temperament. Predisposing factors that decreased the risk of GDV significantly were a "happy" temperament and inclusion of table foods in a usual diet consisting primarily of dry dog food. The only factor that appeared to precipitate an acute episode of GDV was stress.

The Veterinary Medical Data Base was usd to conduct an epidemiologic study of gastric dilatation and dilatation-volvulus (GDV) to describe changes over time in frequency of canine hospital admissions, to identify risk factors, and to estimate their relative importance. Cases in this case-control study included 1,934 dogs with GDV that were admitted to 12 participating veterinary hospitals from 1980 to 1989. The controls were 3,868 dogs with other diagnoses that were randomly selected from the same hospitals. Frequency of GDV per 1,000 canine hospital admissions ranged from 2.9 to 6.8. The case fatality rate was 28.6 and 33.3% for gastric dilatation alone and for gastric dilatation with volvulus, respectively. Using logistic regression analysis, the odds ratio (OR) and its 95% confidence limits (95% CL) for GDV associated with purebred vs mixed-breed dogs were 2.5 and 2.1, 3.0, respectively. The risk of GDV was associated with increasing age (chi 2 = 305.6, P < 0.0001) and increasing weight (chi 2 = 627.8, P < 0.0001). Significant association of GDV risk with sex or neuter status was not found. The 5 breeds having at least 10 cases and 8 controls and with the highest risk of GDV were Great Dane (OR, 10.0; 95% CL, 6.4, 15.6), Weimaraner (OR, 4.6; 95% CL, 2.3, 9.2), Saint Bernard (OR, 4.2; 95% CL, 2.3, 7.4), Gordon Setter (OR, 4.1; 95% CL, 1.8, 9.3), and Irish Setter (OR, 3.5; 95% CL, 2.4, 5.0). The effect of increasing body weight on GDV risk was less than that of increasing ideal adult breed weight, determined by published breed standards.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)