Saving giant Jeffery from a big problem

By John Morgan | Dated November 11, 2022

Jeffery in recovery from his big operation

We have a lot of great patients here at Gordon Vet Hospital, but not many of them are quite as ‘great’ as Jeffery the Great Dane. Although he barely fit on our scales, Jeffery weighed in close to 70kg! This added extra challenges as we prepared to perform a potentially life-saving operation.

Great Danes are at high risk of a deadly condition called bloat or Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (GDV). This occurs when the stomach fills with gas and then twists – blocking of blood supply to the stomach and back to the heart. This is incredibly painful and can be deadly, even with rapid treatment. Without preventative surgery, it is estimated that one third of Great Danes will develop this dangerous emergency over their lifetime. Other large, deep chested dog breeds (e.g. German shepherds) are also at increased risk of GDV.

Jeffery came in for desexing and a surgery called a gastropexy. A gastropexy is a surgery where a section of the stomach wall is attached to the abdominal wall. This stops the stomach from being able to twist, potentially saving his life from GDV.

Due to Jeffery’s size, it was all hands on deck to safely anaesthetize and recover him. He just fit on our scissor lift table which allowed us to get him from the floor to the surgery table. Instead of recovering in a cage, he was given his own private room afterwards to wake up from the anaesthetic.

Jeffery has been recovering well at home and his owners now have peace of mind knowing he is protected from GDV.