GDV/Bloat: From Door to Decompression
Dr. Rosemary Stolzer-Bolton, DVM, DVMCaninePre-RACE approval · 0.5–3 CE creditsFree Preview
A large-breed emergency that kills in hours — gastric dilatation-volvulus demands instant recognition, aggressive stabilization, and surgical precision. This course follows Duke, a 6-year-old Great Dane, from his 9 PM emergency presentation through surgery and post-operative ICU care, covering the full clinical arc of GDV management. Earn RACE CE credit (approval pending; hours assigned at approval).
Learning Objectives
- 1Identify the classic clinical tetrad of GDV and interpret the radiographic double bubble sign to distinguish volvulus from simple gastric dilatation
- 2Explain the combined obstructive, distributive, and hypovolemic shock mechanism driven by vena cava compression and calculate appropriate shock-rate crystalloid boluses
- 3Execute the emergency stabilization sequence — cephalic IV access, LRS resuscitation, orogastric decompression, fentanyl analgesia, and antibiotic selection — within a 30-minute window
- 4Evaluate intraoperative gastric wall viability using color, thickness, and bleeding criteria, and select the appropriate surgical intervention including incisional gastropexy technique
- 5Manage post-operative VPCs using a lidocaine CRI protocol and implement the monitoring, prokinetic, and nutritional support plan for the 48-72 hour critical window
Course Syllabus
- 18 minMeet Duke — The Dog Who Can't VomitPreview
module-1-meet-duke
- 29 minPathophysiology — Why GDV Kills
module-2-pathophysiology
- 310 minEmergency Stabilization — The First 30 Minutes
module-3-emergency-stabilization
- 410 minSurgery — To Cut or Not to Cut
module-4-surgery
- 58 minIntegrative Post-Op Recovery
module-5-integrative-recovery
- 67 minDuke's Outcome and Prevention
module-6-case-resolution
Final Assessment
10 questions · Passing score: 70%
Complete all course modules to unlock the assessment. Upon passing, your CE certificate will be generated automatically.