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help wonder; if we'd been aware of GDV, would we would have done something that might have prevented this from happening to her? We had just had her spayed, and if we had been aware of GDV, we would have asked the vet to tuck in her stomach at that time. We certainly would have watched her intake of water much more closely, and we never would have fed her after she drank a lot of water. Whether any of this would have helped, we will never know.

Maybe after we left for the day, Dallas might have played with one of our other dogs, or rolled around. We will never be sure of what actually happened to her that day.

So many "maybes." So many, "I wonder if..." and "If only we'd...."

Bottom line, there are no answers to our questions. Had we come home earlier and found Dallas alive, and had we gotten her medical attention, she might have lived. She might not have.

Unfortunately, chances of GDV survival are low (20-30%) even if the dog is found in time and brought in for this extremely complicated and costly surgery. (Although we were told that Angel Memorial Hospital has more surgeons and is better equipped to handle this type of surgery, and the chances for survival there are somewhat better than at a regular vet.)

But the doctors told us that the surgery involved varies in complexity from case to case. For some dogs, the condition is caught in time and the excess gas is bled out. For others, the dog's organs are so badly damaged that lengthy surgery is necessary to try to "put the dog's insides back together." Even after the surgery, full recovery is still iffy. And even if the dog recovers, it is almost certain that it will suffer from lung and heart problems after that.

Prompt treatment is essential for successful treatment of GDV, and surgery is always necessary. The faster you can get your dog to a vet, the better its chances of survival. Without treatment for GDV, death is a certainty.

But I write all of this not to make you sad or despair. Despite the uncertainties associated with GDV, there are some things you can do to reduce the chances of GDV happening to your dog.

First, don't overfeed your dog we all have a tendency to give our dogs too much food (especially as a reward for good behavior). Feed them the recommended amount for their breed and weight. Don't let them overeat. The same is true of very large quantities of water.

Second, and perhaps most importantly, feed them several times a day preferably three times. Divide the one meal into smaller portions.

Third,

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