Tag Archives: gastric dilation and volvulus

Torsion and Volvulus in Dogs, Cats and Rabbits

An x-ray of torsion in a dog
Most people don’t realize it, but internal organs are not fixed in place and do have the ability to move around inside the body. When the movement of an internal organ involves a twist, the patient becomes critically ill because the twist cuts off blood supply to that organ. Internal organs can twist either on their long axis (torsion) or along their short axis (volvulus). The most common disorder caused by a twisted organ is bloat, or gastric dilation and volvulus. However, the veterinarians at the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center diagnose and treat a variety of twisted organs in dogs, cats and rabbits. I’ll discuss further in today’s blogpost.