You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

The spleen is an important organ - and yet cats, dogs and humans can live a normal life without it !!

The spleen is an organ located on the left side at the front of the abdomen, adjacent to the stomach. It is very well supplied with blood which is why a ruptured spleen (such as occurs following a road traffic accident, or other blow to the abdomen) is potentially very dangerous,  but it is not directly connected to any other organ. 

The spleen is important :

• in the production of white blood cells
• it is involved in the destruction of old red blood cells and other cell debris, and 
• it acts as a store and reservoir for blood in some species eg the cat and goat.

As well as traumatic rupture,  the spleen is sometimes affected by cancer, and in older dogs these tumours can cause internal bleeding leading to sudden onset weakness and staggering when the cancer tissue ruptures..

Surgical removal of the spleen (called splenectomy)  is needed for cancer and some injuries, and animals survive very well without the organ.

Updated October 2013