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This information is provided by Provet for educational purposes only. 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 a blood-filled organ that lies in the front of the abdomen, closely attached to the stomach. In humans and animals the spleen is often ruptured following trauma such as a road traffic accident. It can also become diseased. The spleen is an important but non-essential organ. It is important because it serves many useful functions in the body including :
It is non-essential because the body can survive even when the spleen is totally removed. There are many disorders that can affect the spleen :
If the spleen ruptures due to trauma or a cancer, bleeding occurs into the abdomen, and this suddenly makes the animal weak and it may collapse. In severe cases the patient can actually bleed to death. Otherwise, there may be few signs that the spleen is diseased. If the spleen is extremely large the abdomen may appear to be swollen or pendulous. A veterinarian can usually feel an enlarged spleen within the abdomen but he/she may need to perform a series of tests to determine the diagnosis including :
Treatment of diseases of the spleen is often possible, but if the organ is seriously affected, such as with a generalised cancer, it can be removed with few consequences for the animal.
Updated October 2013 | |||