Another concern....splenomegaly - Page 1

Had Beckett to the vet yesterday for a routine visit, the vet said his spleen was enlarged. Since then I've been looking for information on spleen issues in GSDs. What I've learned so far is that GSDs normally have a 'prominent' spleen, that there is not a lot of diagnostic blood work that can be done, & the vet & I agreed that he would come back in a month for a recheck & u/s if she feels it is still enlarged. He's had a hard time keeping weight on his whole life, but he's a big, energetic, intact male living with intact females that he may not have contact with. I've always felt that was the reason for his weight issues, but now I'm wondering. Since his hip diagnosis, I've thought of his lean physique as a blessing in disguise. He's almost 4 years old, that's young for a hemangiosarcoma, isn't it? The vet mentioned a nodular spleen, anyone have any experience with this? If anyone has any links or references that I may access, I'd be grateful. I don't want to go to the next appointment unprepared, I'm already hearing 'splenectomy' being tossed around at the vets office, & I want to be as informed as possible before we go there. Geez..... first Ansgar, then Wolf, now this. jackie harris 

Jackie:

My vet told me that Reno's spleen felt enlarged when she was about 6 years old.  Can't remember but I think it was checked via ultrasound and determined that she just has a large spleen.  She never had an issue with it so hope it is the same with your Beckett.

Cheryl

Yeah, I hope so...some of the reference materials I found say that GSDs have prominent spleens, I'm hoping that is the case with Beckett. I'm just a little uneasy because he did actually complain when the vet was palpating him, & he's not that big a wuss. So it must of been uncomfortable for him. I'd just like to find out as much as possible. My vet's fairly conservative, but it's better to be informed. Thanks, jackie harris

If he's not showing any clinical signs of illness, it may well be nothing other than the common 'prominent spleen' found in the breed--but I would wonder why it wasn't mentioned before, unless this the first time this vet has done a hands-on physical exam on him. 

At his age, it's unlikely to be anything like hemangiosarcoma, though not impossible; given where you're located, you might want to consider having a tick panel run to rule out ehrlichiosis, which can also cause splenomegaly.  Here's a link to the 5 Minute Veterinary Consult's page on splenomegaly:

app.vetconnect.com/5min/data/01520153.htm

A spin-off question for you, though: are you planning to breed any of the intact females you have? If not, I don't understand why you haven't had them spayed, since it does reduce the incidence of mammary cancers and eliminates the risk of pyometras...plus you wouldn't need to keep Beckett separated from them, and he wouldn't be having his libido and his prostate stimulated needlessly every time one of the bitches goes into heat.  Just wondering, since you'd mentioned that  you had a hard time keeping weight on him.

 Quote:  since it does reduce the incidence of mammary cancers

From .0000000000000003 to .00000000000003. LOL

I love the weight gain after spaying. That is a lot of fun to deal with, you feed them normally, and they look like coffee tables.

Much better to leave them intact. 

i agree with yu there Jeff.have a 10 yr.old female here(uk)who hadnt got mammary tumours.She had an open pyo.earlier on in the year and had to be spayed.She is a top size,substantial female who IMO was at a correct weight(28 kilos when speyed)Altho.i,ve cut her food intake down slightly she looks like a beached whale.I,ve now noticed that since the op.she now has small pea size lumps in her mammarys.if it hadnt been necessary  i wouldnt have let them spay her.They did ultra scan her to see if it was necessary,but there was still a small amount of fluid in the womb,so they went ahead and spayed her.sorry to go off subject.Carole S.

Thanks for the responses, & especially for the link. He has been examined regularly, & this has not been noted before, but he has matured physically in the last year, broadening & becoming heavier boned. I just wonder if his mature physique is why the spleen is suddenly more prominent. But the vet actually did say enlarged, rather than prominent, & mentioned 'nodules'....& I am worried that he complained when the vet was examining him there.

And as far as my females, I am letting my 2 young girls mature, get there training completed & their hips/elbows evaluated before I decide who gets spayed. I am considering spaying our excellent bitch Kali, at 6 I do not think we'll breed her again. While she was an excellent mother & had gorgeous pups, (& I personally would love another litter, I miss puppy breath!) I just can't see breeding her 'for the hell of it'. If I don't have a purpose in mind, she shouldn't be bred. But talking my husband, who owns her, into it will not be easy. And I am not a big fan of unnecessary surgery...once a female goes through her first estrus, she is at risk of mammary tumors, I doubt many of us on this board support spaying pups at 6 or 7 months old. Spaying her later in life is a little riskier & does not decrease her risk of mammary tumors. Of course Pyometra is always a risk for an intact female, but perhaps not a sole reason to spay. I really feel that animals are created, as are humans, they way they are for a reason that we feeble minded humans do not always understand, & that the less we humans manipulate God's creatures, the better. I'm not a Bible thumper, I just see this as a basic issue of respect.

I am however, considering neutering Beckett, should this spleen issue be benign so he could tolerate the surgery. Since failing OFA , there really is no reason to leave him intact. He is fully mature, all his secondary sex characteristics are developed, & he is mentally mature, so I guess it is time. **sigh** Like I said, I don't like messing with the design for convenience's sake, but it will surely make his life more tolerable. Thanks again, jackie harris