Splenic Torsion
SWISSY SPLEEN SYNDROME
David E. Jackson, VMD and Sharyl L. Mayhew, BA, LVT
(Exerpt from full article printed in the Senntinel)
All dogs, from Chihuahuas to Mastiffs are the same species. All dogs, because they
are canines, share some common attributes and problems with all other canines.
Each individual breed of dogs has been developed over time for certain special
attributes, appearances, and abilities, and indeed some problems have grown to
be considered breed specific as well.
Mixed breed or random bred dogs are often touted as being healthier or more vigorous
than their purebred cousins, but in reality, they suffer from some or all of
the illnesses and diseases that affect the entire species, and at the same rate
at which their purebred cousins succumb. The difference is that there are no
special studies or information gathering groups that document and follow the
issues of mongrels. On the other hand, national breed clubs and breeders
regularly discuss problems they encounter with their fellow fanciers and breed
enthusiasts.
Studies are funded and papers are written about rare and strange, as well as unusually
common, problems encountered within certain breeds or breed types of dogs. We
all know that Dalmations are prone to deafness. We know that Irish Setters are
more likely to bloat than many other breeds and we know that Bedlington
Terriers have a storage disease that seems to affect them out of all proportion
to all other dogs. We are grateful that the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Club of
America has invited us to write to the quarterly SENNtinel about our unique
experiences with this wonderful breed. We hope that our experiences may help
others and we hope to continue to gather information about specific problems
that seem to occur in GSMD's, particularly at this time, with their spleens.
Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs and fanciers are still infants in the purebred dog world of
today. The breed has been around a long time, but the organized study of
documented cases of problems has only just begun. You are a small group,
relatively speaking. May people, many veterinarians and many otherwise
knowledgeable dog people have barely, if even, heard of GSMD's. A handful of
veterinarians, who have clientele made up of breeders and longtime owners of
the breed have information based on experience that others throughout the
country do not. For the most part, this breed is relatively healthy for the
size that they are. GSMD's are plagued with far fewer problems than more
populous breeds, for example Rottweilers, or German Shepherd Dogs, in the
similar size range. The national population of your breed is not sufficient for
the average veterinarian to see enough of them to start to form opinions about
what a "typical" Swissy problem might be. Fortunately, because of our location
and our clients with fair numbers of Swissies, and because of our ability to
communicate now as never before, we are learning some things about Swissies
that we hope to share with others throughout the country.
If you mention spleen to most people, they will have a blank look. If you say
spleen to long time GSMD owners they grow pale and sweaty. The spleen is the
largest single mass of lymphatic tissue in the body. It is an organ that
assists with immune function similar to the way the lymph nodes work.
Enlargement of the spleen (splenomegaly) may be coincidental or caused by
disease, medications, sedation or trauma. In most dogs, mild splenomegaly is
not considered remarkable and may even be expected when the animal is fighting
an infection or disease. Many cancers that affect dogs become evident on the
spleen first. All dogs can have a tumor or tumors on the spleen that prove
deadly, whether malignant or benign, because if the spleen or the tumor bleeds,
the dog may die.
Torsion of the spleen is generally considered a coincidental finding after a gastric
dilatation volvulus event (GDV - bloat/torsion of the stomach). The prevailing
consensus is that the stomach bloats and twists and takes the spleen along for
the ride. GDV is a medical emergency and surgery is needed to decompress the
stomach, reposition it and tack the stomach so that it will not likely torse
again. Many times the spleen is checked for viability or gross damage and left
in place if necrosis is not present at the time of the surgery to repair GDV.
Some Swissies who have GDV also have torsed spleens. This is consistent with all
other dogs that suffer GDV. However, GSMD's have regularly demonstrated that,
on this subject, they do not exactly fit the mold. In the veterinary
literature, this topic is briefly discussed, if at all.
In a normal Swissie, the spleen looks smooth and uncreased, and is about the size
and shape of a good NY Strip steak - 6 to 8 inches long by 2 inches wide, and
not very thick-less than one inch. However, at a rate too numerous to ignore,
it seems apparent that many GSMDs may suffer pronounced splenomegaly for no
obvious reason other than the spleen may have been constantly twisting,
folding, and unfolding. Most of the spleens removed from GSMDs are 18-24 inches
long, 8-10 inches wide and very thick. We have seen from 2-6 inches. This size
spleen is not at all an uncommon abnormal finding in this breed.
PRIMARY SPLENIC TORSION WITHOUT ACCOMPANYING GDV IS RELATIVELY RARE IN DOGS, BUT IT IS
NOT EVIDENTLY RARE IN THE GSMD. THE TYPICAL PRESENTATION OF A GREATER SWISS
MOUNTAIN DOG WITH A TORSED OR DAMAGED SPLEEN IS NOT THE SAME AS IT IS WITH MOST
OTHER DOGS, I.E. IN OUR EXPERIENCE THEY DO NOT SUFFER GDV FIRST OR AT ALL. IT
IS OUR SUPPOSITION THAT GSMDS MAY HAVE A BREED TENDENCY OR A CONFORMATION
ANOMALY THAT ALLOWS OR CAUSES THE SPLEEN TO CHRONICALLY FOLD OR PARTIALLY TORSE
AND THEN RETURN AGAIN AND AGAIN TO NORMAL POSITION OVER A PROLONGED PERIOD OF
TIME. THEY MAY ALSO BE PREDISPOSED TO PRIMARY SPLENIC TORSION WITHOUT ANY
GASTRIC INVOLVEMENT WHATSOEVER. WHETHER THE SPLEEN IS CONFORMATIONALLY HANGING
IN AN UNUSUAL POSITION OR HAS BREED SPECIFIC WEAKNESS OR LAXITY IN PLACEMENT,
ATTACHMENT (GASTROSPLENIC OR SPLENOCOLIC LIGAMENTS) OR BLOOD SUPPLY IS UNKNOWN.
We are at the beginning of discovering many of the medical realities of this
breed. It is possible that splenic torsion in this breed is something new,
possibly with an environmental cause that we do not yet suspect, but we think
it more likely that it is a BREED SPECIFIC PROBLEM that has been there all
along.
While we are not prepared to recommend or suggest that any normal spleen be removed
as a precaution, we are suggesting that the possibility of a splenic
abnormality be discussed with every Swissy owner before an abdominal surgery so
that appropriate guidance and pre-approved permission to remove the spleen is
granted.
Splenectomies performed on other breeds have always been for tumor removal or for traumatic
injury. In our practice we have only seen idiopathic independent splenic
torsion occur in the GSMD.
SWISSY SPLEEN SYNDROME
David E. Jackson, VMD and Sharyl L. Mayhew, BA, LVT
(Exerpt from full article printed in the Senntinel)
All dogs, from Chihuahuas to Mastiffs are the same species. All dogs, because they
are canines, share some common attributes and problems with all other canines.
Each individual breed of dogs has been developed over time for certain special
attributes, appearances, and abilities, and indeed some problems have grown to
be considered breed specific as well.
Mixed breed or random bred dogs are often touted as being healthier or more vigorous
than their purebred cousins, but in reality, they suffer from some or all of
the illnesses and diseases that affect the entire species, and at the same rate
at which their purebred cousins succumb. The difference is that there are no
special studies or information gathering groups that document and follow the
issues of mongrels. On the other hand, national breed clubs and breeders
regularly discuss problems they encounter with their fellow fanciers and breed
enthusiasts.
Studies are funded and papers are written about rare and strange, as well as unusually
common, problems encountered within certain breeds or breed types of dogs. We
all know that Dalmations are prone to deafness. We know that Irish Setters are
more likely to bloat than many other breeds and we know that Bedlington
Terriers have a storage disease that seems to affect them out of all proportion
to all other dogs. We are grateful that the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Club of
America has invited us to write to the quarterly SENNtinel about our unique
experiences with this wonderful breed. We hope that our experiences may help
others and we hope to continue to gather information about specific problems
that seem to occur in GSMD's, particularly at this time, with their spleens.
Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs and fanciers are still infants in the purebred dog world of
today. The breed has been around a long time, but the organized study of
documented cases of problems has only just begun. You are a small group,
relatively speaking. May people, many veterinarians and many otherwise
knowledgeable dog people have barely, if even, heard of GSMD's. A handful of
veterinarians, who have clientele made up of breeders and longtime owners of
the breed have information based on experience that others throughout the
country do not. For the most part, this breed is relatively healthy for the
size that they are. GSMD's are plagued with far fewer problems than more
populous breeds, for example Rottweilers, or German Shepherd Dogs, in the
similar size range. The national population of your breed is not sufficient for
the average veterinarian to see enough of them to start to form opinions about
what a "typical" Swissy problem might be. Fortunately, because of our location
and our clients with fair numbers of Swissies, and because of our ability to
communicate now as never before, we are learning some things about Swissies
that we hope to share with others throughout the country.
If you mention spleen to most people, they will have a blank look. If you say
spleen to long time GSMD owners they grow pale and sweaty. The spleen is the
largest single mass of lymphatic tissue in the body. It is an organ that
assists with immune function similar to the way the lymph nodes work.
Enlargement of the spleen (splenomegaly) may be coincidental or caused by
disease, medications, sedation or trauma. In most dogs, mild splenomegaly is
not considered remarkable and may even be expected when the animal is fighting
an infection or disease. Many cancers that affect dogs become evident on the
spleen first. All dogs can have a tumor or tumors on the spleen that prove
deadly, whether malignant or benign, because if the spleen or the tumor bleeds,
the dog may die.
Torsion of the spleen is generally considered a coincidental finding after a gastric
dilatation volvulus event (GDV - bloat/torsion of the stomach). The prevailing
consensus is that the stomach bloats and twists and takes the spleen along for
the ride. GDV is a medical emergency and surgery is needed to decompress the
stomach, reposition it and tack the stomach so that it will not likely torse
again. Many times the spleen is checked for viability or gross damage and left
in place if necrosis is not present at the time of the surgery to repair GDV.
Some Swissies who have GDV also have torsed spleens. This is consistent with all
other dogs that suffer GDV. However, GSMD's have regularly demonstrated that,
on this subject, they do not exactly fit the mold. In the veterinary
literature, this topic is briefly discussed, if at all.
In a normal Swissie, the spleen looks smooth and uncreased, and is about the size
and shape of a good NY Strip steak - 6 to 8 inches long by 2 inches wide, and
not very thick-less than one inch. However, at a rate too numerous to ignore,
it seems apparent that many GSMDs may suffer pronounced splenomegaly for no
obvious reason other than the spleen may have been constantly twisting,
folding, and unfolding. Most of the spleens removed from GSMDs are 18-24 inches
long, 8-10 inches wide and very thick. We have seen from 2-6 inches. This size
spleen is not at all an uncommon abnormal finding in this breed.
PRIMARY SPLENIC TORSION WITHOUT ACCOMPANYING GDV IS RELATIVELY RARE IN DOGS, BUT IT IS
NOT EVIDENTLY RARE IN THE GSMD. THE TYPICAL PRESENTATION OF A GREATER SWISS
MOUNTAIN DOG WITH A TORSED OR DAMAGED SPLEEN IS NOT THE SAME AS IT IS WITH MOST
OTHER DOGS, I.E. IN OUR EXPERIENCE THEY DO NOT SUFFER GDV FIRST OR AT ALL. IT
IS OUR SUPPOSITION THAT GSMDS MAY HAVE A BREED TENDENCY OR A CONFORMATION
ANOMALY THAT ALLOWS OR CAUSES THE SPLEEN TO CHRONICALLY FOLD OR PARTIALLY TORSE
AND THEN RETURN AGAIN AND AGAIN TO NORMAL POSITION OVER A PROLONGED PERIOD OF
TIME. THEY MAY ALSO BE PREDISPOSED TO PRIMARY SPLENIC TORSION WITHOUT ANY
GASTRIC INVOLVEMENT WHATSOEVER. WHETHER THE SPLEEN IS CONFORMATIONALLY HANGING
IN AN UNUSUAL POSITION OR HAS BREED SPECIFIC WEAKNESS OR LAXITY IN PLACEMENT,
ATTACHMENT (GASTROSPLENIC OR SPLENOCOLIC LIGAMENTS) OR BLOOD SUPPLY IS UNKNOWN.
We are at the beginning of discovering many of the medical realities of this
breed. It is possible that splenic torsion in this breed is something new,
possibly with an environmental cause that we do not yet suspect, but we think
it more likely that it is a BREED SPECIFIC PROBLEM that has been there all
along.
While we are not prepared to recommend or suggest that any normal spleen be removed
as a precaution, we are suggesting that the possibility of a splenic
abnormality be discussed with every Swissy owner before an abdominal surgery so
that appropriate guidance and pre-approved permission to remove the spleen is
granted.
Splenectomies performed on other breeds have always been for tumor removal or for traumatic
injury. In our practice we have only seen idiopathic independent splenic
torsion occur in the GSMD.
