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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. 


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