
- Acute collapse with abdominal pain (seek emergency medical care immediately)
- Abdominal pain (more intermittent if the condition is chronic)
- Vomiting
- Lack of appetite
- Swelling of the abdomen
- Weight los
- Increased/excessive drinking and urination
- Urine color changes, may look like port wine
- Lethargy
- Depression
- Acute - A sudden attack in which the canine collapses in severe pain; this is an emergency situation requiring immediate veterinary medical attention
- Chronic - More gradual and subtle in its development, presenting with more non-specific symptoms than the acute type
- Primary - More rare, it is the primary problem which does not emanate from gastric volvulus (an abnormal rotation of the stomach more than 180 degrees)
- Secondary - Caused by or in conjunction with gastric dilatation volvulus, twisting the spleen to create a blockage or obstruction of the flow of blood
- The spleen is a large efficient blood filter which removes aged, damaged or parasitic-ridden red blood cells from the bloodstream
- The spleen is attached to the stomach by ligaments and is fed by its splenic artery and veins
- Splenic torsion is a condition in which the spleen has twisted around its own blood vessels
- The ligaments which hold the spleen to the stomach become stretched with an episode of stomach twisting as it takes the spleen with it as it twists or rotates
- The now-stretched ligaments do not allow the spleen to return to its normal position, closing off the thin-walled splenic veins, allowing them to collapse and occlude
- Meanwhile, the splenic artery, having a higher blood pressure, is continuing to pump blood into the organ as designed
- With the obstructed blood flow caused by the abnormal torsion or twist of the spleen, the blood keeps filling the spleen, causing it to enlarge and become painful
- Splenectomy - Removal of the spleen in part or completely
- Splenic repositioning
- Partial pancreatectomy (removal of a part of the pancreas) if the left pancreatic limb is affected by the torsion
- Prophylactic gastropexy - This procedure is done during surgery - it sews the stomach to the inside wall of the abdomen to hold it in a better/safer position to reduce repeat episodes in the future
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