Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Previous spleen removal linked to stomach twisting in dogs
By Sartor, Angela J et al.Ā·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical AssociationĀ·2013Ā·Veterinary Medical and Surgical Group, United StatesĀ·View original on PubMed ā
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Original publication title: Association between previous splenectomy and gastric dilatation-volvulus in dogs: 453 cases (2004-2009).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that dogs who had their spleen removed (splenectomy) were more likely to develop a serious condition called gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), which can cause the stomach to twist and bloat. Out of 151 dogs with GDV, 4% had previously undergone splenectomy, compared to only 1% of control dogs without GDV. This suggests that if your dog has had a splenectomy, they might be at a higher risk for GDV. If your dog is facing a splenectomy, your vet might recommend a preventive procedure called gastropexy to help reduce this risk.
People also search for: dog splenectomy risks Ā· GDV symptoms in dogs Ā· preventive gastropexy for dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between previous splenectomy and gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) in dogs. DESIGN: Multi-institutional retrospective case-control study. Animals-151 dogs treated surgically for GDV and 302 control dogs with no history of GDV. PROCEDURES: Computerized records of dogs evaluated via exploratory laparotomy or abdominal ultrasonography were searched, and dogs with GDV and dogs without GDV (control dogs) were identified. Two control dogs were matched with respect to age, body weight, sex, neuter status, and breed to each dog with GDV. Data were collected on the presence or absence of the spleen for both dogs with GDV and control dogs. Conditional logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association of previous splenectomy with GDV. RESULTS: 6 (4%) dogs in the GDV group and 3 (1%) dogs in the control group had a history of previous splenectomy. The odds of GDV in dogs with a history of previous splenectomy in this population of dogs were 5.3 times those of dogs without a history of previous splenectomy (95% confidence interval, 1.1 to 26.8). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: For the patients in the present study, there was an increased odds of GDV in dogs with a history of splenectomy. Prophylactic gastropexy may be considered in dogs undergoing a splenectomy, particularly if other risk factors for GDV are present.
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Search related cases āOriginal publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23634682/