Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pony with enlarged spleen had spleen removal ending sports career
By Westerduin, F E et al.·Published in Tijdschrift voor diergeneeskunde·2003·Hoofdafdeling Gezondheidszorg Paard, Netherlands·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: [Splenectomy in a dressage pony: end of sports career?].
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 14-year-old Arabian cross gelding was brought to the clinic after experiencing mild colic symptoms for five days, along with yellowing of the gums and dark urine. Despite initial tests not revealing a clear issue, an exploratory surgery found an extremely enlarged spleen. After further examination suggested a tumor, the spleen was removed. Remarkably, eight weeks later, the pony returned to dressage competitions and even won a provincial competition six months after the surgery.
People also search for: pony colic symptoms · enlarged spleen in horses · splenectomy recovery in ponies
Abstract
A 14-year-old Arabian cross-bred gelding was referred to the University Clinic because of mild, recurrent signs of colic for 5 days. The pony showed icteric mucous membranes, haemolytic blood, and dark coloured urine. Internal examination did not give a clear diagnosis. Unidentified intra-abdominal strands were found and haemorrhagic abdominocentesis led to the decision to perform an exploratory laparatomy. An extremely enlarged spleen was the sole finding. A splenal biopsy sample was taken and surgery was completed. The pony remained colicky, so the spleen was examined by ultrasonography. After this examination, the tentative diagnosis 'tumour of the spleen' was made and splenectomy was performed. Pathological examination of the spleen revealed splenomegaly caused by infarctions of unknown origin. Eight weeks after surgery, the pony started again in dressage competition. Six months after splenectomy, the pony won the provincial dressage competition.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12870176/