>First of all the split spleen.  Franny Ferret had an exploratory done for
>probable insulinoma or adrenal tumor.  When the dr opened her up he found
>a small piece of spleen with the edges healed but frayed where it had been
>ripped apart.  As he explored more closely he found the matching piece of
>spleen.  Because he could see the tattered edges he knew it was not a
>birth defect.  It is now two healed working spleens so he left them alone.
>He said she should have bled to death when that happened though.  Anybody
>ever heard of such a thing before?  now for the second part, once he
>looked closely there were tumors everywhere so rather than remove some
>and cause her more shock to her system he just closed her up.  Right now I
>am not giving her any meds.  She is almost seven and actually looks good
>although you can feel her swollen glands.  She has gained a quarter pound
>since surgery and he is seeing her once a month.  What does the future
>hold?  Before the surgery she had episodes of going limp and glassy eyed.
>Since I'm giving her frequent feedings of duck soup she has not had any
>more episodes.  I'd appreciate hearing anyone's experiences as I need to
>prepare myself.
 
Dear X:
 
This sounds like there has been a previous rupture of the spleen.  These
are occasionally seen, and surprisingly, most don't bleed to death.  The
chance of fatal hemorrhage probably increases with enlarged spleens, in
which splenic vessels are widely dilated by congestion.  In many cases of
splenic rupture, you will see little seeds of the spleen throughout the
adjacent tissue (so-called daughter spleens or splenosis) which function
like tiny independent spleens.
 
Regarding what to expect with lymphoma - it is very difficult to say
exactly what will happen.  Some animals have a prolonged existence,
and some a quick demise.  Some may go quietly in their sleep without
premonitory signs.
 
Older animals with swollen lymph nodes generally have the lymphocytic form
of lymphoma which has both good and bad points.  The good point is that
this is the form with the longest average lifespan, and some animals last
over a year with no treatment.  The other side of the coin is that these
mature neoplastic lymphocytes are the least responsive to prednisone
administration.  As you can tell, with such polarized possibilities, it
is very difficult to predict what is going to happen here.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM
[Posted in FML issue 3668]