Canine Splenectomy (Spleen Removal) in Wilmington, DE

What is a canine splenectomy?

A splenectomy is the surgical removal of the spleen. In dogs it is performed for four main reasons: a splenic mass, a splenic hematoma, acute rupture after trauma, and hemoperitoneum — free blood accumulating in the abdomen from a bleeding spleen.

It is a higher-complexity abdominal procedure than most soft tissue surgery, for two reasons. The splenic vessels at the hilum are large and sit in fragile tissue, so haemorrhage control has to be fast and secure. And splenic disease carries a genuine association with cardiac arrhythmia, which changes how the anesthetic and the recovery are managed.

How dogs present

Two very different pictures bring dogs to us.

The emergency. A dog collapses suddenly, has pale gums, is weak, and may have a visibly distended abdomen. This is a bleeding spleen filling the abdomen with blood. It is time-critical.

The incidental finding. A splenic mass is picked up on an ultrasound performed for something else entirely, in a dog who seems completely well. This is the better version, because it allows for planning, staging, and a proper conversation before surgery.

	The emergency	The incidental finding
How it presents	Sudden collapse, pale gums, weakness, distended abdomen	No symptoms — found on a scan done for something else
What is happening	A bleeding spleen filling the abdomen with blood	A splenic mass, not yet bleeding
Urgency	Time-critical	Allows planning and staging
Before surgery	Stabilisation first: IV fluids, transfusion if the PCV has fallen far enough	Full workup: ultrasound, thoracic radiographs, baseline bloodwork
Conversation with you	Compressed into minutes	Unhurried, before anything is booked

The 50/50 rule

About half of canine splenic masses are benign. No scan can tell you which half your dog is in. Histopathology after removal is the only definitive answer, which makes surgery both the treatment and the diagnosis.

What we do before surgery

Abdominal ultrasound characterises the splenic lesion and checks the liver, which is the most common site for spread if the mass is a hemangiosarcoma. Thoracic radiographs look for pulmonary metastasis. Bloodwork establishes a baseline packed cell volume so we can measure ongoing blood loss against it.

Where a dog is actively bleeding, stabilisation comes first: IV fluid support, and a transfusion where the packed cell volume has fallen far enough to warrant it.

The surgery itself

The spleen is approached through a midline abdominal incision. Hilar vessel ligation is the core of the procedure: the splenic artery and vein and their branches are secured — we use surgical hemoclips for speed and reliability on the larger vessels — and the spleen is removed intact where possible, so the mass is not disrupted during handling.

While the abdomen is open we perform a full abdominal exploratory, examining the liver, the other organs, and the omentum. If there is a second lesion, we would far rather find it now than three weeks from now.

Throughout, continuous Lead II ECG watches for ventricular premature contractions (VPCs). These are common in splenic cases, most are self-limiting, and a proportion need intervention — which is only possible if someone is looking.

Recovery and monitoring

Post-op PCV and lactate monitoring continues through the early recovery period. A falling packed cell volume signals ongoing bleeding; a rising lactate signals poor tissue perfusion. Both show up in the numbers before they show up in the dog.

Most dogs go home within a day or two. Activity is restricted for two weeks. The signs that need an immediate call are pale gums, weakness or collapse, a distended abdomen, or refusing to eat.

Histopathology usually returns within a week. Whatever it says, we will explain it plainly, including what the realistic picture is and what your options are.