Emergency Splenectomy
My own golden retriever, Boomer, lives at home with my family. I wish so much that he could live at school with me, but my apartment doesn't allow pets and he is just so comfortable at home.
Boomer is a little over ten years old, but he is healthy and young at heart :) On Monday night, I got a call from my mother saying that Boomer was at the emergency veterinarian. He had been acting dizzy, lethargic, and not eating - which, for a Golden Retriever, is a sure sign that something is wrong. The veterinarian said that he had blood in his abdomen and it was likely due to a ruptured spleen. At the time, I was so worried about him. A ruptured spleen can be a life-threatening problem. I am so happy that my family caught the problem when they did, because otherwise it might have been to late!
After being stabilized, Boomer went home for the rest of Monday night and then early Tuesday morning, he went to his regular veterinarian for more observation. The team of veterinarians there did several ultrasounds and determined that there was a small mass on his spleen, which had caused it to rupture. The rupture was causing a slow leak of blood into his abdomen. Boomer was loosing blood quickly, so they took him into emergency surgery and removed his spleen right away!
Before this crisis, I knew a little about the spleen, but didn't really know the details of the organ. I did some of my own research and learned that it is responsible for blood cell production and the helps with fighting off infectious diseases. The spleen is a very fragile organ to begin with, so a small mass or trauma to the organ can easily result in problems. Dogs can live without their spleen, and often many dogs recover wonderfully from the surgery. Their daily lives might change slightly as a result of the spleen removal, but for the most part, they can eventually resume a normal life.
I was so nervous about Boomer, especially since I was two hours away and there was nothing that I could do to help him! Thankfully, Boomer did so well in the surgery and is recovering well at home. My family has been sending me tons of pictures and videos of him and he seems to be doing great! Although it was scary, this has been such a good learning opportunity for me and I am so happy that Boomer is okay!
