Types of Canine Splenic Tumors: Are Splenic Tumors Always Malignant?

Masses in the spleen occur primarily in middle-aged to older dogs. Splenic masses often consist of only benign hematomas or fibrous nodules.

However, these masses can sometimes be highly malignant forms of cancer, especially vascular cancer known as hemangiosarcoma.

The spleen

The spleen is a highly vascular organ that sits on the left, in front of the abdomen. It functions as a blood reservoir and filter to remove old blood cells from circulation. The spleen also contains lymph tissues and can become enlarged in leukemia or lymphoma.

Dogs with spleen tumors often develop a bloated or pendulous abdomen as this organ enlarges.

These dogs may otherwise appear normal or develop generalized signs of lethargy and loss of appetite. In some cases, the tumor can bleed into the abdomen (filling the belly with blood) and can even rupture suddenly, leading to rapid internal bleeding, collapse, and shock. In addition, malignant cancers such as hemangiosarcoma can spread to nearby organs such as the liver, so affected dogs can also develop liver problems. Anemia in dogs is a common finding with hemangiosarcoma, so dogs become quickly tired and develop pale gums.

Diagnosing splenic tumors

Your veterinarian may be able to feel a splenic mass by palpating the abdomen.

However, they will want to use abdominal x-rays or ultrasound to pinpoint where the problem lies in most cases. In the case of a bleeding tumor, your vet may also want to draw fluid from the abdomen. Blood work may be needed to gauge the degree of anemia and to rule out other problems.

Treatment of splenic tumors

The treatment of choice for splenic tumors is surgical spleen removal.

Your vet will want to send a sample of the removed organ for histologic examination to determine if the tumor is benign or malignant. Surgery is curative in benign tumors, and treated dogs usually get along well without a spleen. In the case of malignant tumors, surgery may not slow the spread of cancer, but it does remove the discomfort caused by the bloated belly and the risk of bleeding. Unfortunately, chemotherapy is not usually an effective treatment for hemangiosarcoma, and dogs with this form of cancer have a poor long-term prognosis.

Further reading:
Splenic Masses in Dogs (Splenectomy)

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Jana Rade

I am a graphic designer by day, dog health advocate, dog writer, member of the Dog Writers Association of American and an award-winning author. Jasmine, the Rottweiler of my life, was the largest female from her litter. We thought we were getting a healthy dog. Getting a puppy from a backyard breeder was our first mistake. Endless veterinary visits without a diagnosis or useful treatment later, I realized that I had to take Jasmine's health care in my own hands. I learned the hard way that simply seeing a vet is not always enough. There is more to finding a good vet than finding the closest clinic down the street. And, sadly, there is more to advocating for your dog's health than visiting a veterinarian. It should be enough but it often is not. With Jasmine, it took five years to finally get a diagnosis for her initial issue. Unfortunately, other problems had snowballed for that in the meantime. Jasmine's health challenges became a crash course in understanding dog health issues and how to go about getting a proper diagnosis and treatment. I had to learn and I had to learn fast. Helping others through my challenges and experience has become my mission and Jasmine's legacy. I now try to help people how to recognize and understand signs of illness in their dogs, how to work with their veterinarian and when to seek a second opinion. My goal is to save others the steep curve of having to learn things the hard way as I did. That is the mission behind my blog and behind my writing. That is why I wrote Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog, which has turned out being an award-winning guide to dog owners . What I'm trying to share encompasses 20 years of experience.

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