My dog's spleen ultrasound report: Is it normal or concerning?

Scarring can cause connective tissue, so that could mean there was previous damage to the liver. The cells not being homogenous, means that there are different types of cells present throughout the liver. This isn't a lot of information to go off of to determine anything in particular however. A full report would be needed to make an accurate assessment, since non-homogenous livers can have benign nodules that don't concern us OR could have potential pathology (disease) present. Also the gallbladder and adrenal glands should have been assessed at the same time as the liver, to give us a complete picture of your pets health. I would recommend posting the entire report here on the forum if you want further recommendations. Also if this was done by a board certified ultrasonographer, then the report should also include potential differentials based on what was seen. I hope your pet does well moving forward. Best wishes and take care.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Boop by Petco. I can explain some of these findings for you: Temperature is normal. Pulse and respiratory rate are mildly elevated for a 60lb dog but this could have been due to mild stress. MM is mucous membranes, or gums, which should be pink and moist. CRT is capillary refill time, which is a test of blood perfusion of tissues - <2 seconds is normal. EENT (ears/eyes/nose/throat) WNL (within normal limits). The muffled heart sounds could be indicative of thick fur, but can also be a sign of fluid present around the heart (called pericardial effusion). Diesel's lungs sounded normal. His abdomen palpated enlarged, and free fluid in the abdomen was suspected, which is abnormal. LN/NS (lymph nodes and nervous system) within normal limits. MS (musculoskeletal) - he was limping on his right front leg after x-rays were taken, but NSF (no significant findings) were found on palpation of the leg. He was standing with his wrist (carpus) slightly flexed.

That is completely normal and sometimes could be more prominent. Nothing to be worried about. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

It's difficult to recognize mast cells as abnormal on cytologic evaluation. Usually, when a mast cell tumor has metastasized to the spleen, there is a nodule in the spleen that can be visualized with ultrasound or at surgery. Just taking a random aspirate of the spleen and finding normal mast cells does not necessarily prove metastasis, but a recheck ultrasound in 3 months should be helpful if you are still concerned.

I can see the results, but I'm unable to see the reference ranges for each value which can vary based on the machine so it's a little difficult to say for certain what these changes could mean. It looks to me like the monocytes and lymphocytes (specific types of white blood cells) are a little low - this could be a stress response which is very normal for a dog having it's blood drawn in the hospital. Some dogs simply lie on the lower end of the reference range as well. I can't think of any disease where low lymphocytes and monocytes in the absence of other changes would be significant, and this would not raise a flag for possible cancer in my mind. Red cell distribution width (RDW) gives an idea of the average size of a red blood cell and mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCH) tells how much hemoglobin is present in each cell - these parameters are really only significant when there is also anemia or low hematocrit. If you have other concerns you should definitely follow up with you

Most of the parameters that are reading outside the normal range on this lab work are not likely to be significant and I can list what is abnormal and tell you what that could mean: 1. Slightly elevated leukocytes (white blood cells): while this can be a sign of infection or inflammation a slight elevation is more commonly seen with mild stress and may not be significant 2. Mild elevation in PCV (packed cell volume or red blood cells): this can be seen with dehydration or in very rare cases bone marrow disease; it is also common for some dogs to run slightly high for no significant reason 3. Elevated MCHC (mean cell hemoglobin concentration) only significant if the red blood cell level is low 4. Elevated ALP (alkaline phosphatase, a liver enzyme): can increase with liver or gallbladder disease, increases in cortisol, or bone lesions, but more commonly will be non-specific finding 5. Mildly elevated total bilirubin: can increase with gallbladder disease or anemia, but more likely to be

Yes, they appear fairly normal, but I would have to examine them closer and palpate them in order to ensure that everything is normal. If there is a concern, then it's best to have him examined by a vet. I hope that helps and all is well with Bear.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Boop by Petco. Abdominal x-rays are sometimes helpful in determining if there is a mass in the cranial (front part) of the abdomen, near the spleen or liver. Sometimes this is obvious, but masses can be more subtle on x-rays, and it can be difficult to determine from what organ a mass is originating. If there is concern for an abdominal mass on x-rays, an abdominal ultrasound may be recommended to better determine what organ the mass is associated with. I hope this is helpful - best of luck with Teddy!

This bloodwork and urinalysis look very unremarkable to me. The values that are marked as “abnormal” are so close to normal that I usually recommend just rechecking in 1-2 months. The urine is concentrated so the kidneys are likely working well and trace protein is acceptable in concentrated dog urine. All in all, I’m not concerned by the bloodwork. Please note that a dog can sill be very sick with normal bloodwork so if Max is acting sick and your vet is worried, definitely take their recommendations. Best wishes to you and Max!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Betty Lou. A lot of dogs develop splenic masses and many of them are not cancerous. There is no way to know by looking at the spleen. It needs be removed and submitted to the laboratory for a pathologist to evaluate microscopically. The same holds true for the liver. Just because a lesion is seen on the liver in surgery does not mean cancer has spread from the spleen. It is best in this case to remove the spleen and biopsy any abnormality in the liver. You may consider having an abdominal ultrasound performed prior to surgery by a board certified radiologist. This will allow a full evaluation of the abdomen and give you a better idea of what to expect in surgery. I hope this information helps. Good luck to you and Betty Lou!