What does spleen do in cats?

Your cat’s spleen acts as a giant filter that traps and removes old or abnormal blood cells from the circulation. The spleen also acts to trap and remove bacteria, foreign proteins and old cells through a process called phagocytosis, in which cells of the immune system within the spleen engulf the offending particles.

What does it mean when a cat has an enlarged spleen?

A variety of conditions are known to cause an enlarged spleen including an abdominal injury, infectious disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, bacterial infection, cell tumors of the spleen, and other immune disorders.

Can a cat live without its spleen?

The spleen is an oblong organ that sits just below the stomach, in the middle of the abdomen. Comparatively, on a size-by-size basis, it is much bigger in dogs and cats than it is in people. Although pets can live normally without a spleen, the spleen performs some helpful functions in life: Storage supply for blood.

How is lymphoma treated in cats?

Lymphoma is usually treated with chemotherapy. Low-grade lymphoma is treated with prednisone (a steroid) and chlorambucil (an oral chemotherapy agent). High-grade lymphoma is treated using one of a number of injectable chemotherapy protocols. “Lymphoma is usually treated with chemotherapy.”

How much is a cat splenectomy?

Soft Tissue Procedures

PROCEDURE LOW HIGH
Splenectomy <30 LBS $1360 $1630
Splenectomy 31-60 LBS $1525 $1775
Splenectomy > 60 LBS $1740 $1985
Stenotic Nares $1025 $1275

What happens to your body when you have a splenectomy?

After splenectomy, other organs in your body take over most of the functions previously performed by your spleen. You can be active without a spleen, but you’re at increased risk of becoming sick or getting serious infections. This risk is highest shortly after surgery.