Metabolism in the dog before and after splenectomy

Abstract

Summary

Four dogs in nitrogen equilibrium were studied as to total output of nitrogen in urine and feces, output of ammonia, creatin and creatinin in the urine, and iron and fat in the feces. In each a preliminary control period of seven days was followed by like periods at intervals after splenectomy varying from three days to three months.

In three of the four animals the removal of the spleen caused no change in nitrogen metabolism, fat utilization or iron elimination. Two of these animals showed no change in the blood picture and the third only a slight non-progressive anemia. A fourth animal which developed eventually a moderately severe anemia showed slight loss of weight, a disturbance of nitrogen balance and of creatin-creatinin partition and an increased elimination of iron.

The following conclusions are reached: (1) that the removal of the normal spleen in an animal which remains otherwise normal causes no disturbance of metabolism: (2) that when disturbances of metabolism occur they are in all probability to be explained by the anemia which frequently follows splenectomy and not by a disturbance of metabolism consequent upon the absence of the spleen.