Salmonella splenic abscessation in a raw‐fed puppy: Clinical and ultrasonographic findings

Splenic abscess is an uncommon, life‐threatening condition in dogs, described rarely in both human and veterinary medicine. A 4‐month‐old female French Bulldog presented after 10 days of weight loss, pyrexia, polyuria/polydipsia, weakness, lethargy, intermittent diarrhoea and failure to thrive, together with marked splenomegaly. Investigations revealed anaemia, thrombocytopenia and hypoalbuminaemia. Abdominal ultrasound demonstrated a mass within the mid‐body of the spleen, characterised by an irregularly thick, hyperechoic capsule surrounding a central hypoechoic region that contained mobile hyperechoic material. Ultrasound‐guided fine‐needle aspirate from the splenic mass revealed marked neutrophilic inflammation. Aerobic and anaerobic cultures of the aspirate grew Salmonella dublin . Targeted oral antimicrobial treatment was instituted for 2 weeks, with improvement in clinical signs; however, on ultrasonographic follow‐up, the splenic lesion remained unchanged, so splenectomy was performed. Histology confirmed splenic abscessation. The puppy made an excellent postoperative recovery with complete clinical resolution.