Thank you to all of you who came to our Open House earlier this month. We truly enjoyed meeting each one of you and showing you around our facility. Thank you also to those who donated blood and registered to be potential bone marrow donors – what a great community we live in. If you missed the event, please come by anytime for a tour.

As we continue our anatomical and physiological tour of the body, we come next to the spleen. This elongated yet flattened organ has two main functions. It is part of the reticuloendothelial system, which basically helps to filter bad stuff out of the blood. In this capacity, the spleen removes old & damaged red blood cells, certain infectious agents, and some unfamiliar cells, such as certain cancer cells. The spleen can also produce red cells when necessary. It can be considered a part of several body systems. Some see it as part of the immune system since it filters blood and contains a lot of lymphocytes (immune cells). Some see it as part of the vascular system since it is basically one huge mass of blood vessels. Anatomically, it best fits in a discussion of abdominal organs, since that is where we find it. The spleen shares some of its blood supply with the stomach and upper intestine. It sits on the left hand side of the body, near the stomach and partially covered by the rib cage.

The doctors and staff at Animal Care Clinic are here to care for you and your pets. Our goal is to provide you with exemplary family veterinary medicine, emphasizing quality of life for your pets and nurturing the bond you have with your animals. Come visit us.

by Bonnie Markoff, DVM, ABVP