Unusual Munty spleen

stratts

Well-Known Member
Morning guys,
I shot a young Munty Doe (approx 30 weeks) on Tuesday evening and noticed the spleen was different to the others I have shot. The spleen seemed normal in size (bearing in mind I only have a handful of grallochs under my belt for comparison) but was 'scaley' and frilly around the edges.

It behaved normally before the shot as I had about half an hour observing it before it presented a safe shot and the other organs and nodes, that I could inspect, were normal.

The carcass is currently in my chiller, I have kept the spleen bagged up and it is due for my own consumption.

Any thoughts please?

Cheers

Stratts



 
Difficult to tell from the pictures (there's a real vet's answer) as it looks a bit dried up. However, the spleen will contract in response to shock, so it might just be a reaction to that. What sort of placement/reaction/time to death was there? Cutting through it so as to get a cross section - throughout the normal and through the dark area might be helpful. The usual applies though - if all else is normal, I'd not be too concerned.
 
Thanks mate. Shot took out the top of the heart and part of a lung but dropped on the spot. Gralloched straight away and the spleen edges felt dry and scaley as soon as I checked it so within 15 - 20 mins of death as I still take a while to perform the gralloch, lol!!

As it's been in a zip lock bag it's actually more moist than it was when I 1st inspected it,

Cheers

Stratts
 
Will be interesting to see what response you get from the resident vets.

A couple of questions that I might have (though personally I'd wait until a vet says what to do):
> When you say the edges were "scaley", do you mean hard?
> If hard, can you tell if the underlying tissue has solidified as well?
> Did you try incising the edge and looking at the cross-section?
> Were any of the lymph nodes enlarged?
> Did the liver look normal?

As I say, interested to see what the vets say.
 
Have I mis read that you eat the spleen? Or is it that youve bagged the spleen up but the carcass is for your consumption? Never known anyone eating the spleen, and a quick google confirmed my surprise....
 
Ha ha sorry yep it was the way I wrote it out, the spleen is bagged and the carcass is for myself!

I haven't incised it but will do later. I just ran my fingers over the edges but didn't 'squeeze' so am not sure about the tissue being solidified. Liver looked perfect as did the lymph nodes.

Will post back later once cut open,

Stratts
 
Forgot to post the cross section pic up after cutting, here it is.

I think it was just the effect of the bullet strike as it seems like bruising after looking closely again. It was not solid to the touch or when squeezed and was actually quite soft,

Cheers

Stratts

 
Hi I think I would agree with Buchan, spleens do look dodgy once contracted and the adrenalin rush/sympathic nerve system would still reach the spleen even if it almost drops on the spot. you can get odd spotty spleens and discolorations from infections etc but the cut seems clean enough so I would not have a problem with consuming the venison. Especially if the rest of the gralloch seems normal nothing to worry about.
 
If you cant be sure it is bruising(which should be quite obvious) I would get it tested for anthrax....

and keep it isolated in the mean time......its a free test,speak to your local vet
 
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If you cant be sure it is bruising(which should be quite obvious) I would get it tested for anthrax....

and keep it isolated in the mean time......its a free test,speak to your local vet

I reckon he'd know by now if it was anthrax...
 
Well, it's a week since he shot it and with an incubation period of 1-7days, Stratts might be showing symptoms by now (although according to CDC web site, the inhalation form can be up to 2 months). If there were other signs - bleeding from orifices (not the wound channel before some smart alec pipes up) and an enlarged spleen for instance you might be justified in testing. But all was normal and I'd say this was a contracted spleen.
 
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