Von Willebrand Disease
Von Willebrand Disease is an uncommon congenital disease, but occurs among about 50 breeds of dog and is prevalent in Doberman Pinschers, German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Standard Poodles, German Shorthair Pointers and a few other breeds. It is characterized by an abnormally low blood-clotting factor known as the von Willebrand Factor or vWF.
Von Willebrand’s is very similar to hemophilia in humans. Like hemophilia, it causes excessive bleeding, because the affected animal’s blood has insufficient plasma proteins necessary for normal platelet-collagen binding. The symptoms may not become obvious until the dog undergoes surgery or experiences a traumatic injury, at which point the unexpected prolonged bleeding can threaten the dog’s life.
Methods to determine a dog’s vWF include bleeding time assessments where a small incision in a dog’s gum is timed with 2 to 4 minutes being normal for cessation of bleeding. Blood test are also available to quantify the vWF in the bloodstream and there is also a fairly recent genetic test that can identify both clinically affected and genetic carrier dogs, based upon their DNA. This is the most accurate diagnostic test for von Willebrand disease that is currently available.
Von Willebrand Disease has only been found in a couple of the Dobermans that Doberman Rescue of NM has taken in over the years, less than 1% of our rescues. In both cases, the dogs were not severely affected by the disease and have lived normal lives without incident.
Von Willebrand Disease is an uncommon congenital disease, but occurs among about 50 breeds of dog and is prevalent in Doberman Pinschers, German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Standard Poodles, German Shorthair Pointers and a few other breeds. It is characterized by an abnormally low blood-clotting factor known as the von Willebrand Factor or vWF.
Von Willebrand’s is very similar to hemophilia in humans. Like hemophilia, it causes excessive bleeding, because the affected animal’s blood has insufficient plasma proteins necessary for normal platelet-collagen binding. The symptoms may not become obvious until the dog undergoes surgery or experiences a traumatic injury, at which point the unexpected prolonged bleeding can threaten the dog’s life.
Methods to determine a dog’s vWF include bleeding time assessments where a small incision in a dog’s gum is timed with 2 to 4 minutes being normal for cessation of bleeding. Blood test are also available to quantify the vWF in the bloodstream and there is also a fairly recent genetic test that can identify both clinically affected and genetic carrier dogs, based upon their DNA. This is the most accurate diagnostic test for von Willebrand disease that is currently available.
Von Willebrand Disease has only been found in a couple of the Dobermans that Doberman Rescue of NM has taken in over the years, less than 1% of our rescues. In both cases, the dogs were not severely affected by the disease and have lived normal lives without incident.
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Website maintained by Website to the Rescue
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