Dog > Von Willebrands Disease
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Von Willebrand’s Disease in Dogs
Von Willebrand’s disease in dogs is a problem associated with the ability of the dog’s blood to properly clot. The Von Willebrand’s factor works with platelets to insure the dog’s blood properly clots. The Von Willebrand factor makes the platelets sticky. This means it helps the platelets stick to one another along with sticking to the wall of the blood vessels. This is essential if cuts are going to properly heal.
When there is a deficiency in either the number of platelets or the Von Willebrand’s factor then the blood does not properly clot and can pose a danger to your dog’s overall health. A deficiency in either prevents proper clotting.
Both the quantity of platelets and Von Willdebrand’s factors can vary in the dog’s blood based upon a variety of factors to include stress and exercise levels. Multiple blood tests are required to identify the problem because of the fluctuating levels of the various components in a dog’s blood. The multiple tests will identify the average levels of platelets and Von Willebrand’s factor in the blood.
When a severe shortage in platelets or Von Willebrand’s factor occurs the afflicted dog may suffer from spontaneous internal bleeding. This can be a life threatening condition and should be address immediately. Dogs with deficiencies in platelets or Von Willebrand’s factor can have normal lifespan however special steps will be taken by your vet when an afflicted dog must have surgery.
Symptoms of Von Willebrand’s Disease in Dogs
Small red bruises on the skin or mucous membranes (papura)
Cuts that bleed for an excessive amount of time
Occasional to frequent nose bleeds.
Testing for Von Willebrand’s Disease in Dogs
The two most common ways to test for blood clotting problems in dogs is a blood test or a lip-stick test. The lip-stick test involves sticking the underside of a dog’s upper lip with a pin and then tracking how long it takes for the small wound to stop bleeding. The lip stick test will not tell you if the problem with blood clotting is platelet based or Von Willebrand’s factor based. Dogs with healthy blood (blood that includes sufficient number of platelets and Von Willebrands factor) will have their blood clot in about 4 minutes. A blood test consists of drawing whole blood from the dog and then separating the blood into it component parts and measuring the amount of the various components.
Dog Breeds Typically Affected by Von Willebrand’s
Over 50% of all Von Willebrand’s Factor problems occur in the following Dog breeds:
Dobermans
Standard Poodles
Shetland Sheepdogs
German Sheppard.
Most severely affected dog breeds with deficiencies in Von Willebrand’s factor include:
Scottish Terriers
Chesapeake Bay Retrievers
Shetland Sheepdogs.
Hereditary Condition of Von Willebrand’s Disease in Dogs
A deficiency in the Von Willebrand’s factor is a hereditary condition. It is likely to be passed on to offspring. For this reason it is important to consider spaying or neutering the affected dogs.
