Von Willebrand's Disease

VON WILLERBRAND’S DISEASE

Von Willebrand’s disease (wVD) is the most common inherited bleeding disorder in dogs. Although dogs of any breed (even mixed breeds) can have vWD, certain breeds are more prone to it than others. Doberman pinschers, Welsh corgis, German shepherds, and Scottish terriers account for most clinical cases of vWD. Scotties develop a more severe form of the disease than do other breeds.

To understand vWD, we need to understand how blood normally clots. When a blood vessel is damaged, blood platelets or thrombocytes quickly adhere to the damaged blood-vessel lining (endothelium), creating a temporary plug and slowing blood loss. Simultaneously, the endothelium releases an enzyme that activates clotting factors circulating in the blood, which, in turn, form fibrin - a strand-like material that wraps around the platelet plug to produce a sturdy and permanent clot. Von Willebrand factor (vWF) is a protein that helps platelets adhere to the endothelium and may also improve clot formation. Dogs with vWD have abnormally low levels of vWF, so the initial plug is slow to form. A vWD pup’s gums may bleed while it’s teething, and a vWD dog may have spontaneous nosebleeds and blood in its stool. Affected dogs may also have prolonged bleeding from small or superficial wounds. Excessive bleeding can lead to anemia, shock, and (if untreated) death.

Veterinarians have a new blood test that measures very small and very large amounts of vWF with greater accuracy (and in less time) than the old test. Accurately measuring vWF helps predict if a dog will be affected by vWD or will merely be a carrier - unaffected by the disease but with the potential to pass along the defect to its offspring.

There is also a genetic test for the disease in Dobermans, Scottish Terriers, Poodles,
Shetland Sheepdogs,  Manchester Terriers and Pembroke Welsh Corgis.  There
are two companies offering this testing.  The first to develop it was Vet
Gen.  For more information, they have a website for which I have included
the link. http://www.vetgen.com/

They also have a rival company offering the same testing considerably
cheaper.  However, there is a lawsuit pending because Vet Gen has a patent
on these tests.  The other company is Gene Search.  They can be found at :http://www.genesearch.net/

The information of the above two paragraphs came from Nancy Troyer a Doberman Pincher breeder http://home.mindspring.com/~suntana/index.html

Unfortunately, there’s no medication owners can regularly give a vWD dog to increase its level of vWF. But for dogs with late-onset vWD associated with hypothyroidism (insufficient thyroid-hormone levels), treatment with thyroid-hormone supplementation often alleviates vWD as well. For the more common congenital cases of vWD, however, veterinarians focus on injury prevention. They often advise owners not to let their dog play roughly with other dogs or chew on sticks or sharp bones. And if a dog’s gums tend to bleed, the owner should feed it only soft food. If a dog needs surgery, your veterinarian can take special precautions - which often include medication to temporarily increase the dog’s level of vWF - to minimize bleeding. With gentle handling and attentive care, a dog wit vWD can offer its people many years of devoted companionship.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS
Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats

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