Disorder - Von Willebrand's disease

Organ Systems Involved
Cardiovascular

Alternative Names
Angiohemophilia Pseudohemophilia Vascular hemophilia.

Brief Description

The process of blood clotting requires a number of important factors, and dogs suffering from von Willebrand's disease have a deficiency of von Willebrand's factor necessary for the normal clotting of blood.

Presenting Signs

The majority of dogs with von Willebrand's disease do not bleed spontaneously, rather, bleeding is usually started by physical abrasion, and may be noticed during surgical procedures, vaccination or drug therapy. Bleeding tends to be mostly from the mucous membranes (the moist linings of the body such as the gums, skin between the toes and the skin of the vulva and penis) and the severity is highly variable. Larger dogs may experience increased bleeding due to the pressure of weight on tiny blood vessels. Due to the fact that bleeding doesn't usually occur until surgery or an injury occurs, many cases are not recognised early in life and it is not uncommon to diagnose von Willebrand's in mature and even aged patients.

Groups Affected
Gundog
Hound
Non Sporting
Terrier
Toy
Utility
Working dog


Breeds Affected
Affenpinscher
Afghan hound
Airedale terrier
Akita
Alaskan malamute
American cocker spaniel
Australian shepherd
Basset hound
Beagle
Borzoi
Bouvier de Flandres
Boxer
Briard
British bulldog
Cairn terrier
Chesapeake Bay retriever
Cocker spaniel
Collie (Rough and Smooth)
Dachshund (long, smooth and wire haired)
Dachshund (miniature - long, smooth and wire-haired)
Dobermann
English pointer
English setter
English springer spaniel
English Toy terrier (Black and Tan)
Fox terrier (Smooth)
Fox terrier (Wire)
French bulldog
German shepherd dog
German short-haired pointer
German wire-haired pointer
Great Dane
Greyhound
Irish water spaniel
Irish wolfhound
Jack Russell terrier
Keeshond
Kerry blue terrier
Kuvasz
Labrador retriever
Lakeland terrier
Leonberger
Lhasa Apso
Maltese
Manchester terrier
Newfoundland
Norwich terrier
Old English sheepdog
Otterhound
Papillon
Poodle (Miniature)
Poodle (Standard)
Poodle (Toy)
Rhodesian ridgeback
Rottweiler
Saluki
Samoyed
Schnauzer (miniature)
Schnauzer (Standard)
Scottish terrier
Shetland sheepdog
Shih Tzu
Siberian husky
Skye terrier
Soft-coated wheaten terrier
St Bernard
Tibetan mastiff
Welsh Corgi (Pembroke)
Welsh terrier
Whippet
Yorkshire terrier


Treatment

Medical

Related Disorders

Von Willebrand disease II Von Willebrand disease III Thrombocytopenia Thrombocyopathies

PubMed References
Von Willebrand's disease

Further Reference Material [OMIA Number]
1057


Contributor
Emma Ryan