The Von Willebrand Disease

Tags: dogs, pets, diseases, von willebrand disease

This dog disease is as unique as it sounds – the Von Willebrand Disease easily distinguishes itself from the other types of ailment because it shows symptoms that aren't common to the majority of those existing to date. The sickness may come in 3 types, the first one being Type I, which is the mildest and most common to the Doberman species.

According to statistics as conducted by a team of researchers (I don't remember their names), 70% of all members of the Doberman dog breed carry Von Willebrand Disease. Doesn't that blow your mind, yeah? If you're an owner of this breed, then you better have it undergo a check-up. The second kind of Von Willebrand Disease would be Type II, which is more harsh and can have more devastating affects on pets.

This ailment is most common to German Shorthaired pointers. And finally, the third of its kind (I know you already know) is Type III – this is the most awesome type having the worst possible effects on your pooch. This is the “Big Kahuna” of the dreaded disease, occurring more often to the Scottish Terriers.

But wait – I've been telling you about how unique the ailment, the types it comes in, and the breeds that it's most common too; that's rather stupid of me now isn't it? So how will you know if a sick dog is infected with Von Willebrand Disease? Simple – the symptoms of it are similar to the disorder hemophilia, which occurs in humans.

That my friend is an abnormality in a persons blood, which is a problem with the bloods ability to clot. In a dog, there too will be excessive bleeding; blood gushing out of its nose would probably be the first symptom. Gushing is a bit of an exaggeration, specially if your pooch has been contaminated with Type I, so flowing would be the more appropriate term.

You may also notice bleeding coming from its gums, as well as “too much” blood coming from open wounds on your pet. Small cuts will take a lot longer to dry up too. When it takes a dump, you should be able to see traces of blood in its feces.

When it pees, the color would be draped in red, or have a reddish color – if put in a stressful situation, whether physical or emotional, expect to see more of the red fluid flowing - basically you'll be seeing plenty of blood symptoms and problems. Von Willebrand Disease will require immediate medical attention and sometimes even require surgery.

The latter will depend entirely on the severity of the animal's condition and the agreement of surgeons of doing so (cutting it open could cause massive blood loss). The preferred canine treatment program would consist of blood transfusion and the use of special dog medicine designed for helping with the bleeding problem (some medicine could actually worsen its condition).

This is one of the canine hereditary diseases, so screening the parents and even grandparents of the pup you wish to buy would be great. If you suspect your pet to be a carrier of Von Willebrand Disease, go pay the veterinarian a visit – the sooner the better.

About the author

Alex De La Cruz is a successful Dog Trainer who has been advising and coaching dog owners for many years. Alex now decided to share his knowledge through this site, Doggyweb.info. You can sign up for his free weekly newsletter and learn how to keep your dog healthy and happy.

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