Diagnosing Von Willebrand Disease in Dogs

Dog Breeds

Von Willebrand disease in dogs(vWD) is an inherited condition that can best be diagnosed through blood tests. Due to the fact that this is the most common bleeding disorder in domestic dogs, the screening tests for vWD have improved greatly over the past few years.

Read More >

Introduction

Von Willebrand disease (vWD) is an inherited condition that can best be diagnosed through blood tests. Due to the fact that this is the most common bleeding disorder in domestic dogs, the screening tests for vWD have improved greatly over the past few years.

How Von Willebrand Disease is Diagnosed

Von Willebrand disease can be diagnosed through blood tests and bleeding time assessments. Bleeding time tests involve making a tiny incision in the dog’s gum and measuring the amount of time it takes for bleeding from the wound to stop on its own. This normally occurs within 2 to 4 minutes. Nails that are clipped too short typically stop bleeding within 2 to 6 minutes. Blood tests for vWD are also available and involve measuring the levels of von Willebrand factor in circulation. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) maintains a registry for many of the breeds that commonly are diagnosed with vWD. There also is a fairly recent genetic test that can identify both clinically affected and carrier dogs, based upon their DNA. This is the most accurate diagnostic test for von Willebrand disease that is currently available.

Special Notes

Some breeds of dogs seem to be more prone to von Willebrand disease than others. For a few of these breeds, genetic vWD testing is available. While blood tests can predict whether a dog has a clotting disorder, genetic testing is much more reliable.

Treatment and Care

Symptoms and Types