Inherited blood disorders among Rottweilers are some of the most difficult problems to deal with, because not only are they most often genetic in origin, the clinical signs can sometimes be conflicting leaving your vet to misdiagnose a rather serious issue.
Among the two more common blood disorders is von Willebrand’s diease.

What is von Willebrand’s Disease?

von Willebrand’s Disease is the single most common genetic bleeding disorder in dogs, affecting more than fifty breeds worldwide, including the Rottweiler. In fact, it is estimated that more than fifteen percent of Rottweilers are carriers of the disease.

The cause is a deficiency of von Willebrand factor (vWF), which is a plasma protein that is necessary for blood platelets to clot properly. A normal vWF is 70-180%, and a Rottweiler with von Willebrand’s disease can be much lower than that.

What to Look For

With this disease, your Rottweiler may bleed spontaneously from the mouth, nose or stomach. Injuries that lead to bleeding may continue for prolonged periods, even in some cases lasting until a transfusion is given. For that reason it is a good idea to ask your vet to test your Rottweiler for von Willebrand’s disease before any injuries occur.

Under no circumstances should you ever give your Rottweiler aspirin unless specifically instructed to do so by your veterinarian. Aspirin affects the way blood platelets operate and can cause bleeding to continue longer than it might otherwise.

Levels of vWD Severity

• Type I VwD

Before you finish this and make a frantic call to your vet, you should know that the majority of vWD cases are mild, or Level I vWD. These cases may exhibit nose bleeds or bleeding gums, possibly even occasional blood in the urine or stool.

• Type II VwD

Extremely rare and generally limited to dogs with German short haired pointer in their bloodline.

• Type III VwD

Also rare, and generally does not affect purebred Rottweilers.

Testing for vWD

The most common non-DNA based test for vWD can be terribly inaccurate. The process of collecting blood for the test is a very specific one that involves a single extraction as well as taking care to neither shake nor allow the blood to separate. If your vet seems uncertain about testing for von Willebrand’s disease, you can receive more information, instructions and a test kit by writing to:

Comparative Hematology Section - Diagnostic Laboratory
College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University
P. O. Box 5786
Ithaca, NY 14852-5786

Treating vWD

There is no cure for von Willebrand’s Disease, but it can be managed in most cases. Your veterinarian will discuss your Rottweiler’s specific case and type and work with you for a better understanding of the disease. In mild cases prolonged pressure to a wound will stop the bleeding. In some instances a transfusion with vWF blood may be necessary.

Surgical procedures are most often preceded by a vWF transfusion, but this depends on both the severity of your dog’s vWD and the extent of the surgical procedure involved.