Von Willebrand disease is the most common inherited bleeding disorder in dogs, affecting clotting ability and requiring careful management throughout the dog's life.
Dogs with severe VWD live with the constant risk of serious or fatal bleeding from otherwise minor injuries. Surgical procedures become high-stakes events requiring specialist preparation. The uncertainty and frequency of bleeding episodes cause ongoing stress. Ethical breeding practices - using DNA testing to screen out severely affected dogs - are the most powerful welfare intervention available for this hereditary disease.