Von Willebrand disease is the most common inherited coagulopathy in dogs, affecting many breeds and requiring awareness for surgical and trauma welfare management.
Von Willebrand disease causes welfare concern primarily around surgical and trauma situations where uncontrolled bleeding occurs. Affected dogs may bleed excessively from minor wounds, after surgery, or during estrus. The welfare management priority is identifying affected dogs before planned procedures - breed-appropriate screening and VWF testing before surgery enables prophylactic management that prevents life-threatening hemorrhage. Dogs with unknown vWD who undergo routine surgery without appropriate preparation may experience serious welfare events that would have been preventable with prior testing.