Bleeding on the inside is called a hemorrhage while bleeding on the outside is simply called bleeding.
This is what we call as a phenomenon of the same nature but of a different effect to the body.
In humans, bleeding is caused by trauma and maybe genetics while in dogs, bleeding is caused by a disease -the Von Willebrand Disease.
In this article, get to know the Von Willebrand Disease and find out what it does to your dog, how a dog catches it, how to prevent it and all the things that you need to know about this disease.
What you need to know? The Von Willebrand Disease is a disease of the blood.
More specifically, it is a bleeding disorder that was described by a Finnish physician, Erik von Willebrand, and was later named after him.
This disease is common to most, if not all, mammals that use blood to survive that includes human beings and dogs alike.
It is the lack of the body to clot after experiencing trauma.
The effect is the same in both humans and dogs.
Think of it this way, if your blood does not clot, then the bleeding would not stop causing you to lose an amount of blood that can cause your kidneys, liver and all of your internal organs to fail including your heart, lungs, and most specially, your brain.
The same is true with dogs although the symptoms are different the Von Willebrand Disease is fatal.
Where did it come from? In a normal blood cell count, when one of the blood vessels experienced trauma or is injured, the body protects it through clotting.
The platelets of the blood cells would be the ones that will try to cluster together to cover the hole in the blood vessel or in the traumatized area and aims to stop the body from losing too much blood as soon as possible.
An important factor that helps this to happen is the Von Willebrand factor.
It acts just like that of a glue or of a tape that trie to to help the platelets to stick together just in time and form the blood clot needed by the body.
So when asked where the Von Willebrand Disease comes from, veterinarians would say that it is a degenerative disorder that is passed from one generation to another.
The Genetics of the Von Willebrand Disease Since we know that the Von Willebrand Disease comes genetically, there are three types of the disease that veterinarians have discovered.
The Type I, Type II, and the Type III.
Here is a simple check on the three types.
• Type I: The first type is the type that is most common and it often leads to mild bleeding tendencies.
This is usually common in many canine breeds and in cats as well as in humans.
Statistics would show that 3 out of every 4 people have this type, 2 out of every 4 canine breeds have this type and 1 out of every cat breed has this type.
Geneticists argue that this type is the type where the von Willebrand factor is in a low level.
• Type II: The second type is where the von Willebrand factor has the abnormality of the cells and of course, given that abnormalities will depend on the system, two types of Type II has been created.
Type IIa, the level of von Willebrand factor is decreased or at a low level and thus the capacity of the platelets of the body to cluster together is reduced as well.
Light to moderate bleeding can be prevented by the body but not heavy bleeding.
In Type IIb, even if the von Willebrand factor has proven to be defective, the capacity of the platelets of the white blood cells to cluster together and cover the hole of the blood vessel is actually increased.
• Type III: The Third type is the worst-case scenario of the von Willebrand disease.
Here, the von Willebrand factor is completely absent and thus any type of injury will be fatal.
Now that you know the three types of the disease, you must know that genetically speaking the first and the second subtypes are inherited at a "dominant" pattern, that is, when either one of the parents have it, the pup will surely get it as well.
The third type, on the other hand, is usually inherited at a "recessive" pattern, that is, both parents should have it in order for the puppy to have it as well.
What you should watch out for? Of course, the first two types are the only ones that you should watch out for because studies have shown the a puppy or just about anybody with a Type III von Willebrand disease will not thrive to live a month or a year in dog years.
However, here are the signs and the symptoms that you should watch out for.
Bleeding from mucous membranes would be common and should be seen as early as they are just puppies, easy skin bruising even from simple falls, prolonged bleeding from sites of trauma.
It is important that you watch out for these symptoms as trying to use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can cause further damage to the cells that are trying to make a clot.