Von Willebrand's disease in two families of Doberman Pinschers.

The history, clinical symptoms and laboratory results in two families of Doberman pinschers with von Willebrand's disease are described. The affected animals illustrate the rather nonspecific bleeding problems that may be encountered in mild and moderate forms of this disease. In both families a bleeding diathesis was suspected when one member of the family underwent surgery with serious postoperative bleeding complications. These cases illustrate the importance of a thorough presurgical history as well as the necessity for specific laboratory assays of F VIII including von Willebrand factor activity for the recognition of affected and "carrier" animals.