Ok, here we go again, I need more advice. They are running a test to check for some type of genetic defect that is fairly normal in Dobes. It seems that some strains have a real tendency towards bleeding horribly when they get cut. Is this like hemophilia or something? Can it be controlled by diet? What are we talking here?
If they bleed like this on the outside then what happens when they get bruised? Do they bleed internally? My GSD is a brute and bruises me playing. Somebody please tell me what is involved here, and how to deal with it?

Kevin, the genetic tendency towards bleeding heavily when cut in the dobermann breed you are describing could well be von willebrand's disease (or vwd for short). If you do a bit of research on this you'll find it is hereditary and it can be quite serious - roughly equivalent to haemaphillia in severe cases - Probably best to ask your vet about internal bleeding issues - but I wouldn't be hugely surprised if some degree of internal bleeding was occuring if the dog suffered a big whack on its exterior. VWD and parvo??? How unlucky can a man (and his dog..) be???? VWD can be tested for when breeding
so whoever breed it obviously didn't..There can also be dogs that carry the gene without being affected by the condition themselves...From memory you can breed a vwd carrier (carrier of the gene responsible for vwd ) to a dog/bitch that is vwd clear and the progeny will be clear - but breeding from an affected dog would obviously be a no-no...The vet should be able to conduct a test where they check the level of a protein marker/factor in the blood which will determine whether vwd is a factor in this case...
also I haven't heard any information anywhere that suggests a change of diet will make a significant difference...it's a genetic issue, not a diet issue and it's a real shame that it happens - but breeders can erradicate it within a few generations of dogs by testing for it and breeding carrier -to - clear, or clear- to - clear dogs...
Good luck....

It is called von Willebrand's disease, or vWD. It is common in dobermans, but I have never known of one that had a problem because of it.

I knew a girl with it once too.

Here is some info

http://ks.essortment.com/vonwillebrands_rlig.htm

We posted at the same time apparently...


It is better to know the status than to wonder. This is one of the down sides of humane society dogs, but there are a lot of benefits as well. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I'm not getting squeemish yet, this little guy is just not having much luck. Well, it is not for sure as they have not completed the test yet. We just have to see where we go from there. Sounds good that you know of noone that has had a problem w/ it though. We'll just keep chugging along then, he is scheduled for neutering on the 4th of FEB and I pick him up on Feb 6th. . By that time he will be almost 4 months old, I guess his ears are staying floppy. Oh well, he'll have fun here for sure. I'm ordering Ed's Basic Obedience DVD in the next week or so, we'll polish Luke up while we are working the pup. Thanks!

Hi Kevin, although VWD is primarily known to the Dobermann, over 30 different breeds are known to carry it. Unfortunately MOST are never tested! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> Many Dobermann breeders don't test for it either, and I've even had a breeder in Germany (with wonderful bloodlines and a good reputation!!!) tell me it doesn't exist in Europe!!! The fact is OVER half of ALL Dobermanns in any country are affected with Von Willebrands! Responsible breeding and testing is the only way to keep the disease at bay. The link attached will show how proper breeding should be done, once you have test results.
VetGen
While it might seem that breeding ONLY Clear bitches to Clear dogs is the responsible way to go, in fact this would be detrimental to the breed as well. Since only about 25% of all Dobermanns are Clear, you would run the risk of limiting the gene pool so much that other diseases and genetic defects would become more prevalent.
On the other hand, I do not agree with some breeders who put VWD after a dogs' drives, working abilities, or appearance. I've had one "reputable" breeder argue that if all the Dobermanns in history had been tested and bred accordingly, many of "the greats" would never have existed! In my opinion, a dog that could bleed to death from a broken toe nail (extreme example)or produce offspring that may, is not great!
I will happily mate a Clear to a Clear, if possible, however I have not been so lucky yet. I certainly will never breed an Affected, or knowingly produce any!
There are blood tests available for VWD as well as DNA tests. My understanding is that the blood tests can be very unreliable, producing false positives and negatives. I (and many other breeders) use DNA testing, the most common lab in NA being VetGen.
Hope this helps explain things better!
Good luck to you and your pup!
Tammy.

Hey Kevin, just reread your second post... have this pups ears been cropped?? If not, they will be floppy. If they have been cropped, just keep taping! At "almost 4 months" he is still developing his adult teeth. With that, the majority of his Calcium is being diverted from the ears to the teeth! We are still taping a couple of pups at 8 months, even with a broad based working crop! A bit unusual for us, but not unheard of! If the ears are cropped and you want them to stand, by all means keep taping.
Tammy.

After much discussion with the Vet I have come away from it with a No to the Cropping. He will be already 4 months by the day that he is brought home. The vet says that he doesn't like to crop after 14 weeks, and the ears are not more prone to infections if they are not cropped, so I'll just leave them the way that they are. I will talk to the vet after I bring him home just to let him evaluate it, but it is about an 75% done deal as the vet doesn't see it.

First of all, I've never heard of a vet or a breeder that would crop dobes any later than 14 or 15 weeks. But one other thing to consider if you've never had a pup with cropped ears before, having just gone through this with my bouvier. When you bring your puppy home, all you want to do is have fun with it. It can be really frustrating trying to keep the ears clean and taped straight. Sometimes we're talking a few hours every day of all out fighting with the dog trying to get them just right. Also, you only have a limited time before the cartilage sets and you won't be able to change the ear by taping, so starting late is a real disadvantage. What happens when your pup gets an infection and you have to leave the tape off for 2 weeks? Sure, ears can look great cropped, but nothing looks worse than when it goes wrong.

hi! new here and planning a different post as a sort of introduction, but this post caught my attention and I had to respond.
First off, the bleeding issue. I have a 2 and a half year old dobie male. A couple weeks ago he cut his leg something awful...I mean, serious gag reflex kind of cut, requiring several staples. Not one iota of blood came from this cut. So, I must be one of the lucky non VWD dobie owners. Here's hoping your little guy is also VWD free.
Secondly, our big galloot has floppy ears. His breeder told us that we'd have a hard time finding anyone in our area that would crop his ears. It was a personal choice by us, as we brought this guy home just as he turned 8 weeks, and so chose not to have his ears cropped.
I don't know that I was much help, just offering up what I've experienced.

Rebecca