Diagnosis of type III von Willebrand disease in a standard dachshund

Type III von Willebrand disease is a rare coagulopathy, with published reports only existing for four canine breeds - Dutch Kooiker Hounds, Shetland Sheepdogs, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers and Scottish Terriers. A 2-year and 9-month-old male neutered standard dachshund was presented for hypovolaemic shock and a ventral neck mass. One previous bleeding episode following routine castration was reported. The patient's packed cell volume fell from 27% to 15% during hospitalisation, and computed tomography identified changes to the ventral neck consistent with fluid accumulation, assumed to represent haemorrhage. A further, similar lesion was identified within the cranial mediastinum. The patient was managed with a combination of isotonic crystalloids (Hartmann's solution), synthetic colloid (Geloplasma), alongside administration of blood products (packed red blood cells and fresh frozen plasma). A Von Willebrand factor antigen assay confirmed Type III von Willebrand disease. The patient made a full recovery. This report is the first to describe Type III von Willebrand disease in a standard dachshund.