Disease Description: A group of abnormalities of small blood cells necessary to control bleeding.

Inherit Mode: These traits are autosomal, with recessive or unknown expression.

Disease Symptom: Some dogs have only a mild bleeding tendency which is fairly easilycontrolled. With dogs who are prone to more severe bleeding, owners willneed to be particularly attentive to catch small injuries and attend tothem, and seek veterinary attention if necessary. In affected dogs, it is best to consult yourveterinarian before using any over-the-counter medications. For example,drugs such as aspirin alter the function of platelets, and should beavoided in dogs with bleeding disorders.

Disease Cause: -

Disease Diagnose: Generally these dogs are brought to the veterinarian at a young agewhen the owner notices unusual bleeding. This can be in the form of nosebleeds, blood in the urine or stool, or small hemorrhages or bruisingin the skin, ears, mouth or retina of the eye. There may also beprolonged bleeding in response to a small injury. Where the bleedingtendency is mild, the condition may only be suspected when your dogfirst undergoes surgery. Your veterinarian will do blood tests to determinethe cause of the abnormal bleeding. With this condition, plateletnumbers are normal but those tests that measure platelet function willhave abnormal results.

Treat Method: This condition cannot be cured but it can be managed, depending onthe severity. Your veterinarian will discuss this with you when thediagnosis is made.You may be able to control mild bleeding byapplying prolonged pressure. In other circumstances, sutures may berequired. Severe bleeding will require transfusion of fresh platelets,either in the form of fresh whole blood or platelet-rich plasma. If yourdog requires surgery, your veterinarian may recommend a transfusionpre-operatively as a precaution, depending on the severity of your dog'sthrombopathia and the type of surgery.

Breeder Advice: Affected dogs, their parents (who are carriers), and their siblings (approximateley 50% of whom will be carriers) should not be used for breeding.The trait for thrombasthenic thrombopathia has been largely eliminated from the otterhound population through selective breeding.

Disease Description Source: Link