Havanese Health Problems and Raising a Havanese Puppy to be Healthy

How To Raise a Healthy Dog
Feeding the Best Dog Foods
Vaccinations: Needed or Not?
Spaying and Neutering: Pros and Cons

The most common health problems in Havanese:

The most serious eye disease in the Havanese is cataracts, which can appear in young Havanese puppies or later in life, and which can progress to blindness. Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), retinal dysplasia, and tear duct disorders also occur in the breed.

According to the Michigan State University Thyroid Database, Havanese have the 2nd highest rate of hypothyroidism of 140 breeds (up to 26% affected).

Liver shunt and deafness (inherited deafness) are serious concerns in the breed.

Heart disease (especially valve disease) is occurring more frequently in Havanese.

Orthopedic diseases include hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, luxating patella (loose knees), and Legg-Calve-Perthes disease. The Orthopedic Foundation of America evaluated the hip X-rays of over 700 Havanese and found 6% dysplastic. Elbows are worse, with 7% of 295 elbow X-rays rated dysplastic – this is a high rate for a small dog.

A deformed structure called chondrodysplasia is found in some family lines of Havanese, and these dogs are prone to intervertebral disk disease.

Allergies cause itchy skin and can lead to bacterial skin infections (pyoderma). Ear infections are common due to profuse hair in the ear canals. A more serious skin disease, sebaceous adenitis, has occasionally been reported in Havanese.

Can you prevent health problems from happening to YOUR Havanese?

Yes, often you can.

1. Some health problems are genetic, which means inherited from parents. Genetic health issues are common in Havanese today because of unwise breeding practices. My book, Dog Quest: Find The Dog Of Your Dreams, shows you how to find a Havanese puppy who is genetically healthy.
2. Other health problems are environmental – caused by the way you raise your dog. My best-selling dog health book, 11 Things You Must Do Right To Keep Your Dog Healthy and Happy shows you how to prevent environmental health problems by raising your Havanese puppy (or adult dog) in all the right ways.

Here are my dog health tips for raising a healthy Havanese puppy or adult dog:

How To Raise a Healthy Dog – My Philosophies
Read my advice on sensible feeding and health care so that your Havanese lives a long, healthy life and seldom needs to see the vet. An excellent goal, yes?

The Best Dog Food For Feeding Your Havanese
The best diet for feeding your Havanese is real food. Real chicken, turkey, beef, bison, venison, fish....This is not "people food" and I'll tell you why.

The Second-Best Dog Food For Your Havanese
If you can't (or won't) feed what your Havanese really needs, the best I can do is to point out what to look for – and look out for – when choosing a brand of kibble or canned dog food.

Vaccinations and Booster Shots: Needed or Not?
How many vaccinations does your Havanese puppy really need? Does your adult Havanese need yearly booster shots? The vaccination guidelines have changed. Find out what many vets aren't telling you.

The Type of Veterinarian I Recommend
Does your veterinarian belong to the AVMA or the AHVMA? They're not the same at all, and which one you choose can make a world of difference to the future health of your Havanese.

Spaying and Neutering: Pros and Cons
Advantages and disadvantages of spaying your female Havanese or neutering your male.

Copyright © 2000-2011 by Michele Welton. All rights reserved.
No part of this website may be copied, displayed on another website,
or distributed in any way without the express permission of the author.