Health Info Our goal is to produce happy, healthy puppies for wonderful families to enjoy. We take seriously every little life we help bring into this world and are committed to each puppy for their lifetime. While there are no guarantees in nature, we believe in doing what we can to preserve the health of the breed. We feel health testing is essential, however, it is just the beginning of the necessities in breeding. Careful consideration of correct structure, genetic diversity, and overall basic health are each critically important. Things such as skin disorders, ear infections and weepy eyes are just as important to us as items which can have OFA testing for. For us, we will not breed a dog that has allergies, chronic ear infections, hot spots, etc. These things are just not fun for the owner or the dogs and while they may not get OFA status, they are critical to the health of the dog and breeding dogs with these things will only perpetuate it in the breed. Thus, all aspects of the dog must be considered to determine what they have to offer the next generation, both positive and negative must be considered and very careful selection must be made to assure the puppies will be getting the very best start in life. The thing to remember with health testing is that it is just the beginning. It is essential to have healthy parents to give the puppies the very best start in life. However, what happens after the puppy leaves the house is also critical to the puppies development. Current research has shown that providing too much calcium, phosphorus or protein to a puppy can cause skeletal and/or soft tissue disorders as the puppy may grow too quickly. Research has also shown that disorders such as hip dysplasia, once thought to be genetic, now also have a correlation to both nutrition and activity/environment. Thus, as we learn more genetically, we are learning that more things we 'thought' were purely genetic are more and more influenced by environment also to a large degree. This is true for all growing joints and ligaments, too much nutrition, too much exercise etc can cause growth issues and damage to growing bones and joints. A fat puppy is not a healthy puppy, they may be adorable, but a puppy should be kept in good condition just like an adult. Obese puppies can also suffer from joint issues later in life. Joint issues have also been linked to puppies having too much activity before a year old and stressing those tiny joints before they have fully developed... there is just so much we don't yet know about all the potential health issues, however, assuring the parents are healthy is the first and most important step we can take in giving puppies the very best start in life. So, give your puppy the very best start by assuring the parents have been health tested, then, provide them will correct nutrition and regulated activity as they are growing and maturing, as well as appropriate socialization. The more we learn genetically, the more we are also learning how much environment plays a very important part in the development of your puppy, not only in temperament, but also in health. We would be glad to answer any questions you may have about Havanese or health testing. Genetic Diversity As lovers and breeders of the Havanese, and keepers of the breed, we feel it is our responsibility to do all possible to assure the future health of the breed. Genetic diversity has been proven to increase the health of populations, regardless of species. We have chosen for years to reject the idea of the ever popular line/inbreeding in the attempt to make 'cookie cutter' puppies as the only manner in which to breed quality dogs. Instead, we have determined to research pedigrees and outcross as we deem necessary, looking for pedigrees with little or no crossover to bring in genetic diversity as necessary. We have evaluated pedigrees, health testing, and selected for dogs of good breed type and correct structure that are compatible with each other in order to produce puppies who look and act like a Havanese should, and also have a low inbreeding coefficient. We are very excited that thanks to UC Davis, we can now run DNA diversity panels on all of our dogs to evaluate each dog, and each potential breeding, at the genetic level to help assure greater genetic diversity. Genetic diversity has been linked to healthier immune systems and overall greater health. Not only can we use Coefficient of Inbreeding (COI) based on pedigree, we can use DNA analysis to look at homozygosity level on a genetic level, which opens the door for potential breedings which we may have previously passed on thinking the level of inbreeding would be too high, but now being able to evaluate DNA, we are able to see genetically how closely related a pair may be. Thus, it is possible to do a line breeding with the assurance of knowing the puppies will maintain genetic diversity or to discover that what we thought was an outcross by pedigree is actually a genetically tight breeding. What a wonderful tool for breeders to have access to. What DNA diversity testing does NOT tell you: this test unfortunately does not, at this time, provide any DNA markers for specific genetic disorders. It simply shows the level of diversity of each individual parent as well as what the potential diversity will be in a given breeding. This allows for breeders to check for genetic compatibility to assure no breeding will become overly homozygous (having two copies of the same allele), which is not ideal. Keeping diversity in the breed is good for each puppy and also for the breed as a whole. In an ideal world, we would have genetic markers for serious health factors so we could test for these diseases on a DNA level. This would allow us to identify the carriers of the disease and do selective breedings with non-carries and thus we could avoid the disease and keep the maximum number of dogs in the gene pool to allow for the greatest diversity. However, at this time the Havanese have very few DNA markers for genetic disease. We can test for VonWillibrands, CDDY (IVDD), and CMR1 separately and SER Havanese runs these tests on our dogs .
We also have markers for 'satin' or 'short' coat, which is the improper spaniel coat, thus we are able to test and avoid this incorrect coat type. We can also test for curly coat to avoid the poodle coat. We can test for 'd' dilute, which if a dog inherits two copies 'dd' of the dilute gene, they can also develop color dilute alopecia, which makes the dogs hair fall out similar to a dog with Salacious Adonitis. We test and assure not breeding of ours carries two copies for satin (short) coat, curly or dd. This is not a health issue but does concern breeding to the standard. While there are many things that cannot be tested for, we are doing all we can to help assure the Havanese maintain genetic diversity, overall health, breed type and exceptional character through each generation. We love the breed, and of course our precious pups, and only want the very best for them and hope to provide the highest opportunity to each puppy with careful selection. Of course, there are no guarantees when you are dealing with complex living beings, however, we do our best to cover as many bases as possible, and starting with healthy, strong, well balanced parents. We also believe in providing an optimal environment during pregnancy and after the puppies are born to facilitate well balanced, happy, well socialized puppies. Early Neurological Stimulation and Training In addition to health testing and genetic diversity testing, we also provide our puppies with Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS), and a training protocol used by Puppy Culture to help assure the puppies have the correct stimulation opportunities to help the puppies develop into well rounded puppies and provide them with an optimal start in life. Research has clearly shown puppy development and health is partially genetic and partially environmental and experiential, therefore, we will go to all extremes to provide the very best for our puppies. The ENS protocol is simply a reminder for breeders to interact with their newborn puppies rather than wait for them to be up and moving around. There is nothing 'magical' about the protocol, it's simply a way of stimulating early development of the brain. These protocols may be followed, or substituted for other stimulating activities such as snuggling, weighing puppies, wiping puppies up if they get a bit sticky, etc. The important thing is to assure the puppies are handled each day by humans and that they have that interacting and learn to develop associations with humans from an early age. This is a process similar to imprinting on a newborn horse, but in puppy terms. Our puppies are loved, snuggled and weighed daily to assure the very best development. After ENS we follow up with using the Puppy Culture development activities for further brain and social development. What health tests should be done? Besides being beautiful, hypoallergenic, small in size, easy to travel with, and prefect companions, it is important to health test all breeding dogs. Without testing, it is simply impossible to know if the dog is healthy. A vet check cannot determine most of these things, it requires a specialist, which often requires travel long distance, but it is well worth the effort because we want to produce as healthy puppies as possible. Deafness - can be in one or both ears, all breeding dogs should have a BAER test to determine hearing. This must be done by a specialist. Dogs that are deaf in only one ear can function normally but should not be used for breeding because the risk is greater for producing deafness in both ears, which does create a special needs situation. These are no longer required or recommended by the Havanese Club of Americ and are not part of the CHIC panel.
Cataracts - can cause blindness. CERF/EYE exams should be performed by a licensed Veterinary Ophthalmologist on all breeding dogs. Many breeders choose to give their dogs an egg yolk a day since cataracts have been linked to a lack of cholesterol. Think of it as an added nutrient, like vitamins, to help your dog's health. Dogs do not have issues with high cholesterol like humans do, they metabolize it differently. Although, egg yolks have also proven to be beneficial to human eye health as well, humans can't tolerate a steady diet of cholesterol. All our adult dogs have passed their CERF. Breeding dogs should ideally have yearly CERF exams. Hip Dysplasia - True hip dysplasia is the presence of abnormal changes in the hip joint combined with painful movement, otherwise known as degenerative joint disease (DJD) and osteoarthritis (OA). There is not a verified problem in the breed with DJD or OA resulting in actual painful movement or limited mobility, but it is judicious to keep an eye on hips to keep it this way, especially in the baby daddies, as they produce far more puppies overall and have a greater contribution to the breed as a whole.. Current research shows that there is a much higher correlation between environment and hip dysplasia than originally thought. This helps explain why dogs with good hips can produce dogs with bad hips and dogs with bad hips can produce dogs with good hips, this is because of the environmental factor. Walking surface, how much activity, the condition/weight a dog is kept at, the age of spay/neuter, etc. all have a great affect on hip joint development (as well as other joints). Thankfully, in the Havanese degenerative joint disease is uncommon. Patella Luxation - slipping of the knee cap. Can be congenital (existing from birth) or acquired. Can be caused by over use or injury and be mild or severe. All our dogs have passed patella exams and all our puppies are screened for patellas also. We have yearly patella exams on our dogs during their wellness exams to assure they remain stable as they age. Cardiac - abnormal heart function. All our dogs have been checked for normal cardiac function. All our puppies are also screened for normal cardiac function. We do yearly cardiac exams on our dogs to assure they maintain healthy heart function as they age. We feel cardiac is an essential test for Havanese. On the HCA health survey it was revealed that a rather large number of Havanese who experience heart disease. This was a surprising finding and we feel it is essential breeding dogs continue to keep an eye on this. All our dogs have cardiac exams, however, this is not a recommendation of the HCA and is not a CHIC requirement. Liver and Kidney - all our breeding dogs have normal blood panels screening for liver and kidney function. Liver and kidney panels are done on our dogs at least every three years to assure they maintain proper function. While liver and kidney panels are not listed as part of the Havanese required testing, and are not listed on OFA, in my opinion they are absolutely necessary as part of the ongoing health screening of breeding dogs. Chondrodysplasia or 'CD' - the bowing of the front leg which can occur in one or both legs caused by the premature and/or uneven closure of the growth plates. This can be caused by the genetic mutation CDDY (which is also associated with IVDD, another genetic and more critical genetic disorder affecting the spine). Breeders can now test for CDDY through UC Davis in order to help with breeding decisions in order to help breed away from it and also to assure it is never doubled up on in a breeding, which will also breed away from spinal issues.
It has also recently been found that over feeding a puppy or improper nutrition can cause the bones to grow faster than the soft tissue and cause bowing of the legs, which would result in a structural flaw caused by nutritional issues. Bowed legs can also be from very slight hairlline fractures in the growth plates caused from trauma, such as a puppy jumping down from the sofa or off a porch, playing with a large dog and getting run over or knocked down etc.
At best, bowed legs is a conformational fault found in the Havanese. There are many dog breeds which describe a chondrodysplastic dog, such as the Corgi. The Havanese does NOT describe a chondrodysplastic dog. By breeding away from CD breeders are breeding toward conformational correctness. All of our dogs have lovely straight legs and we breed to this standard. The Havanese is NOT a short legged (dwarf) or CD breed, rather it is a small, balanced dog with straight legs. The Havanese also does NOT have shorter front legs than rear legs. This is a misconception. According to the AKC standard the Havanese has a short upper arm, which is different from short front legs. The upper arm is the bone that connects the scapula (shoulder blade) to the elbow/lower arm (front leg). This is a very important distinction and makes a huge amount of difference in the structure and soundness of the dog..
IVDD- Intervertebrale Disk Disease - very common in dwarf breeds, this causes spinal issues in dogs. A dward dog legs are shorter than the body, causing them to look out of balance. Havanese are NOT a dwarf breed, however, some Havanese carry CDDY the dwarf gene. One copy may cause some bowing of the legs and cause the legs to be shorter than what is balanced with body length. Two copies can cause spinal issues from minor to severe. Breeders can now test for this to assure they never do a breeding that could result in dogs with two copies. It is important for our breed to breed away from this gene, however, it is not prudent to cut all dogs who carry one copy, as that would reduce the gene pool and cause other long term issues. None of our dogs carry for CDDY.
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