| The Havanese is the National dog of Cuba. He was | | | | Treatment for Chondrosysplasia is surgical in cases |
| once called the Havana Silk Dog or the Spanish Silk | | | | where deviations are severe enough to interfere with |
| Poodle mainly because of the coat being like raw silk | | | | function. Surgical treatment consists of straightening |
| floss, profuse but extremely light and soft. In its native | | | | the leg. |
| country of Cuba the coat was never clipped and the | | | | Luxating patellas is also a concern in the Havanese |
| hair never tied into a topknot. The Cubans believed the | | | | breed. It is one of the defects that is considered |
| hair falling over the eyes of the Havanese protected | | | | genetic by the AKC. Surgical correction renders the |
| them from harsh sun. | | | | Havanese ineligible to compete in conformation shows. |
| The Havanese was brought to Europe in the 18th | | | | It is also not recommended to breed a Havanese with |
| century where it found favor in the courts of Spain, | | | | luxating patellas as this can be passed into future |
| France and England. By the mid-eighteenth century | | | | generations. |
| Queen Victoria owned two Havanese and Charles | | | | Legg-Calve-Perthes results when the blood supply to |
| Dickens had one. In Cuba during this same time period | | | | the femoral head is interrupted resulting in avascular |
| the Havanese became the family dog, playmate of | | | | necrosis or death of the bone cells. This also is |
| children, a watchdog, and herder of the family poultry | | | | considered genetic and it is recommended that |
| flock. | | | | Havanese dogs affected with LCP not be used in |
| Only a handful of Havanese found their way to the | | | | breeding programs. |
| United States after the Cuban revolution. All the | | | | Treatment for LCP involves removal of the head of |
| Havanese in the world today, except those from the | | | | the femur and the femoral neck on the affected side. |
| iron curtain countries and those remaining in Cuba | | | | The incidences of hip dysplasia in Havanese are not |
| come from those 11 Havanese immigrants. Havanese | | | | known because of the low numbers of dogs that |
| type has remained almost unchanged from that of the | | | | have been checked. |
| dogs painted in the 18th century. | | | | There appears to be a significant number of heart |
| Health Problems of the Havanese | | | | murmurs showing up in the Havanese breed. |
| Cataracts in Havanese can develop early or late. | | | | Treatment of cardiac problems may include drugs, diet |
| They can cause blindness or be slow in growth and | | | | and/or surgery. |
| not progress to blindness. To date, all the early onset, | | | | Deafness has been found in the Havanese breed. |
| blinding cataracts have been found in Havanese with | | | | Deafness can be diagnosed in Havanese pups as |
| chondrodysplasia. | | | | young as 5 weeks of age by use of BAER testing. |
| Surgical correction of cataracts (removal) is best done | | | | The incidence in Havanese is not known as testing has |
| before they become mature. For this reason, annual | | | | not been widespread or consistent. |
| CERF exams are highly recommended for the | | | | Other conditions with lower incidences found in |
| Havanese. | | | | Havanese include, but not limited to, seizures, kidney |
| Orthopedic abnormalities such as Chondrosysplasia | | | | dysplasia, hypothyroidism and skin problems including |
| are literally "faulty cartilage." It can be manifested in a | | | | sebaceous adenitis. |
| variety of ways:o By premature closure of the growth | | | | All these problems can be screened in breeding dogs. |
| plates of long bones either symmetrically or | | | | While there is no guarantee that health problems will |
| asymmetrically which can result in shorts legs | | | | not crop up, good, reputable breeders can certainly tip |
| (dwarfism0 that are straight or bowed either unilaterally | | | | the odds in their favor by screening their breeding dogs |
| or bilaterally.o Chondrodysplastic Havanese dogs can | | | | for health issues in order to make intelligent breeding |
| also have legs of normal length but deviated unilaterally | | | | decisions. |
| or bilaterally. | | | | This article is FREE to publish with the resource box. |