Havanese — questions to ask before paying a deposit
A responsible breeder will have these readily available. Deflection is a red flag.
Hip dysplasia
Malformed hip joints leading to degenerative joint disease/arthritis. The only way to diagnose it is by X-ray, and it is one of the three tests the parent club requires for a CHIC number.
Ask to see: OFA hip evaluation X-ray on both parents after two years of age (ratings of excellent, good or fair are considered normal for the breed).
Havanese Club of America - Health & Testing Guide (https://havaneseclubofamerica.org/health-issues-and-testing/)
Patellar luxation
The kneecap slips out of its groove. Medial luxation (as opposed to trauma-related lateral luxation) is generally thought to be inherited, and it is one of the three CHIC-required tests.
Ask to see: OFA patellar luxation exam on both parents after one year of age.
Havanese Club of America - Health & Testing Guide (https://havaneseclubofamerica.org/health-issues-and-testing/)
Legg-Calve-Perthes diseasecan shorten life or cause chronic pain
Loss of blood flow to the head of the femur, usually striking young dogs between four months and one year old, before other health testing would normally happen. It ranges from mild to severe and can need surgery. The parent club states it is believed to be inherited, though the mode of inheritance is not known.
Ask to see: No DNA test exists. A hip/pelvis radiograph in a young dog showing lameness will show it; it is also incidentally visible on the OFA hip X-ray taken at two years, though by then an affected dog would usually already have shown signs.
Havanese Club of America - Health & Testing Guide (https://havaneseclubofamerica.org/health-issues-and-testing/)
Chondrodystrophy (CDDY) and associated intervertebral disc disease riskcan shorten life or cause chronic pain
An FGF4 retrogene variant shortens and can bow the legs and changes disc structure. The Havanese breed standard calls for straight legs, and the parent club states dogs showing this dwarfism should not be bred; the same underlying variant is linked to a raised risk of intervertebral disc herniation, and Havanese is one of the breeds OFA names for this DNA test.
Ask to see: OFA/DNA CDDY (FGF4 retrogene) test on both parents, and confirm straight legs and normal body proportions against the breed standard.
Havanese Club of America - Health & Testing Guide (Chondrodysplasia) (https://havaneseclubofamerica.org/health-issues-and-testing/) · OFA - Chondrodystrophy with Intervertebral Disc Disease (CDDY/IVDD) (https://ofa.org/chondrodystrophy-with-intervertebral-disc-disease-cddy-ivdd/)
Sebaceous adenitis
The body attacks its own sebaceous (oil) glands, causing hair thinning and scratching over the back, sides or neck; it can also be largely symptomless. The parent club's own health survey found it in roughly 0.8% of Havanese, and it is believed to have a genetic component in the breed, though the exact mode of inheritance has not been established here.
Ask to see: No DNA test exists for Havanese. Diagnosis is by skin biopsy sent to a histology lab if a dog is symptomatic; ask whether either parent or their close relatives has been diagnosed.
Havanese Club of America - Health & Testing Guide (Sebaceous Adenitis) (https://havaneseclubofamerica.org/health-issues-and-testing/)