Havanese Health Problems : Prevention and Emergency Care

You either have welcomed or will shortly welcome your new Havanese puppy into your home. She will adore you completely. You will be a hero simply for coming home from work. More importantly, your new Havanese puppy will trust you completely. Her wellbeing is entirely in your hands. In addition to providing her with food, water and attention, you know you want to do whatever it takes to keep her happy and healthy. Some health promotion measures are things you would want to do for any puppy. Other health promotion measures come with the extra fur on the Havanese.

You will want very much to learn about common puppy health problems in general and common Havanese health problems in particular. You should also know about arranging regular veterinary care for your Havanese puppy as well as how to arrange emergency care for your Havanese. Havanese care is a new adventure in your life. The Havanese is a long haired breed, so you should brush and comb their fur twice a week. This will prevent matting and tangles. Most Havanese owners have their dogs professionally groomed several times a year. Be sure to keep your Havanese’s eyes and ears clean. This will help prevent infections. Common Havanese health problems include cataracts, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), dislocated kneecaps (luxating patellas), ear infections, poodle-eye, and dry skin. None of these problems is life threatening. Knee problems in the Havanese lead to bow-leggedness. Cataracts and retinal atrophy can lead to early blindness. Poodle-eye is a harmless brown staining in the corners of the eyes. Havanese breeders are making the effort to maintain databases on the health defects of their dogs and to remove dogs with eye and knee problems from their breeding lines.

Be sure that you have a regular veterinarian for your Havanese’s health care. As part of regular veterinary care, your Havanese puppy should receive vaccinations against common animal diseases and examinations for parasites such as worms and ear mites.

Prevention is worth many ounces of cure when it comes to Havanese health problems. You can prevent ear parasites by cleaning your Havanese’s ears once a week. (Ear mites are a particular problem for all floppy eared dog breeds—the Havanese included). You can prevent eye infections by cleaning your Havanese’s eyes once a week. Be sure that your Havanese does not ingest common foods that you enjoy but that are poisonous to all dogs. These foods include chocolate, caffeine, grapes and raisins, tomatoes, onions, garlic, chives, nutmeg, and walnuts.

Some pet owners forget to take their pet for regular veterinary checkups. Don’t do this to your new Havanese. Additionally, be sure to keep your veterinarians contact information handy in case you need emergency care for your Havanese. You can also take your Havanese to the nearest emergency pet clinic. Additionally, many pet supply super stores have an on site veterinarian

Fiona Kelly is a lifelong animal lover with a special interest in promoting animal health and wellbeing. Keeping your new dog healthy and happy is the most important element in Havanese care. Read this article for more information about the general and species specific health problems a Havanese might encounter. You will also get information about obtaining emergency care for your Havanese.