Havanese Health Issues in Sydney

A healthy, long-lived breed first

Before the list of conditions, the honest headline is a good one. The Havanese is one of the healthier and longer-lived small breeds you can own. It is the national dog of Cuba, developed over generations as a sturdy family companion rather than for any extreme feature, so it dodges many of the built-in problems that trouble flat-faced toy breeds or very fine-boned ones. What you get is a robust little dog with a real appetite for life and a lifespan to match. Most Havanese live around 14 to 16 years, and plenty stay bright and active well into old age.

So this article is not a warning label, it is a plan. The conditions below are worth knowing so you can spot them early and act, but most Havanese will only ever brush against one or two, and much of what keeps the breed well is ordinary care: a lean weight, real daily exercise, clean teeth, and steady tick prevention. The RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase has good general guidance on preventative care and healthy weight that applies to any dog, and it is a sensible first read for any new owner.

The eyes: cataracts, PRA and cherry eye

If there is one area to keep an eye on in a Havanese, it is the eyes. The breed can carry a few conditions here, none of them universal, all of them easier to manage when caught early. The good news is that responsible breeders screen for the inherited ones, and a foster carer or rescue vet will usually have noticed anything obvious before a dog is listed.

Cataracts. A cataract is a clouding of the lens, so the pupil looks milky or bluish-white and vision fades as it thickens. It is not painful, and dogs adapt remarkably well to slowly reducing sight, but it is worth confirming with a vet, who can advise whether it is age-related or inherited and whether anything needs doing.

Progressive retinal atrophy, or PRA. This is a gradual, painless degeneration of the retina, the light-sensing layer at the back of the eye. Because it is slow and painless, the first thing an owner notices is often night-time hesitancy, bumping into furniture in dim light, or reluctance to go down stairs after dark. It cannot be reversed, but dogs cope well with failing sight when their home stays familiar, and knowing it is coming lets you plan. Reputable breeders DNA-test breeding lines to avoid producing affected pups.

Cherry eye. This is where the tear gland in the corner of the eye slips out of place and shows as a small red lump, most often in young dogs. It looks alarming but is not usually an emergency, though it does need a vet, because the gland is important for tear production and is best repaired rather than left. Any red, painful, cloudy or suddenly changed eye, however, earns an urgent check rather than a routine one.

Joints: slipping kneecaps and hip conditions

As a small, agile dog the Havanese can have a few of the joint issues common across small breeds. The most frequent is patellar luxation, where the kneecap slips out of its groove. It often looks like a brief skip or hop on a back leg, where the dog holds the leg up for a step or two and then carries on as if nothing happened. Many dogs live happily with a mild version, while more serious cases cause ongoing lameness and are worth assessing with a vet, since surgery can help the significant ones.

Two hip conditions are worth knowing. Legg-Calve-Perthes disease turns up in young small-breed dogs, where the top of the thigh bone loses its blood supply and begins to break down, causing pain and limping usually before a year of age. Hip dysplasia, more often thought of as a big-dog problem, can also occur in the Havanese, where the hip joint does not fit together smoothly and wears over time. A young dog with a persistent limp on a back leg should be seen by a vet, because both are diagnosed with an examination and imaging and are very treatable when caught early. Keeping your Havanese lean takes strain off every joint and is the single simplest thing you can do for its legs.

The Havanese also has a naturally slightly longer-than-tall build with short legs, a mild skeletal quirk sometimes described as chondrodysplasia. In this breed it is part of the normal look rather than a disease, and it does not need treatment, but it is one more reason to keep the dog lean and avoid repeated hard jumps down from high furniture, which are hard on any short-legged dog over a lifetime.

The heart in older dogs: murmurs and mitral valve disease

As a Havanese ages, the heart is worth listening to, quite literally. Some older small dogs develop a heart murmur, which is the sound of blood moving through the heart in a way it should not, and in an older small breed a murmur often points to mitral valve disease, a slow wearing of one of the heart valves so it no longer seals perfectly. This is common in small breeds generally and is not a reason for alarm, but it is a reason to keep up regular vet visits, because a vet picks up a murmur simply by listening, long before you would ever notice a problem at home.

What you might notice. Early on, nothing at all. As it progresses, the signs to watch for are a soft cough, especially at night or after lying down, tiring more easily or wanting shorter walks, faster breathing at rest, or a general drop in stamina. If your Havanese develops any of these, book a vet visit. Heart disease in dogs is monitored and managed, and catching it early gives the best quality of life for the longest time. Sudden laboured breathing, a swollen belly or collapse is a different matter and an emergency, covered in the box below.

Deafness awareness and dental disease

Deafness. Congenital deafness turns up occasionally in the Havanese, sometimes in one ear only. A dog deaf from birth usually adapts so well that owners can take months to realise, and a one-eared dog often seems entirely normal. It is worth being aware of, because a deaf or partly deaf dog needs hand signals and a bit more care around roads and off-leash areas, and a rescue or foster carer will often flag it if they have noticed. If you suspect your dog cannot hear, a vet can confirm it and help you adapt training.

Dental disease. Like most small breeds, Havanese are prone to dental disease, because a small mouth crowds the teeth and traps plaque. Left alone it causes pain, tooth loss and infection that can spread and affect the rest of the body. This is genuinely one of the most common and most preventable problems in small dogs. Regular tooth brushing, dental chews, and professional cleans when your vet advises keep it in check, and it is one of the easiest things to stay ahead of if you build the habit early.

Sensitive tummies, allergies and weight

Sensitive tummies. Some Havanese have a delicate digestion that shows as intermittent loose stools, gas or the occasional vomit, often after a change of food or a rich treat. The usual fix is a steady, simple diet, slower food changes over a week rather than overnight, and going easy on scraps. Ongoing tummy trouble, though, deserves a vet visit rather than endless food swaps at home, so anything more than the occasional off day is worth a conversation with your vet.

Allergies and skin. The breed can develop atopic dermatitis, an allergic skin condition where the dog reacts to things in the environment such as pollens, grasses or dust mites. It shows as itching, licking and chewing, especially at the feet, face, ears and belly, and it can flare with the seasons. In a Sydney climate with a long warm growing season, environmental allergies are common across many breeds. It is manageable, but it needs a vet to guide, because persistent scratching leads to skin infections and there are several approaches depending on the cause.

Weight. A Havanese that is not exercised enough, or that is overfed on treats, will gain weight, and extra weight on a small, short-legged dog is a set-up for joint strain, a harder-working heart, and a shorter, less comfortable life. This is a playful, people-loving breed that thrives on a good daily walk and plenty of interaction, so give it the movement and company it needs and measure meals to a visible waist rather than free-feeding. In a Sydney summer, walk in the cooler hours of the early morning or evening and carry water, because heat, not cold, is the local dog-safety risk. If you are still deciding whether the breed fits your space and routine, our Havanese apartment living and companionship guide covers exercise and company in a Sydney unit.

The Sydney paralysis tick point

One health risk has nothing to do with the breed and everything to do with where you live. The paralysis tick is native to the east coast of Australia, including the coastal and bushland areas around Sydney, and its bite releases a toxin that causes an ascending paralysis which is fatal without veterinary treatment. It is a year-round risk here, not just a summer one, which matters for a curious little dog that likes nosing through gardens, grass and bush tracks.

The response is straightforward. Keep your Havanese on a vet-recommended tick prevention product every single month with no gaps, and after any walk through bush or long grass run your hands slowly over the whole dog, feeling for a lump. A Havanese long, silky coat gives a tick excellent cover, so check carefully, under and inside the ear flaps, around the face and muzzle, under the collar, in the armpits and between the toes, and keeping the coat well brushed makes ticks easier to find. If your dog develops a wobbly back end, a changed or weak bark, gagging, vomiting or heavy breathing, treat it as an emergency and get to a vet at once. Ask your own vet which prevention product suits your dog.

Is pet insurance worth it for a Havanese?

For a generally healthy breed, insurance is really about the few things that are expensive when they happen rather than a steady stream of claims. A knee surgery for a bad luxating patella, cataract treatment, a heart workup, or an emergency after a paralysis tick can each run into serious money, and that is exactly the kind of one-off cost insurance is built for. The key rule with any policy is to insure before there is a problem, because pre-existing conditions are excluded, so the value is in signing up while your dog is young and well.

Australian options include Bow Wow Meow and Petplan Australia, and it helps to know that many brand-name policies are underwritten by PetSure, so reading the product disclosure statement carefully matters more than the badge on the front. Compare the annual limit, the excess, the percentage of the bill covered, and any sub-limits and waiting periods, and check how the policy treats a condition once claimed. Insurance is not compulsory and it is not for everyone. Some owners prefer to self-insure by putting a set amount aside each month into a dedicated vet fund, which works well as long as you actually do it and leave the money untouched.

Why adopting a Havanese is not a health disadvantage

People sometimes worry that a rescue dog is a health gamble next to a breeder puppy. For a healthy breed like the Havanese the picture is more balanced than that. A Havanese adopted through a reputable Sydney rescue arrives desexed, vaccinated, microchipped, treated for parasites and vet-checked, with all of it included in the fee. You are not taking on an unassessed animal.

Adopting also means the risky puppy stage is behind you and the day-to-day picture is often known upfront. A foster carer who has lived with the dog can tell you whether it has any skin issues, how it copes on walks, whether it has a known murmur or a dodgy knee, and how it has gone day to day, which is real information a puppy cannot offer. If you are weighing it up, our Havanese adoption guide for Sydney covers where to look and what it costs. Sydney rescues worth watching include RSPCA NSW, AWL NSW, Sydney Dogs and Cats Home, Monika's Doggie Rescue and Maggie's Rescue.

Keeping a Havanese healthy: the checklist

Most of what keeps a Havanese well is routine. This is a hardy breed, so the habits below do the heavy lifting.

• Give it daily exercise and company. A good daily walk plus play and plenty of interaction keeps a people-loving breed happy and holds a healthy weight, which protects joints and heart alike.
• Keep the dog lean. Measure meals to a visible waist and go easy on treats. A lean Havanese carries less risk of joint trouble and tends to live longer.
• Watch the eyes. Note any cloudiness, night-time bumping or a red lump in the corner of an eye and mention it to your vet, and treat any red, painful or suddenly cloudy eye as urgent.
• Look after the teeth. Regular tooth brushing and dental checks prevent painful disease in a small, crowded mouth.
• Mind the tummy and skin. Keep the diet steady, change foods slowly, and see a vet for ongoing loose stools or persistent itching before they become bigger problems.
• Book regular vet checks. Annually while adult, then twice yearly for a senior, so a heart murmur, an early joint issue or slow eye changes are caught early.
• Stay on year-round tick prevention. Use a vet-recommended product every month without a gap, because the paralysis tick on the NSW coast is a fatal risk.

When to see the vet urgently

Most Havanese health issues are handled at a normal appointment. A few need a faster response. Get to a vet immediately, including out of hours, if you see any of these:

• A wobbly back end together with a changed or weak bark, gagging, vomiting or heavy breathing (possible paralysis tick).
• Sudden laboured breathing at rest, a swollen belly, or collapse in an older dog (possible heart problem).
• A red, painful, cloudy or bulging eye, or squinting and holding an eye shut (needs urgent eye care).
• Sudden collapse or seizures.

For the everyday things, such as a slow-growing cloudiness in an eye, an intermittent skip on a back leg, itchy skin, a recurring upset tummy or steady weight gain, book a normal vet visit soon rather than waiting. Catching those early gives your Havanese the best outcome. When in doubt, phone your vet or a 24/7 hospital and describe what you are seeing. They would far rather you called and it was nothing than the other way around. For a broader look at the breed before you commit, browse the full Sydney adoption resources hub, or talk to your own vet, whom the Australian Veterinary Association can help you find.

Frequently Asked Questions

Keep reading