Puppy First, Health First
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The big picture
Havanese typically live 12–15 years.
The breed's parent club calls the Havanese a generally healthy breed with relatively few serious health concerns.
A few everyday habits do a lot of the work.
Havanese are known to be prone to a handful of conditions, and most are easier to manage when they are caught early.
This page explains them in plain words: what each one is, what you might notice and what you can do.
Worth knowing
This list is not exhaustive or official. Keep asking your veterinarian as your puppy grows.
Three eye problems run in the breed. They are a cloudy lens (cataract), extra eyelashes along the edge of the eyelid (distichiasis) and leftover strands of tissue inside the eye (persistent pupillary membranes).
Some cataracts show up only as a dog gets older, so a clear puppy exam does not rule them out.
Book an eye exam with a veterinary eye specialist every year once your Havanese is grown.
A liver shunt is a blood vessel, present from birth, that carries blood around the liver instead of through it.
A puppy that grows slowly, stays small or shows signs of a nervous-system problem may have one.
Your vet can check with a bile acids blood test, taken before and after a meal. Many shunts are found at 4–6 months on routine bloodwork.
Hip dysplasia means the hip joint does not form properly as a puppy grows.
Some dogs limp or seem sore, while others with poor hip X-rays never show signs.
Keep your Havanese lean, because extra calories and too much hard exercise can make it worse. Your vet can check the hips with X-rays once your dog is grown.
In patellar luxation, the kneecap slips out of its groove.
A dog may carry a back leg for a few steps, then walk normally again.
Your vet feels the knees at routine visits, so mention anything unusual in the way your dog walks.
Teeth problems are common in Havanese, from puppy teeth that stay in to missing teeth and an uneven bite.
During teething, look for baby teeth that have not fallen out as the adult teeth come in.
Have retained puppy teeth taken out promptly, and brush the teeth every day.
Heart disease that develops with age is one of the main health concerns in older Havanese.
Count your dog's breaths while it rests, because more than about 40 a minute is a reason to call your vet.
From middle age, have your vet listen to the heart every year, with a heart scan (echocardiogram) if a murmur is heard.
Less common
An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) runs in the breed, but a blood test finds it and it is usually easy to treat.
Chondrodysplasia gives some Havanese short front legs, straight or bowed.
Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease is a hip problem of young toy dogs that can cause a limp from 4 months to 1 year of age.
Some Havanese have elbow dysplasia, a problem in the elbow joint found on X-rays, mostly the mildest grade.
Sebaceous adenitis, where the body attacks the oil glands in the skin, can cause scratching and thin hair, so tell your vet if you see it.
A problem with the tiny blood vessels in the liver (microvascular dysplasia) also occurs, and a bile acids blood test screens for it too.
Deafness from birth is uncommon in the breed.
DNA tests
A cheek-swab DNA test works at any age and checks for several inherited conditions. For Havanese, these include short legs (chondrodysplasia) and the inherited risk of disc disease in the back. A test on a lab's list means the test exists for Havanese, not that the problem is common in them.
Each result comes back as clear, carrier or at risk. Clear means no copies of the gene change, and a carrier has one copy and is healthy. At risk means a higher chance, not a diagnosis, and an at-risk dog may never get sick, or may get sick late.
Checkups your dog will get
Care plan by life stage
Planning for Havanese vet costs
These are typical published costs for treating what a Havanese vet exam looks at and the conditions the breed is known to be prone to. Each range shows where it comes from and when, and your own vet's estimate will differ.
| Item | Typical cost | Per | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specialist's first exam (consultation fee only) | $198–$350 | per visit | at US veterinary teaching hospitals (Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee) | 2023–2026 |
| Eye tests before cataract surgery (ERG and eye ultrasound) | $500–$1,300 | per workup | at US veterinary teaching hospitals (Missouri, Tennessee) | 2025–2026 |
| Cataract surgery, one eye | $3,800–$5,500 | per eye | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Missouri) | 2023–2025 |
| Cataract surgery, both eyes under one anesthetic | $5,600–$6,700 | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Missouri) | 2025 |
| Item | Typical cost | Per | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specialist's first exam (consultation fee only) | $198–$350 | per visit | at US veterinary teaching hospitals (Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee) | 2023–2026 |
| Item | Typical cost | Per | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liver shunt workup (before any surgery) | $1,622–$3,937 | per workup | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Tennessee) | 2026 |
| Liver shunt surgery, shunt outside the liver (workup and surgery) | $5,408–$7,571 | per procedure | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Tennessee) | 2026 |
| Liver shunt surgery, shunt inside the liver, open surgery (workup and surgery) | $6,685–$9,605 | per procedure | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Tennessee) | 2026 |
| Liver shunt closure with coils through a vein (workup and procedure) | $10,600–$12,309 | per procedure | at one US veterinary teaching hospital (Tennessee) | 2026 |
Planning for pet insurance
When you are ready to compare plans, here is one option for Pawrade buyers.
Only with Pawrade, you receive a pet insurance policy with no waiting period included for immediate accident or illness coverage, 1 month, with every puppy.† You activate it by calling MetLife; instructions arrive with your travel details. Continuing MetLife coverage after the first month is strongly recommended.
View the MetLife 30-day offer →†NH, NY, RI, SC and TN residents excluded. Activated by calling MetLife; coverage begins immediately following policy activation. See the offer for full terms.
Whichever plan you look at, read the policy before you buy. Check the waiting periods, how it defines a pre-existing condition, and its deductible, reimbursement percentage and annual limit.
A waiting period is how long after you buy a pet insurance policy before a claim counts.
| Policy | Accidents | Illness | Joints |
|---|---|---|---|
| MetLife policy included with your Pawrade puppy† | None | None | None |
| MetLife, bought directly | None | 14 days | Not listed |
| Industry standard | 0–14 days | 14–30 days | 6–12 months |
| Nationwide | 14 days | 14 days | Not listed |
| Trupanion | 5 days | 30 days | 30 days |
| Embrace | 2 days | 14 days | 6 months |
| Figo | 1 day | 14 days | Not listed |
The breeder's licensed vet checks your puppy before it goes home. The vet follows PetPay's exam standards, and the results go in your puppy's Veterinary Health Report.
Focus
Heart
Heart murmur, and how loud it is (grade)
02
Breathing
How open the nostrils are · Coughing or congestion
03
Temperature, pulse and breathing rate
Temperature · Pulse · Breathing rate
04 Focus
Eyes
Discharge · Vision problems · Eyelash problems · Cherry eye
05
Ears and hearing
Debris or discharge · Ear mites · Signs of infection · Hearing
06 Focus
Mouth and bite
Teeth and jaw alignment · Bite (overbite or underbite)
07
Skin and coat
Fleas and ticks · Hair loss · Signs of infection
08 Focus
Kneecaps
Kneecaps that slip, and how much (grade)
09
Hips
Hip pain
10
Hernias
Belly-button (umbilical) hernia · Groin (inguinal) hernia
11
Soft spot on the skull
An open soft spot, and its size
12 Focus
Body condition and weight
Body condition score · Weight
13
Reproductive organs
Both testicles in place (males) · Extra skin folds around the vulva (females)
14
History of vomiting or diarrhea
Any history of vomiting or diarrhea (reported, not examined)
15
Stool test for parasites
Fecal flotation test, with any treatment given
16
Past surgery and notes
Any past surgery · The vet's explanation of anything abnormal
The vet listens to the heart with a stethoscope for a murmur present from birth.
A first heart check is best done at 8 to 10 weeks, before a puppy leaves the breeder.
The vet checks both eyes, including for misplaced eyelashes (distichiasis).
Leftover tissue strands in the eye (persistent pupillary membranes), a cloudy lens (cataract) and eyelid defects also occur in Havanese, so keep up eye checks as your dog grows.
The vet checks the bite and the jaw.
Retained puppy teeth are common in small breeds, so your own vet keeps an eye on the teeth as the adult ones come in.
The vet feels the knees for a kneecap that slips out of its groove (patellar luxation).
The vet weighs the puppy and checks that it is a healthy size for its age.
A puppy that stays much smaller than its littermates or shows nervous-system problems can have a liver shunt, and your own vet can check for it with a blood test.
The vet listens to the heart with a stethoscope for a murmur present from birth.
A first heart check is best done at 8 to 10 weeks, before a puppy leaves the breeder.
The vet checks both eyes, including for misplaced eyelashes (distichiasis).
Leftover tissue strands in the eye (persistent pupillary membranes), a cloudy lens (cataract) and eyelid defects also occur in Havanese, so keep up eye checks as your dog grows.
The vet checks the bite and the jaw.
Retained puppy teeth are common in small breeds, so your own vet keeps an eye on the teeth as the adult ones come in.
The vet feels the knees for a kneecap that slips out of its groove (patellar luxation).
The vet weighs the puppy and checks that it is a healthy size for its age.
A puppy that stays much smaller than its littermates or shows nervous-system problems can have a liver shunt, and your own vet can check for it with a blood test.
Puppies grow and change quickly, and their immune systems are still developing, so no exam can find everything. The Veterinary Health Report is a strong early look at your puppy and a written starting point that your own vet builds on.
Health guarantee
Every Pawrade puppy comes with a health guarantee administered by PetPay, independent of the seller. The terms are on the health guarantee page.
Customers Love Us!
Keaton · Havanese“Excellent process from beginning to end. Our new puppy has arrived and I couldn’t be more pleased. It is very obvious that our puppy had been well cared for and nicely socialized. I was step by step given all the information I needed and there was always someone available to answer my questions.”
Havanese Puppies for Sale
Frequently asked questions
The breed's parent club calls the Havanese a generally healthy breed with relatively few serious health concerns. Conditions that run in the breed include three eye problems: a cloudy lens (cataract), extra eyelashes (distichiasis) and leftover strands of tissue in the eye (persistent pupillary membranes). Hip dysplasia, an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), a liver shunt and short, bowed front legs (chondrodysplasia) are also on the list. Yearly eye exams, a lean weight and a vet visit for a puppy that isn't growing well help you stay ahead of them.
Some do, and a cloudy lens (cataract), misplaced eyelashes (distichiasis) and leftover tissue strands (persistent pupillary membranes) are the ones seen in the breed. A yearly exam by a board-certified veterinary eye specialist catches changes early.
A liver shunt (congenital portosystemic shunt) is a blood vessel, present from birth, that sends blood around the liver instead of through it. It is one of the conditions that run in the Havanese. Bile acid blood tests, taken before and after a meal, screen for it, so ask for one if your puppy is small or slow to grow.
A gene variant linked to chondrodysplasia gives some Havanese short, bowed front legs. A vet checks leg shape and the way the puppy moves, and a cheek-swab DNA test identifies the variant.
Knees are worth watching, because a kneecap can slip out of place (patellar luxation). A dog with a slipping kneecap may carry a back leg for a few steps and then walk normally again. Your vet can feel the knees at routine visits.
A cheek-swab DNA test works at any age. Tests for Havanese include short legs (chondrodysplasia) and the inherited risk of disc disease in the back, among several others. A test being available does not mean the condition is common in the breed.
A carrier has one copy of the gene change and is healthy. An at-risk result means a higher chance of the condition, not a diagnosis, and many at-risk dogs never get sick or get sick late.
Havanese typically live 12–15 years.
Heart disease that develops with age is the main thing to watch for in middle-aged and older Havanese. Have your vet listen to the heart every year from about 5 years old. At home, a resting breathing rate of more than about 40 breaths a minute is a reason to call your vet. Keep up eye checks too, since cataracts can appear later in life.
Brush daily, and have your vet check at teething time for puppy teeth that stay in, since they should come out promptly. Missing teeth and bite problems are also seen in the breed.
Spaying or neutering is a decision to make with your own vet. It depends on things like your dog's sex and expected adult size, so ask at a routine checkup.
