Health Info

I am very passionate about health testing! Without it, you have no idea what genetic issues your dog might carry and produce in their puppies. The Havana Silk Dog Association of America (HSDAA ) has set wonderful standards for all their breeders and no dog can be registered with full registration (for breeding) without having passed their health testing first! Our health testing includes OFA xrays for hips, OFA Patellas, a yearly CERF exam, a BAER test for hearing (one time test) and I also run a comprehensive blood panel called an SA320 on them, to make sure their liver and kidney values are normal. I also soap each one up (and I am happy to provide pictures to you) of all my dogs once they are an adult. This 'nakedness' provides a very good look at the dog's structure and most importantly their bone structure. Unfortunately, the Havanese (and many other breeds as well) are plaqued with a bone deformity of the forelegs called "Chondrodysplasia (Click here to read more about "CD". No dog in the HSDAA can be used for breeding without submitted soaps, to a committe who reviews them for signs of this disease. If there is any question about the soaped pictures, then an x-ray of the forelegs is required. I'm very proud of the fact that Silk Dogs are free of symptoms of 'CD' and that the HSDAA is proactive on this important issue. No dog should be bred (no matter how many Best of Breeds they've won) with any known genetic anomolie. Period!