Lakeland, FL
ph: (863) 816-2080
Sardione
Briefly, we are very interested in the health and well being of our havanese. The health testing we do can identify issues once they have occurred (or not), but genetic (DNA) testing is the ideal answer to predicting the future health of the breed. The Veterinary Genetics Laboratory (VGL) at UC Davis, in collaboration with Dr. Niels C. Pedersen and staff, has developed a test panel which will be useful to breeders who wish to track and increase genetic diversity.
DNA color testing is fascinating - and with all we can identify now, we still don't have all the answers nor can we conclusively predict what colors will come out in a litter. We continue to gather information in our search for greater knowledge.
We are firm believers in health testing and as such I'm a member of the Havanese Club of America's Health Committee. We recently finished our first Longevity Survey which can be read in full on the Havanese Club of America web site; on the Health page you'll see "Havanese Health Surveys"; at the bottom of that page is the link to the full text of the Longevity Survey. We have begun collecting data for our second survey, called the Rainbow Bridge Survey.
There are a lot of opinions about health, and what health testing is important. Havanese are a relatively "young" breed in the AKC and we're still learning a lot. Many tests that have been done are virtually eliminating the problems from the breed (BAER testing for hearing, CAER testing for vision), more information here. The genetics of "loose" patellas (knees) and dysplastic hips is thought to be polygenetic (ie many factors are involved).
Copyright 2017 Sardi Havanese. All rights reserved.
Lakeland, FL
ph: (863) 816-2080
Sardione