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Havanese Club of Great Britain
Health Testing for Breeders
What our recommendations are based on
The health testing recommendations on this page draw on three sources.
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Firstly, the Royal Kennel Club Breed Health Standard, which sets out the minimum requirements for the Havanese — currently one essential test, an annual BVA eye test.
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Secondly, international prevalence data: information from breed health surveys, OFA records, and published research on the conditions most commonly seen in Havanese worldwide.
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Thirdly, and most importantly, our own health reporting data: since 2018 the HCGB has collected owner and breeder reports of health conditions in UK Havanese. With over 200 condition occurrences recorded across 64 individual conditions, this data directly shapes what we recommend.
Musculoskeletal conditions — led by patella luxation — account for 27% of all reported issues.
Eye conditions account for 13%. Cardiac conditions, including mitral valve disease, account for 10% .
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These are not arbitrary recommendations — they reflect what is actually happening in the breed in the UK.
Summary of essential and recommended tests
and diversity safeguards
Essential Tests
Eye Testing (RKC Good Practice)
All breeding dogs should have an annual eye test performed and certified by an official BVA/KC Eye Scheme Panellist, starting after the age of 12 months and before first breeding.Â
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Patella Testing (Breed Club Scheme)
A one-off examination of the kneecaps should be performed after the age of 12 months and before first breeding, by an experienced vet using the Putnam Scoring system.
Patella luxation is the single most commonly reported condition in our health data.
At the time of this entry, the RKC is working with the British Veterinary Association towards establishing a patella screening program.
Additional Important Health Tests
Heart testing
Cardiac conditions account for 10% of reported health occurrences in our own health data collection, with Mitral Valve Disease ranking as the third most commonly reported condition overall — and rising.
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Heart testing should not be carried out before the age of two years.
The Club strongly encourages all breeders to include cardiac auscultation in their health testing programme, and recommends a cardiologist from age five.
DNA tests
A range of DNA tests are available for Havanese. The table below lists them in order of clinical priority — that is, how strongly the evidence supports their relevance to health in this breed.
For full details of each test, what results mean, and which laboratories to use, see our DNA Testing page.
Other Relevant Health Tests
The following conditions are not among the most commonly reported in UK Havanese, and routine screening of all breeding dogs is not currently required. However, many have a known or suspected inherited component.
If a condition appears in your lines — in a dog you have bred, a close relative, or a dog sharing a common ancestor — the HCGB recommends testing all related breeding animals before their next mating.
Early identification protects future litters and contributes to the breed’s health picture.
Elbow Screening
Hip Screening
Thyroid Testing
Portosystemic (Hepatic) Shunt
Elbow screening is listed as an optional test for RKC Best Practice in the Havanese. The HCGB supports data collection through this scheme, as population-level data helps build a more complete picture of the breed’s musculoskeletal health over time.
Elbow dysplasia has not emerged as a significant concern in our own health reporting to date. However, the RKC notes that self-reported owner data may underrepresent conditions that are not always clinically obvious, which is one reason formal screening remains recommended. Breeders are encouraged to participate where possible.
Early onset degenerative hip disease has not been observed as a significant concern in Havanese, and hip screening is therefore not considered essential by the HCGB. However, if hip problems have occurred in your breeding lines, screening for the pre-disposing factor of Hip Dysplasia in related dogs is recommended before breeding.
Autoimmune thyroiditis — where the immune system attacks the thyroid gland — is heritable and has been documented in Havanese internationally. The Havanese Club of America recommends thyroid screening as part of a comprehensive health assessment.
UK breeders are encouraged to consider thyroid testing, particularly in lines where abnormal thyroid function has been observed.
Havanese are among the breeds at elevated risk of portosystemic shunts — abnormal connections between the portal vein and the systemic circulation that bypass the liver. Cases have been reported in the UK and in European Havanese populations. Screening uses a bile acids blood test and is available through most veterinary practices. Breeders are particularly encouraged to screen where there is a known family history of liver shunts or where puppies show early signs such as poor growth, disorientation, or seizures after eating.
Genetic diversity:
the check that belongs on every breeding plan
Before finalising a mating, responsible breeders check the predicted Coefficient of Inbreeding (COI) for the planned litter. The COI estimates how closely related the two parents are — the higher the figure, the greater the risk of inherited problems appearing, including 'untestable' conditions and those we cannot yet test for.Â
DNA tests identify known mutations. The COI check manages the much larger pool of unknown risk. Both matter.
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The RKC COI Calculator is free and takes minutes to use. Aim to keep the COI of any planned litter below the breed average. Lower is better.
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Please note that the RKC COI calculator underestimates COI- not because of any faulty methodology, but because imported dogs are entered into the database with a COI of 0%. This means that in breeds with a high proportion of imports, the COI will be artificially lower. So it is even more important to aim as low as possible.
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The welfare of the dam during pregnancy
(and beyond)
Responsible breeding preparation goes beyond test results. Published research confirms what experienced breeders have long observed: a stressed or fearful dam during pregnancy produces puppies with measurably worse welfare outcomes — higher cortisol levels, more fearful behaviour, and compromised immune development.
This is biology, not sentiment.
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Practical steps make a real difference: a calm, familiar environment during pregnancy; minimal disruption; adequate, kind human contact for the dam; no overcrowding.
The conditions a puppy is born and raised in shape which genes are expressed — and those effects can persist into adult life.