PetThe Havanese — Cuba's national dog — is a cheerful, affectionate companion breed that often lives 14–16 years. It's genuinely one of the more robust toy breeds, without a single catastrophic risk dominating its profile. But 'robust for a toy breed' still means a handful of hereditary conditions worth planning for, several of them orthopedic or surgical. Here's the honest picture for Canadian owners.
Havanese at a glance
| Typical adult weight | 3–6 kg — small but solid |
| Lifespan | 14–16 years — a long-lived breed |
| Coat & grooming | Long, silky, low-shedding double coat; high grooming needs |
| Temperament | Cheerful, affectionate, sociable — a devoted companion |
| Energy level | Moderate — playful but adaptable to apartments |
| Insurance snapshot | Moderate premiums; healthier than most toys, but knees and eyes justify coverage |
Common Havanese health issues
| Condition | How common | Typical treatment cost (CAD) |
|---|---|---|
| Patellar luxation | Common — slipping kneecaps typical of toy breeds | Surgery ~$1,500–$5,000 per knee if needed |
| Eye disease (cataracts, PRA, cherry eye) | Several hereditary eye conditions occur | Cataract/cherry-eye surgery; PRA leads to blindness |
| Legg-Calvé-Perthes & hip issues | Seen in small breeds; hip joint degeneration | Often surgical (FHO) |
| Heart murmur / mitral valve disease | A senior risk, as in many small breeds | Lifelong cardiac medication and monitoring |
| Dental disease | Very common — crowded small-breed jaws | Moderate per cleaning; recurring, extractions add up |
| Chondrodysplasia / deafness | Occurs in the breed line | Variable; skeletal and hearing issues |
Our Recommendation
For a Havanese, comprehensive accident-and-illness coverage enrolled early is sensible even though it's a healthier toy breed. The realistic bills are patellar luxation and eye surgery — both surgical, both often bilateral — plus lifelong dental care and, in seniors, heart-murmur management. Because the breed is long-lived, chronic senior conditions have plenty of time to appear. Insure while your dog is young and healthy, ask the breeder about eye (CERF/OFA) and patella certifications, and stay ahead of dental care throughout life.
A healthier toy breed — but not a risk-free one
The Havanese earns its reputation as one of the sturdier small breeds, without a single dominant catastrophic risk the way a Dachshund has IVDD or a Cavalier has heart disease. What it does have is a cluster of the orthopedic and eye conditions typical of toy dogs: patellar luxation (slipping kneecaps, often needing surgery and often in both knees), several hereditary eye diseases including cataracts and cherry eye, and hip-joint degeneration. None is guaranteed, but each is common enough to plan for.
Long life means more time for chronic costs
Because Havanese routinely live to 14–16, they have plenty of time to develop the chronic conditions of old age — mitral valve heart disease and lifelong dental care chief among them. That longevity is a good reason to insure early rather than assume a healthy breed won't need coverage: the conditions that do appear tend to be chronic and to arrive after years of clean history, and each becomes a pre-existing exclusion the moment it's diagnosed. See best pet insurance for dogs.