You may have seen pictures of a Maltese or Havanese being paraded at a dog show with impeccably straightened fur. You’re more than welcome to treat your Havamalt to a similar makeover, but day-to-day care is a lot simpler.
A Havamalt should be brushed at least once a week to keep their long fur untangled and unmatted — fortunately, they don’t shed much. Be sure to check the hair around their ears for dirt and debris, as this can cause infection if left alone.
If your Havamalt is white, they may have issues with tear staining (this is particularly common in Maltese dogs). Parents can clean their eyes to prevent this. Nails should be clipped and teeth brushed, too.
When it comes to exercise, the Havamalt needs around 45 minutes of activity a day, but not high-intensity workouts. In fact, they can expel a lot of energy indoors, especially if the weather isn’t particularly inviting outside. Around seven miles of walking a week should suffice — remember, their legs are only little!
Havamalt Health Risks
Even though some animal experts believe hybrid animals are generally healthier than purebred counterparts, it’s clear that the Havamalt is — like almost every type of dog — more predisposed to certain medical conditions than others. Here are the ones parents should watch out for:
Joint Problems
When it comes to toy breeds, one of the most commonly diagnosed disorders is Patellar Luxation. This is when the kneecap frequently dislocates while a dog is moving, leading to a characteristic hopping motion and a fair amount of pain.
Vets will look to treat this with medication to treat the swelling and discomfort, often followed by a surgical procedure to correct the malformation.
Similarly, Hip and Elbow Dysplasia are not unheard of in a full grown Havamalt dog, even though these complaints are usually spotted in medium-to-large-sized dogs. This occurs when the hip or elbow joint fails to develop correctly, resulting in the bone moving with friction against the corresponding socket in either the elbow or hip. The main symptoms are limited mobility, limping and evident distress.
There are a range of treatments vets can offer for dogs suffering from Hip or Elbow Dysplasia. Mild cases can be alleviated with weight loss or supplements, but more serious instances might require physiotherapy or surgery.
Eye Issues
Havamalts are no strangers to eye complaints, either. Cataracts are one of them and this happens when the eye lens becomes cloudy, leading to partial or even complete vision loss.
If you see a marked appearance in your dog’s eyes or they seem a lot more uncoordinated than usual, they might have cataracts. If a vet settles on this diagnosis, surgery is often an option.
In other cases, Havamalts might develop glaucoma, which arises when pressure in the eye increases, causing damage to the retina and optic nerve. This can be painful for a dog, leading them to rub or scratch their eyes. It might also lead to redness, cloudiness or the appearance of vessels in the eyes.
Glaucoma is fast-acting and treatment should be immediately sought to prevent total vision loss. If caught early enough, vets have a greater chance of restoring the correct pressure with either medication or surgery.
Liver Shunts
One of the liver’s main functions is to remove toxins from the blood. However, there are instances in which an improperly connected vein means that contaminated blood bypasses the liver and continues circulating around the body — this is called Liver Shunts.
While it’s comparatively rare, the condition is mostly seen in smaller breeds, such as the Havamalt. The symptoms are quite general, usually involving gastrointestinal distress such as vomiting, diarrhea, constipation and lethargy. A vet will have to carry out various tests to confirm a diagnosis of Liver Shunts.
Once this is done, your vet can begin treatment. Some cases can be solved with a diet change and medication, but others need surgery to be cured — a dog will need to be healthy enough to go under anesthesia, however.
Regular testing at the vets can help catch diseases at a crucially early stage — this is one of the main benefits that comes with getting a wellness plan for your dog.
What to feed a Havamalt
As small dogs that don’t do a massive amount of exercise, a Havamalt doesn’t need a lot of food. The fact that portions are modest makes it extra-important to go for recipes designed specifically for small breeds, as these will be more nutritionally dense. Kibble will also be more appropriately sized for smaller mouths, too.
When shopping for dog food, go for products packed full of top-quality foodstuffs — look for meat as the first listed ingredient and as little filler content as possible.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the huge amount of dog food available to buy — that’s why it helps to lean on the expertise of our partner Dog Food Advisor, which has published a list of the best dog food for small breeds.
