Having your Havanese breeder or your vet microchip your new puppy could be one of the best decisions you ever make for your dog.

Microchipping is the process of placing a very small identification chip in between the shoulder blades of your Havanese puppy. The procedure is quick, lasting only a few seconds, and is very similar to giving a vaccination.  Your puppy’s microchip number is then registered in a national database showing you as the owner.

Microchip placed next to a dime.

Most vets and all animal control shelters carry microchip scanners and it is standard protocol for animal control shelters to scan each animal that is recovered to see if it has been microchipped.

Microchip scanner

Here are three reasons to consider having your Havanese puppy microchipped.

1. It is a permanent means of identification.

ID tags can get lost, chewed off, or may be deliberately removed if your dog is stolen.  Getting your puppy tattooed is a permanent ID option but it is much more complicated and expensive than microchipping.  A microchip is permanent, easy, and inexpensive, and it can not be removed without surgery.

2. It proves that you own your dog.

Havanese dogs are highly desirable and are extremely sweet to boot. If someone finds your Havanese and there is a dispute over who is the rightful owner, a microchip registration will settle it. There are also numerous cases of stolen pets being returned to their rightful owners, even years later, because the owner had microchipped their pet and a vet or animal control center ran a microchip scan.

3. It drastically improves the chances of recovering your Havanese should you become separated.

Without a proper identification only 10% of lost animals are recovered by their owners.  Microchipping your Havanese will greatly improve your chances of recovery should you and your dog become separated.  It also provides peace of mind knowing that if someone scans your dog you will be contacted.

Here at KASE Havanese we recommend that you register your microchip information in the national database, at your local animal control shelter (they will check the national database but registering with them may help streamline the process), and at your local vet. We also recommend using an additional collar ID tag with your phone number so that if someone finds your Havanese they can call you to return it.

Trimming your Havanese dog’s toenails can be an intimidating notion.  I have talked with numerous people who have their vet trim their dog’s nails for them just to make sure it is done right.

The good news is that trimming your Havanese dog’s toe nails is as simple as trimming your own.  Once you learn where to make the cut, the process is quick and simple and works for Havanese puppies and adults.

For Havanese puppies and smaller adults regular fingernail or toenail clippers will work just fine.  For larger nails you may prefer to purchase a set of toenail clippers online or from your local pet supply store.

Havanese have four toenails on the rear paws and five on the front.  The fifth nail is the dewclaw and is located on the side of the paw at the “wrist” area.

 Dewclaw found on the front foot

There are both translucent and black color toenails.  Knowing where to make the cut on a translucent toenail is simple.  The pink quick is visible to the naked eye.

Translucent toenail with pink quick visible

To trim the nail make a cut perpendicular to the toe nail about 2 millimeters above the quick and you’re done.  It’s really that simple.  As long as you don’t cut into the pink area you will not cause bleeding or discomfort to your dog.

Make a cut perpendicular to the toenail 2mm away from the pink quick.

Finished toenails

Black toenails are a little more tricky.  The pink quick is not visible so it is easier to accidentally cut too close.

Black toenail with no pink quick visible

The easiest way to trim black toe nails is to “tip” the nails by making small perpendicular cuts starting at the tip of the nail and gradually working in until you reach your comfort level.  You might not get as close a cut as you would with a translucent nail but “tipping” consistently will still keep your dog’s nail length in check.

 “Tipped” toenail

If you want a closer trim on black nails you must try to identify the edge of the quick as you are trimming the nail closer.  As you approach the quick you will notice a homogeneous grey to pink oval area appearing toward the middle to top of the nail.  Once you see this, stop.  Any further cutting will cut into the quick and cause bleeding and discomfort.

Very small grey to pink oval area

This area is more difficult to see on small dogs like the Havanese and there may be a bit of a learning curve to this method.

Many people are concerned about cutting the nail too close and hurting their dog.  The best way not to do this is to go slowly, take off just a little bit at the time, and stop when you reach your comfort threshold.

If you do happen to trim just a tad too close and bleeding occurs don’t panic.  You’re dog will be fine.  Dip the bleeding nail into styptic powder or press into a styptic pencil to stop the bleeding.  The nail should heal up nicely.

 Use styptic powder or pencil to stop any bleeding

Can I feed raw liver to my Havanese?

Well, it turns out that raw, grass-fed liver may very well be one of the most nutrient dense super-foods available for K-9 consumption.

Liver contains lots of extremely high quality protein as well as a plethora of nutrients including large amounts of vitamin A. It also contains vitamins C, D, E, K, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, that hard-to-find B12, biotin, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and is a tremendous source of iron as well as zink, selenium, and manganese.  If consumed raw the liver also has active digestive enzymes which aid in food digestion and absorption.

These nutrients are important for almost all functions in the dog’s body including maintaining a strong immune system and proper brain and heart function.  Havanese Dog breeders may consider liver as a supplement for its positive effects on the K-9 reproductive system and blood hemoglobin.

So what about the Havanese? Isn’t it a domesticated dog that requires kibble or canned food?  Won’t raw meat mess digestion up?

My experience with Havanese has answered that question with both a yes and no.  The Havanese is a domesticated dog that can have a sensitive stomach.  Table scraps and unfamiliar foods can be dangerous causing vomiting and diarrhea leading to dehydration and sometimes aspiration.  I have personally known Havanese that have died from eating too much of the wrong thing from the table.

That being said, Havanese are still dogs just like wolves, foxes, and coyotes and are capable of eating raw foods as well.  The domesticated Havanese has developed a micro-ecology (friendly micro-organisms that aid in digestion) in the gut that is used to digesting kibble or other processed canned foods.  When introducing too much of a new food in too short a period of time it effectively “shocks” the dogs digestive system with substances that the gut is not used to digesting and the dog’s body rejects the food resulting in vomiting and diarrhea.

When introducing raw, cooked, or dehydrated liver to your Havanese it is wise to start very slowly with a very small chunk about the size of a dime. If your dog does well then very slowly increase the portion over a period of a few weeks to the desired amount.  Make sure to monitor for any vomiting or loose stools.  If you encounter any, take a break for a day or two and try again later after the dog’s system has normalized. Going slow allows the dog’s gut micro-organisms time to evolve and adapt to digesting the new food.

What kind of liver should I get and where do I get it?

Something to take into account when feeding raw foods of any kind to your dog is the source and the quality.  Beef liver that is from a cow fed with genetically modified corn and soy and kept in confinement housing will have a very different nutritional profile than one that is grass-fed with plenty of room to roam.

Whenever possible we try to purchase our organ meats from local farmers who raise grass-fed cows or sheep.  Pastured chicken livers are also an excellent choice.  Not only is grass-fed liver much more nutritious, it also has considerably fewer toxins, and is usually much cleaner, not having the high levels of harmful bacteria that have been associated with raw meat scares.

If raw liver makes you a bit squeamish then cooked or dehydrated liver is a close second-best.  You will still want to check your source on all products to make sure it is from grass-fed or pastured animals.

How much liver should I feed to my Havanese?

The general consensus is that liver can comprise up to 5% of the dog’s diet.  I give a few small chunks a day to each of my dogs. Because liver is so high in vitamin A there is some concern that dogs may get too much.  The fear is that over a period of time, too much accumulating vitamin A may result in vitamin A toxicity.  Sticking to the 5% rule should eliminate this concern.