How to 'see' Chondrodysplasia
or 'bad fronts' or whatever you'd like to call it.
(Please give the pictures time to load)
Besides an x-ray of the front legs, the easiest way to tell if a dog may have CD, is to
wet them down, soap them up with shampoo, and wrap the coat (while soapy) around
the legs and chest of the dog, and take some pictures! The pictures enable you to study the dog's legs & body carefully, later, and you'll see a whole lot more than if you just look while soaping.
This is a two man job. Have someone take the pictures while you try to stack the dog
after wetting and soaping. Remember that no wet dog is going to stack easily or correctly
when wet and cold. Work quickly but accurately, having the photographer take a level,
dead-on shot
of the soaped dog. If the person taking the picture is standing above the dog,
or at an angle off centered from the dog, your pictures will not be accurate or helpful.
A wet, cold dog will roach his back and look funny. That is okay! You are looking at the
front legs this time, so pay no
attention to the rest of the dog's body right now.
Take a picture of the front, again having the photographer be level and centered to
the dog's front legs. Stack the dog the best that you can, and
take a picture of both the left and right side of the dog also.
When viewing the front, you want to see equal, parallel and straight forelegs.
When viewing the side shots, you want to see the dog's elbow equal to the chest,
not way above the chest line.
 Good picture of soaped side |
 Poor angle...photographer |
You can see from these pictures above, how it's important to get
level to the dog and centered, before taking the pictures. Once you get your pictures
measure them with a ruler to see if your dog
is equal and parallel. Below are some examples of how to measure.
Dog should be equal from top of shoulders (withers)
to elbow and from elbow to the foot
as this dog clearly is. The dog
looks slightly longer than taller, as it should.
This dog is CD and is NOT equal.
You can easily see how her elbow
is way above the chest line, making
her proportions unequal. Notice also,
how her body looks long. Actually,
her legs are just short, due to premature
closure of the growth plates in her legs.
Above are the same two dogs, photographed from the front.
See the difference in their proportions?
The dog on the left is CD and displays
the typical bowed (and asymmetrical)
front of many CD dogs. The dog on the right
is balanced and equal and has straight forelegs.
Note the asymmetrical chest wall of the first dog also.
There are variations in the severity of Chondrodysplasia. Some are very subtle
and may appear to have straight legs & be asymmetric only.
What is most interesting is that asymmetrical dogs, if diagnosed with cataracts
will present with the cataract in the eye, on the same side as the crooked leg.
Below is a composite of 3 different fronts. The dog on the left has a straight, equal front.
The middle dog is asymetrical (one leg is bowed)
and the dog on the right has a bowed or "fiddle" front... both have CD.
1. If a Havanese appears too long bodied,
soap them up, photograph them and measure them!
What happens in CD is that the growth plates close too early, causing the legs
to stop growing but the body continues to grow. Sometimes the pups are born with 'shorter' legs than they should have. This is another 'sign' you may be dealing with CD. Havanese are NOT a short legged
& long bodied breed. They are a breed with EQUAL proportions:
1/3 head and neck, 1/3 body and 1/3 legs, with a body slightly longer than tall!
2. At 8 weeks we should be soaping up each pup and chosing the best pups we can, with the straightest legs at that point to go to show and breeding homes. (And these pups should be from straight fronted parents. Even better, from straight fronted grandparents too!) The farther we get from this, the better off our breed will be.
3. Re-evaluate the dogs at 6 months, 1 year and 2 yrs (and anytime in between to watch how they are growing!)
Breeding away from these bad fronts (which again, is NOT part of the Havanese
breed standard) can hopefully ensure that our wonderful breed will become again
what it is supposed to be and at the same time, we'll most likely be eliminating many of the
health issues including the early onset blinding cataracts. It's important to say too,
that not ALL CD dogs have health problems. Why some have genetic health issues
and some don't, is indeed perplexing, but hopefully in time,
we'll know more answers.
We have many dogs in the study headed by Dr. Gelatt, that have two CD parents with cataracts,
yet they themselves are way past the age for early onset cataracts. How can this be if
the cataracts are a simple (AR) recessive gene? To date, no Havanese with straight legs
have been diagnosed with early onset cataracts!
Below is an example of what can happen
when someone breeds a crooked front to a straight front:
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Bitch A was bred to a non-CD dog and produced Bitch B. Later, Bitch B was bred to a CD dog and produced Bitch C. |
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In another breeding, Bitch B was bred to a non-CD male and produced all straight fronts. |
Have you ever wondered how out of one litter, there can be small Havanese and LARGE Havanese? Litter mates who look nothing alike? It's really simple if you think about it. Let's say, a CD bitch is bred to a normal straight legged male (who is not CD). The bitch passes on CD to 1/2 the pups (statistically speaking) in the litter and doesn't pass it to the other half. Genetically, this bitch is a big Havanese. Not in height, but in every other way... she's over the 'norm' for weight, is probably rather course, may have a larger head than normal and is heavier boned. If her growth plates had not closed prematurely, she would probably be at the top or over the standard for height. Now, she is going to pass on her genetic 'size' to her non CD pups. They will NOT have the premature closure of their growth plates and will be allowed to grow to their full genetic height. Voila! You end up with a large over sized (height wise) Havanese, with straight legs, but they are too tall for breeding or showing.
Remember that you cannot expect a cold wet dog to stand perfectly straight. Dogs on top left
and 3rd top from the left, are
leaning a bit, but legs are still symmetrical and straight.
You want to evaluate and look at mostly
the 'inside' of the legs. It should make a 'square' with
the legs and chest. The chest should not be higher on one side than the other.
The legs can appear straight but may be asymmentrical which is still CD. Look at the lower level of the chest
wall. Is it even? See the chests on the CD dogs in the lower row, above?
Their chests are asymmetrical (NOT even on both ends).
This sweet little guy (below) is severely CD. Note how short his front legs are compared to
his rear legs. His feet are SO 'easty/westy' that it's amazing he can walk at all. He is only
2 yrs old. He seems to be a product of breeding CD to CD to CD to CD, for his legs to be
this deformed. In 'my' opinion, breeders should be soaping, looking and doing all they can
so they don't produce more puppies like this little guy.
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If you are a breeder, I hope this page has provided you with some food for thought, education and hope for the future. If you are a puppy buyer, I hope the information here, will enable you to be more educated about the Havanese breed and help you to be able to chose your breeder
and future puppy more carefully. Again, not all CD dogs have health problems
but too many of them do. Like any syndrome or disease, it can very well carry with it
other problems besides just the bone deformity.
(All pictures on this site are of AKC registered Havanese.
All pictures were used 'as is'
and were not morphed or altered in any way to change the proportions.
All pictures are used here, with permission)
©Copyright 1998-2006 by ERA'S Havanese
How can you help?
Keith Murphy and his team at Texas A&M University (TAMU) are underway in an important study. We need to raise $200,000 to fund this research. If you own a Havanese or breed Havanese, then please help! There are two ways to financially help.
1. Join "Friends of HEART" at http://www.havanese.net/heart/default.htm
2. Buy "The Havanese" by Diane Klumb at: www.lulu.com. All proceeds to this wonderful book are donated by Diane to the TAMU project!
Thank you!
