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Podengo Health and Resources
The Portuguese Podengo is a hearty and healthy breed, often living into the late teens, with no known genetic defects or inherited disorders. This is due, in large part, to the fact that the Podengo is bred for its function that is, to hunt. Because of this, the dogs are not bred to meet any particular consumer "preferences." We have seen what happens when breeders respond to the popular demand for a certain look. The English Bulldog is a prime example, it's lifespan considerably shortened in the last few decades. As breeders, we are very careful our placements. PPCA has been keeping track of the health of US Podengos and to date, the only health problem we have encountered is two small Podengos with mild cases of Luxating Patella. This is less than 1% incidence, but we encourage all Podengo owners to check their small Podengo's knees for this condition and to let us know if they find any evidence of this problem.
The Portuguese Podengo is classified by the FCI, Europe's equivalent to the AKC, as a Primitive/Spitz-like breed. According to research and our veterinary expertise, this category of dogs is one of the healthiest.
As responsible dog owners, we encourage routine preventative health care.
Since we are at the beginning of our breeding program here in the United States, this is the time to be sure that the dogs we plan to use for producing future generations are clear of any hereditary problems by establishing a baseline of healthy dogs. This is one of the priorities of the Portuguese Podengo Club of America.
Identifiers -- Microchips
PPCA strongly recommends that ALL Podengos be microchipped in order to be identified should the occasion arise. We also encourage the use of Martingale collars for Podengos, as it is a collar designed for sighthounds that provides gentleness as well as security.
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