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> Podengos > HealthHealth
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Podengo Health and Resources
The Portuguese Podengo is a hearty and healthy breed, often living into the late teens. The Pequeno is a very healthy and robust, with hardly any genetic diseases. The two that we have seen are Legg Calves Perthes, a problem with the blood supply to the neck of the femur resulting in lameness, and Luxating Patella, a looseness in the knee cap that can lead to instability of the knee joint causing mild to profound lameness. PPPCA-listed breeders are well aware of these inherited conditions, which fortunately have shown up in very small numbers. Since both of these conditions usually are evident well before breeding age, affected individuals don't enter the gene pool. Continued monitoring of the breed by using a comprehensive health survey to assess the general health and identify any problems will help the PPPCA and its members insure that the Pequeno in the United States will remain a very healthy breed for current and future owners to enjoy.
The healthiness of the Podengo lies in its historic use -- it is traditionally bred 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. PPPCA-listed breeders are very careful with placements. PPPCA has been keeping track of the health of US Podengos and we encourage all Podengo owners to check their small Podengo's knees and hips and to let us know if they find any evidence of problems.
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 Pequeno Club of America.
Identifiers -- Microchips
PPPCA strongly recommends that ALL Podengos be microchipped in order to be identified should the occasion arise. We also encourage all owners to register the DNA of their breeding Pequenos with AKC.
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