Eating and digestion signs in a very small puppy
A young Havanese is a small dog with a small stomach, and a puppy who refuses food for more than a day, vomits repeatedly, or has diarrhoea that continues needs a vet promptly rather than another day of tempting with treats. Small puppies lose condition quickly, and wobbliness, unusual sleepiness, or weakness alongside missed meals means same-day advice. Offer water little and often while you arrange the visit, and write down when the puppy last ate, drank, and toileted normally — for a tiny patient, those times genuinely guide the vet's urgency.
Breathing and coughing signs under all that hair
A young Havanese who coughs persistently, breathes noisily at rest, or has episodes of frantic snorting that do not settle quickly should be checked by a vet promptly. Short episodes of reverse sneezing are common in small breeds and usually harmless, but you cannot reliably grade breathing at home, and a puppy who works to breathe, has blue-tinged gums, or collapses is an emergency. Filming an episode on your phone is genuinely useful here, because the puppy will almost certainly breathe perfectly normally in the consulting room.
Eyes, ears and skin in a long-coated companion
A Havanese's long facial hair hangs around the eyes, so eyes that stay red, produce thick discharge, or are rubbed constantly deserve a prompt vet visit rather than more face wiping. Ears hidden under heavy ear hair can also harbour trouble out of sight: a sour smell, scratching, or head shaking means the vet should look inside. Skin that becomes itchy, flaky, or sore under the silky coat belongs on the same list, checked before home remedies complicate the picture the vet needs to see.
Separation distress that is getting worse, not better
A young Havanese is bred to be a companion and follows its people from room to room, which makes alone-time the breed's predictable weak point. Contact a qualified trainer promptly if being left produces escalating panic — frantic door scratching, continuous barking that neighbours report, toileting only when left, or a puppy too distressed to eat until you return. Early, gradual alone-training works far better than waiting for the puppy to grow out of it, because rehearsed panic strengthens. A trainer will stage departures in tiny steps the puppy can succeed at.
House training and chewing that signal something else
A Havanese puppy who was progressing with house training and suddenly regresses, strains to urinate, or asks to go out constantly should see a vet before a trainer, because urinary discomfort in a small puppy mimics training failure. Chewing that becomes frantic or is paired with appetite change also deserves a vet look while teething and growth are in play. Only once pain and illness are ruled out does stubbornness become a training question, and a good trainer will insist on that order too.
Keeping a small puppy's big record together
For a young Havanese, log weights, meals missed, breathing episodes with video, eye and ear checks, and how each alone-time practice went. That record links the vet's health picture with the trainer's behaviour picture, which matters in a breed where distress and discomfort overlap so often. KinsLe Pet Passport holds your Havanese puppy's records in one portable packet, so prompt help from either professional starts from the same complete history.