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I just went through this with a good friend yesterday who had her Newf's stomach tacked and she was scared to death about the procedure.  Here's what I learned:

Once your dog's stomach bloats, it is likely to happen again.  Tacking doesn't prevent bloat, it prevents torsion (twisting of the stomach which does kill the dog unless there is immediate medical attention.  Bloat is usually caused by a couple of diffent causes and its important to do biopsies while the dog is opened up. 

My friend's Newf, Joe, was scoped before surgery to see how much damage there was to his esphogus (quite a bit) from exposure to the stomach acid.  His esphogus, stomach and intestines were all biopsied.  There was also a fecal exam to look for parasites.  Once the cause is determined (infection, parasites, cancer) the appropriate drugs will be prescribed.  In Joe's case, it's Prilosec, Carafate and another that I can't remember.  His prognosis is excellent, thank heavens.

Over all, I think that if your surgeon is good (not the vet during a spaying) tacking is a great idea.  If the tacking is not done properly, it will cause extreme  discomfort since it will not feel 'normal' to the dog.  If you are comfortable with your vet's experience with a giant breed dog, then she should be fine.  If you have any question, ask a board-certified surgeon to do it.  Also, make sure your vet understands that putting a giant breed down to sleep is a very different procedure than a medium or large dog.

Joe had chronic bloat so it was likely that at some point, he would torsion so my friend really had no choice.  If one of my Newfs was going to have surgery for any other reason, I would tack....but I don't think I would do it for just tacking alone unless he had a problem.  One of the indicators is a lot of burping...whic h my guys don't do.  (fingers firmly crossed here!!)

Good luck with your procedure next week!!! We're all cheering you both on!!

If there is that much of the "PG's" going around, I'm not even watering my own plants anymore! 

ROFL!!!!

Congrats!  Little girls are just SO much fun!!!

I think Daphne has the answer.  He's just a baby-baby.  The giant breeds mature more slowly that smaller dogs...and that includes house breaking.  We didn't crate the Newfs, just kept them right by our bed.  If I heard any kind of movement at all, they were scooped up and taken out to pee.  The have been pretty reliable by about 4 - 5 months.  I know that seems like forever, but by being consistent he'll 'get it' sooner than later. Also, think about using 'pee treats'!  Everytime he's successful outside, make a fuss and give him a treat!!

He looks adorable!  I can't wait to see more pictures!!

Poor Lucah!!  He does look so, SO sad!!

I agree with SAR....we don't do dog parks either.  I've found that dogs who have a fear-based tendency to bite will bite my Newfs, I think, just because of their size.  Fortuntely, most of them come away with a mouth full of hair (lol!!) but it's enough of a warning to me that it's just not a place for a giant breed dog.  We have dog buddies that they romp with and the people who love them watch them like hawks.

Just a thought....

Hope Lucah is up and happy again soon!

I tried raw and even though the Newfs loved it, Cowboy just had too many health issues to do well on it.  Now I cook fresh for them and they are both thriving.  As a matter of fact, we just got Cowboy's lab tests back (he's getting re-certified for Therapy Dog International) and he's great in every category!  That's a first, for him!  He even has more energy.  For Chester, energy has never been an issue, but he looks fantastic!

she keeps me warm, just not sure about that extra 100 lbs. on my chest

Just the thing to break up congestion in your chest!  She knew what to do to keep you healthy! 

What an adorable cuddle-dog!!

Hope you feel better soon!