Big Paws Only Dog Forums

Welcome! This site is truly a great community.  There is so much information and so many funny stories! It truly makes you fall deeper in love with your own Goofy Newfie . 

We are currently in the process of looking to add a second Newfoundland to our family.  I have been very interested in 'rescuing' a Newf.  If we chose to take this route do you have any reccomendation s for finding a Newfoundland rescue in the midwest? We are currently living in East Lansing, MI.

Again, welcome!

Hello All!

Thank you for you wonderful responses, it means so much to Pat , Lula our Goofie Newfie, and I! We have met with the ortho and Lula has been diagnosed (at this stage) with medium HD.  We have had her on glucosamine (etc.) tablets and the difference we have seen is mind numbing! She is like a brand new dog!

Our families both have pools/lakes and we have been working with her on swimming more.  She gets up better, walks stronger, and still loves everyone just as hard! We are not going to do replacements as of now for the results we have seen so far are incredible.  The supplements and change of food have done far more than we could have imagined.  But if it becomes too much too bear for our big sweetie we will do whatever it takes to provide her with an active life without pain.

Did anyone see the Oprah special on Puppy Mills? Not that all or any come from this but the influx of Newfoundland breedres online troubles me.  I just hope that BigPawsOnly can advertise itself, and reach out to all of the big dog lovers out there that need this source for options, opinions, and guidance.  I thank you all.

I thank all who have posted their opinions, stories, and fellow concern for this disorder.  Unfortunately our breeder has been of no help.  Although coming off shining in the beginning we have skepticism but it is what it is.  We love Lula and will do whatever we can for her.

We will frequent here for questions and opinions, (and hopefully provide more positive updates), to help all that battle with this disorder.

We will upload some pictures tomorrow that will show lula the goofie newfie basking in her new strength. 

Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts.

Love,

LULA, Erica & Pat

Quote from: jaz and titan on May 06, 2008, 02:48:56 pm

We have lost him 3 times in the house to find him in the tub wanting a bath and he won't get out until you give him one. He seems to actually go in there every thursday or friday...like he knows time!!!)

Can you teach me to do that with Harley! It's a nightmare getting her in the tub LOL 

Nina

Our inlaws put treats in the tub to coax the bathing, it is not the best method (food) but the association made it so much easier for them.  When the dog can't be found she is in the tub!

Hello all wonderful newfie/big dog owners!

Our darling Lula (the goofie newfie) just got diagnosed with hip dysplasia.  We love her to death and want to do all that is best for her.

She was limping on her left leg and we took her to our vet.  There was a 'sub' vet that proceeded to check the legs, turn her and pull the 'ok' leg, now we have sever problems with the leg that was showing no signs of problems. 

Our vet informed us that they will cradle a leg that is hurt, and alternate over time between both if they are inflicted.  None the less we are seeing problems in both hind legs.

We demanded a full xray and it was deemed she has HD in both.  We were shown the xray with no guidance (other than put her on glucosamine tablets) and told to seek out our university (local) vet for they are more trained in this area.

Feeling lost... we are concerned that our regular vet could not offer us any additional information.  I have full faith in the local university veterinary hospital, but would like to have a better understanding of what our options are before we go into the consultation.

Any advice is appreciated.  Should we have her on a certain food? Should she be taking certain supplements? Should her exercise routine follow a distinct regiment? Should we do full hip replacement (she is 11/mo old)? Should we seek out opinions aside from the local university? Should she have certain 'comforts' at home? Should her daily activities be different?

We were told to give her aspirin for pain but don't want to create internal problems or make her dependent on something.  After a HD diagnosis (and no direction from the vet) what should be our next steps?

Thank you for any and all guidance.  We love our goofie newfie like our child and appreciate any input.

Thank you all for your great responses! It is much appreciated. We are going to test out the gentle leader this evening, wish us luck! I look forward to posting here often and joining other discussions! Have a great day!

Hello big paws users! This is my first post and I am so excited I stumbled upon this wonderful site!

Walking & Skin Question:

Lula is our beloved Goofy Newfie.  She is 11 months old and owns our walks with her.  We have done a couple rounds of private lessons but she is still pulling.  My sister in law recommended to me that we use the 'gentle leader' as a means to gain control again.  Do you have any advice for stopping the pulling on the walks? Any opinions on the Gentle Leader?


Another question:

I have noticed that Lula has red skin on her hind legs. We had recently been to the vet bc she has been limping a bit of late but they could not find anything wrong. The vet did not point the red skin, nor had I seen it recently.  I discovered a couple of hidden mattes on the underside of the leg (tail area), could this be the cause of the irritation? The limp? Any recommendation s on skin/coat conditioners between washes?

Thank you in advance for any posts! I am excited to be a part of this great site!