imported_Cassie

I have tried to post pictures with no success...I have a "picture it" package on my computer which I store my scanned pictures...I will have to try again...my biggest problem with my computer is that it is sooooo slow..so I really lose my patience with it very easily. I now have 4 Newfoundlands...2 intact males, 1 intact female and 1 spayed female...and I have my ever lovin Rottwieler (spayed female). They are all great dogs and get along very well...my new male has fit in perfectly...they all stay together in my out door kennel during the day and sleep with me at night...not all in my bed! only 2 allowed in the bed with my 3 cats! there is no more room! :o they some times take turns sleeping with me at night alternating sometimes for the doggy beds on the floor...no ones picky in my house. I didn't know if I was going to keep the new Male newf...he and my other male and my female Rottie are quite dominant...they all get along great and I'm very pleased. The breeder who is a good friend of mine will be keeping my boys and I will see them daily...quite a releif! :cool3: I'll try to post pictures of them if I can figure it out...and I'll give my slow old computer a chance.

My female has just come into heat...I knew it was coming as my 2 unaltered males have been VERY interested in her! :lol: (oh, I have another new male Newf! :multi: ) my males are going back to the kennel for a few weeks while my girl goes through her cycle...its just going to be me and the girls for a little while :cry: The breeder is not going to use her this time around for breeding, but next time she will...so I'll be a grand mother in the future... She has finished her championship titles in Canada and the USA...and the breeder is still putting points on her... Its great my boys will be together at the kennel, they have only been together for about 3 weeks at my place but they have grown very attached to each other.

check out one of the IVD foods (Innovative Veterinary Diets made by PhD). Those have novel proteins. This brand is the best "prescription" allergy diet you can probably buy. I normally would not recommend a Veterinary diet food, but when it comes to allergies...some times its the only route...a friend of mine adopted a white boxer (they are normally PTS due to so many skin problems etc) this boxer had itself scratched raw from allergies...she had the allergy test done (the new one where they take a blood sample and do tests on the blood) the dog is allergic to every thing including human dander etc...she has started her boxer on the IVD food and is having success...she had also tried the BARF diet...but every thing available..beef, chicken, Lamb etc the dog is allergic to...this was her only option.

I would definately take a trip to the Vet...also a good quality food with a higher quanity of fiber is a must for a dog with anal gland problems...a solid stool helps to express the glands naturally....some dogs will also blow their glands when they are scared or excited...this is also normal. Some dogs are predisposed to anal gland problems due to their physical build...and its usually a common problem with smaller dogs. At the grooming shop I work at we do not squeeze anal glands ...the only time we will do this is if its a springer or cocker who will blow them as soon as the groom is finished...and then its just a light little squeeze. Some people end up squeezing them so hard and so often they create scar tissue...then its going to be a must to squeeze the glands. What the groomer at the shop I work at advises her customers is: go see a vet who will express the glands properly from the inside... a good Vet will offer dietary changes. Some times, some dogs have such severe problems with their glands that they have to have them removed.

I'm glad max is feeling better...its good your not letting him over exert himself...some times when they are on those pain killers they can do more damage to the area because they feel better. Let us know the out come of the x-rays...if its a ruptured cruciate ligament that is a very common surgery, the out look is very good for a complete rehabilitation...my Newf who had the cruciate surgery came through wonderfully, I had to keep her from normal activities and alot of rest for a few weeks...that is very important after the surgery...

:oops: :oops: :oops: I know it sounds as if I spend a fortune on myself and my dogs :o ...but since I started eating healthy and cutting out junk in my diet and my dogs...its really alot cheaper for us to eat healthy....and when I think of things like pesticides and the horrible things they are feeding cows and chickens...it's pretty scary! I am so happy that I have a local butcher I can buy from, but also our local grocery store sells organic produce as well as free range animals....I stock up on mark down night! I have lost alot of weight since I started eating healthy, and my dogs maintain a good weight also...myself and my Rottie used to be very fat (the breeder would have killed me if I'd have let her Newf's get over weight!)....I topped the scale at 195lbs now I'm down to 130lbs...eating healthy I eat less, but feel full....and so I hope do my dogs. When I add up how much money I spent on chips, ice cream, candy...milk shakes etc and I could'nt just stop at one, if I had one bag of chips I had to have 2 more! it was addictive! now instead I'll buy a banana and yoghurt...same with the dogs, now for a treat they get some thing healthy instead of those over priced, unhealthy dog treats.

:lol: :lol: :lol: sticking your nose where it don't belong???? :wink: I can really emphasize with Kiger....my Rottie when I first got her had alot of diarrhea, so much that she also used to pass alot of blood ....all the diarrhea would irratate her digestive system...I'd fast her for 24 hours to give her digestive system a rest then feed bland food like steamed hamburg & white rice...back on the kibble after the bland diet and I'd have a few good days of normal bowel movements...I too used to follow my dog around looking at all her poops and watching her to make sure she wasnt straining! what horrible entertainment! :o My Rottie is fine now, no more diarrhea since she has been on the BARF diet, they also poop less often..

I also feed my dogs Yogurt, only organic yogurt... a couple of times a week I mix frozen organic berries in with the yogurt (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries) I stay away from all veggies & Fruits which are not organic as they have been grown with pestisides. I also grow wheat grass for my babies to chew on, they love grass.. I grind my own flax seeds for my dogs and sprinkle it on top of their food...my dogs have never had any adverse reactions to flax seed (oh, it also is organic :lol: ) I feed all my dogs canned sardines for the omega 3 fatty acids ...best way to get that essential fat...and I feed canned salmon with the bones left in (calcium)...and I also steam mackeral or smelt once in a while and mix with brown & wild rice. I also supplement my dogs diet with vitamins...I do not give these daily as I don't want to over load their system... I give vitamin E and I make sure it has all the different compounds, four tocopherols and four tocotrienols (in both cases called alpha, beta, gamma and delta)..some vitamin E supplements only have one of these components, alpha-tocopherol. I steer clear from vitamin E that give you synthetic dl-alpha tocopherol...I choose only natural vitamin E which is listed on the label as d-alpha.... I also give a B-50 complex...some people say this B-50 can help ward off mosquitoes... the dogs & I eat only organic foods and for meat I only eat/feed free range ( I have a few friends with farms and I usually buy my eggs, chickens, beef etc from them....I know what their animals have eaten) For my dogs teeth I give them femur bones etc to chew on...works great For my dogs coats the oils in the fish & flax of course help a great deal...but, also daily brushing is essential to a good healthy coat....distributes the oils throughout...my dogs have lovely coats...I usually always have people commenting on how shiny and healthy they look... I do have to shampoo my dogs alot during show season...I always use a good quality dog shampoo... nail care, I walk my Rottie alot so this usually keeps her nails worn down...I don't walk the Newf's too far it's too hot for them in the summer, winter is their time...I make sure I keep their nails trimmed weekly...

Here is some additional info on IBS: [url]http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1571&articleid=305[/url]

BARF can be very expensive if you buy it pre-made...I have all my Dogs on BARF...I usually wait til Saturday night at the grocery store when they mark down all meat products...then I go down fill my shopping cart bring the meat home, cut it up in bit size pieces, I put meal size portions in freezer bags and have pre-made meals for each dog. I by whole chickens (with the goblets & necks inside....the things that when you cooked your first chicken or turkey you cooked as well...at least I did :oops: ) Its much cheaper to make the meals your self especially when you have alot of dogs ( I have 4 - 3 Newf's & 1 Rottie) also make freinds with your local butcher...some times they will give you really good deals especially if they slaughter their own animals...you can get all the great left over stuff! If your dog won't chew bones, as much as I hate to suggest it you can supplement Kato's diet with Bone meal, found in most Vitamin stores... Get a blender also for the veggies, they have to be blended up first...I also got a coffee bean grinder so I can grind my own flax seeds for the additional omega 3 & 6 fatty acids...my dogs do great on flax seeds, I have heard that some dogs don't.. The only things I never give my dogs raw are fish....I feed only canned salmon & canned sardines....some times canned Tuna....there is a parasite which salmon can carry...I feed mackeral also, I usually buy makeral and or smelt and steam it up for my dogs occasionaley with steamed brown & wild rice (get your rice, oats etc at a local bulk barn much cheaper) A good book to get is "Give the Dog a bone" by Dr. Billinghurst (I think thats the spelling) I wish you and Kato all the best.

I use cheap old hydrogen peroixde on wounds...Neosporen is good to use also.

Did your Vet indicate weather it may be a torn cruciate ligament? if so; that can be repaired, one of my Newf's went through surgery for cruciate ligament 3 years ago ...she came through the surgery fine (with a big Vet bill) and although Arthritis did set in I have her on Yucca, MSM, Glucosamine & Chondroitin, Vitamin C...it seems to be working for her and for my Rottie which has HD and arthritis in her front legs due to calified deposits is on the same pills...before starting any alternative remedies of course be sure you don't give them to your dog along with the med's your vet has given you unless your Vet advises you other wise. Arthritis is some thing you can deal with naturally....a torn cruciate ligament of course has to be repaired. I wish you both the best and let us know Max is doing. Ps: if you do put her on natural remedies, the Yucca should be used with caution...only a little bit should be put in your dogs food...I break open one capsole (it's powder) and just put a 1/2 pinch in my Rotties food & Newf's food...you can then put the capsole back together.

Heres what I do in the Summer with my 3 Newfoundlands, and Rottweiler...I get up at 5:00 am in the morning and take them for a walk...its cool at that time and they can get all that morning energy out of their system...if this sounds crazy then wait until dusk when it cools down and take Zebra out then. My Newf's and Rottie sleep the day away and look forward to their dawn & dusk walks in the summer (the only bad thing about dusk are the mosquito's, so if you have a problem with heart worm, probably not a good idea) do you live near water? if so swimming is a wonderful form of exercise, I have access to the ocean and plenty of lakes and brooks which I take my dogs to daily....although my Newf's won't swim, my Rottie will fetch sticks thrown in the water...and its cool, especially by the ocean there is al...my Newf's wade to keep cool. Indoor activities, it helps that my dogs have each other to play with...I love playing hide & seek with my dogs, I don't play tug of war with any of my dogs...where my Rottie has a tendancy to be dominant I don't take the chance... I'll try to think of more things to do, what breeds, or breed is Zebra? some times you can find things that interest individual breeds....

I'm glad Rocket is feeling better.

Very nice pictures....they look great together.

Did every body here know that alot of herding dogs on sheep migrations actually ate sheep poop as part of their diet....yuk... :o Wolves & Coyotes (etc) actually make up a part of their diet with the wastes of their prey...helps them make it through the winter.

I have owned dogs all my life...no time frame given :lol: I have also worked with dogs for about 20 years, Vet clinic, looking after a boarding facility, bath/blow dryer (I have never been interested in the actual grooming, I would end up crying if someone didnt like my groom job, the lady I work for is a National certified Master groomer, and she also competes through out North America; I listen to her alot and if I have questions I ask her or one of the vets or my breeder buddies. When you work around dogs daily you learn every thing is not text book style! :o I have been surprised many many times about dog behavior etc. I have learned alot about natural remedies from the Whole dog Journal which I subscribe to, plus alot of my freinds are horse people they know alot! and alot of my friends are breeders, they also know alot (some times more than the Vets do) I also love the peteducation web site, you can't remember every thing off the top of your head...at least I can't. I have also put CD & CDX on a few of my dogs.

One of my Newfoundlands which I had to have PTS before x-mas (she was 14 yrs just a few months shy of 15 yrs) she had suffered from Arthritis and was in excruciating pain...she developed arthritis at the tender age of 7yrs, at that time Gluc/Chon was not heard off...I started out with Buffered Aspirin then I tried Acupuncture (which did not help her) I was at wits end....then a friend of mine who owns horses (I find horse people to be very knowledgeable about alternative remedies) suggested I use the Gluc/chon...after a few months of use she was like a puppy again...I have never used any aspirin or Rimidyl, Metacam for any of my dogs which have developed arthritis since. My Rottie who has HD - arthritis of course has developed in her hip area...I have never had to resort to prescription drugs or aspirin...instead only using the Shark Cart, MSM and Yucca...when I have her on Gluc/Chon. I give her a vitamin C pill to aid in the uptake of the Gluc. The Yucca is doing a wonderful job keeping her from suffering from the pain of arthritis...when I first suspected she had HD she had problems getting out of bed in the morning whining and yelping...and this was a 2 year old dog ...I had her hips x-rayed..the vet prescribed me a bottle of Metacam..I have not had to use that med. which also is a burden to the dogs liver...I find that some times when a dog is prescribed an anti-inflammatory med. that it some times masks the pain so the dog keeps doing the same activities which cause the inflamation. I have had great success with Glucosamine Chondroitin....I feel safer using it as it is natural...for any of you who are suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome or arthritis your self...try it, it works great!

That is cute joke Courtnek! :lol: :lol: :lol:

[color=darkred][size=6]Dog In Heat[/size][/color] A little girl asked her mom, "Mom, may I take the dog for a walk around the block? Mom replies, "No, because she is in heat." "What's that mean?" asked the child. "Go ask your father. I think he's in the garage." The little girl goes to the garage and says, "Dad, may I take Belle for a walk around the block? I asked Mom, but she said the dog was in heat, and to come to you." Dad said, "Bring the Belle over here." He took a rag, soaked it with gasoline, and scrubbed the dog's backside with it and said, "Okay, you can go now, but keep Belle on the leash and only go one time around the block." The little girl left, and returned a few minutes later with no dog on the leash. Surprised, Dad asked, "Where's Belle?" The little girl said, "She ran out of gas about halfway down the block, so another dog is pushing her home."

This is a common problem for dogs with floppy ears , moisture builds up and air can't get in which is a perfect breeding ground for wax build ups and yeast or bacterial infections...I have seen so many problems with Cockers and ear problems. I usually make it my weekly grooming routine to clean my dogs ears...you can even use white vinegar and water to clean with. I like to use a cotton ball and pour ear cleaner on it then clean the wax out of the ear. I also noticed a difference with my dogs when I switched them to the barf diet...there is not as much wax build up as before.... Here is a web site for you to review [url]http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1591&articleid=273[/url]

[b]Wrote by[/b][b]pei obssessed[/b] [quote]It's not the money... This is the policy that the whole province of Ontario has, it's not a personal (uninformed) choice. Frankly, since it's scientifically proven that there can be no mosquitos during those months (and that it's only through mosquitos that the heartworm can be transmitted), why would I want to burden my dog's immune system with unnecessary drugs?[/quote] I completely agree with you...in my Province we also only treat for Heart worm for the months of May through to Oct...no need to treat for Heart worm for the months there are no mosquitos...

During show season we bath our Newfoundland dogs weekly..they have no skin problems..we use a good quality dog shampoo...Bark Basic, top performance, Alexanders own.

I have 3 Newfoundland dogs, Dil, 2 years old Cassandra, 8 years old Tessa, 15 months I also have 1 Rottweiler Ayla 3 years old (rescued) 3 Cats, 4 goldfish and I co-lease a horse (palamino) I had just had 2 Newfoundlands put down before X-mas a 10 year old male and a 14 year old female...

That is so cute! :lol: