Newfoundland Health:
The Newfoundland has several colour variations, though not all are acceptable for showing, For example; the brown and white version of the Landseer.
Kennel club recognised colours in Newfoundland's are:
Kennel club recognised colours in Newfoundland's are:
- Black
- Black and White
- Brown
- Brown and White
- Landseer
- Grey
- White and Black
Health Tests:
There are several illnesses/ disorders that are common to the Newfoundland Breed. Because of this there are health tests that are specific to the breed.
Newfoundland's con be prone to hip dysplasia, Cystinuria, Aortic stenosis and other heart related diseases. Newfoundlands are mainly effected by two types of heart disease;
- Dilated Myopathy - Dilated myoptathy is a disease of the heart muscle that causes a general weakening and a decreased pumping ability.
- Aortic Stenosis - Abnormal tissue causes an obstruction within the heart that creates an obstacle reducing blood flow that makes the heart work harder than normal.
Hip Score:
This is a measure of the angle of the hip given with each hip given a scoring range out of 53. Scores for each hip are added together which will give an overall hip score for a dog out of 106.
The Kennel Club will advise breeders to only breed from dogs with a below the breed average score.
However, this "average", is only determined from those people who submit or score their dogs hip x-rays results so it can become a rather manufactured average.
Cystinuria:
A hereditary disorder affecting the kidneys and its ability to transport Cystine (an amino acid). This causes a build up of crystals in the kidneys and can cause severe pain and recurring infections.
This disorder can be completely avoided through a simple genetic test by taking a swab of the saliva and testing the DNA.
A dog can be either be affected (have the disorder), be a carrier (have the recessive gene) or be clear where they don't carry any genes for the disorder at all.
It is an easy test and can be carried out at any age.
Eco Doppler Heart Test:
An ultrasound procedure to examine the heart and vessels. An ECG or Echocardiogram, uses high frequency sound waves to create an image of the heart.
The doppler technology allows the examiner to determine the speed and direction of blood flow.
This is a non invasive procedure and can be done from a year old but will be performed by a specialist in order to ascertain if there's any evidence of the genetic disorders SAS (sub-aortic stenosis) and DCM (dialated cardiomyopathy). We do this to ensure that all of the girls, who may go on to have puppies, show no sign of carrying this disease. In our opinion, it is the most important of all the health tests as both these disorders are killers.
Here at Kernow Bears, we strictly follow the Newfoundland breed club guidelines and will always breed from dogs with normal hearts, below average hip scores and ensure that both parents are CU clear.
Please have a look at the Northern Newfoundland Club website who will tell you everything you need to know to ensure you have a happy and healthy Newf!
www.northernnewfoundlandclub.org.uk/healthgeneralinfo.html
Please have a look at the Northern Newfoundland Club website who will tell you everything you need to know to ensure you have a happy and healthy Newf!
www.northernnewfoundlandclub.org.uk/healthgeneralinfo.html