Newton has recovered very well from his amputation surgery and is ready to find his forever family!  We have learned a lot about him in the past few weeks and what he would need in a forever home.  Newton is a very happy boy and loves everyone he meets.  He is neutered, microchipped, and up to date on vaccinations.  He did test positive for anaplasmosis, but he is not showing symptoms and has been treated for it in the past, so no further treatment is needed unless he starts to show symptoms such as limping or joint pain.  Our vet was pleased with how his incision healed and has given him a clean bill of health!  

Here are some more things about Newton that we have learned:

• He needs a 6 foot fence – surprisingly enough, Newton can JUMP our 4 foot chain link fence!  He trips and stumbles when on a tie-out, so we think he would do best with a fence high enough that he couldn’t jump it.  An invisible fence is not ideal for Newton, as we don’t know the circumstances that lead to him being hit by the truck, so we think a physical fence is best to keep him safe.

• A family that is dedicated to keeping his weight down and giving joint supplements for the rest of his life.  Amputees do best when they are kept thin, otherwise the extra weight will put added stress on his remaining front leg.  The joint supplement will help to keep his joints healthy throughout his life.  Newton has adjusted to life with 3 legs very quickly!  He has no problem with stairs, getting in/out of the car, jumping on/off the bed, etc.  We have mostly carpeting in our home and he hasn’t had any issues getting around. 

• He is all puppy – he chews on things he isn’t supposed to, loves to steal shoes/clothes, wants to play constantly, and is very active!  He may be full grown, but he acts like a wild puppy most of the time!

• Newton LOVES car rides and sits very nicely in the back seat of our car.  He rode very nicely for the trip down to our home in IA from MN.

• Newton is a barker – he barks at people walking by our yard, barks at the noise of cars driving by the house, and sometimes wakes me up in the middle of the night barking at something outside (we haven’t figured out exactly what it is!)  He sometimes stops when we tell him “Quiet,” but it’s a work in progress.  He has a deep, loud bark, and probably wouldn’t do well in an area where neighbors would be upset with his barking.

• A family that is dedicated to obedience training.  Newton is a smart boy and is learning not to jump up on people, and other basic commands.  Obedience training would help to solidify the bond with his forever family and make him a well behaved dog!  He doesn’t know many commands right now, but we are working on training every day. 

• An active family!  Nothing slows this boy down.  Even with 3 legs, he is full of energy and can keep up with us on walks and he plays a lot in the backyard.  Newton loves kids, does great with our cats, and is very playful with other dogs.  He might be too playful for some dogs (and he doesn’t always understand when they don’t want to play). 

• Newton prefers to sleep in bed with his people, but will settle for an orthopedic dog bed next to his family’s bed. 

• Newton is fine with being crated during the day while I’m at work (mostly for us to keep him quiet and from playing with our resident Golden, Finn, while he’s been on exercise restriction from his surgery.)  He also does well baby gated into a bedroom.  Oddly enough, he hasn’t tried to jump the baby gates in our home.  He has only had 1 accident since he has been here, so I would consider him to be housebroken. It’s not uncommon for dogs to have an accident in the first few days in a new environment. 

We have quickly fallen in love with Newton and we know you will too!  If you think Newton might be a fit for your family, please contact your placement advisor today! 

Oops. Foster mom has a lot to catch Newton fans up on! I apologize for the delay in updates! Newton saw the wonderful Dr. R in mid September. At that time it was noted that he had gained a small amount of feeling back in his injured limb... not enough to avoid possible amputation... but enough to warrant giving him more time in the hopes that his nerves would heal and he would regain feeling in the leg. The plan became: place the leg in a orthopedic brace/splint and recheck again in 3 weeks. Newton did well in the splint and remained active and happy. He was not however attempting to use the leg at all. I did notice he had regained some ability to extend his leg at the shoulder, which gave me hope! Fast forward 3 weeks to our recheck with Dr. R: The examination revealed little to no change in sensation and neuro function to the leg with minimal positive signs to suggest neuro progress/healing/or return function. We were faced with a very difficult decision... amputate or allow more time to allow nerve function to return. The prognosis was not good for return function. The decision to amputate was made after a lot of thought and discussion. We feel this was the best choice for Newton. We want him to be able to move on with his life and healing. We want him to run and play and go for walks and most importantly find his forever family and begin settling in and living his life! He has already been functioning for the last 6 weeks on 3 legs, so we anticipate he will adapt very quickly post surgery. On Monday 10/13 Newton went in for his amputation surgery. He did wonderfully! I picked him up in the early evening and took him home. He was very sleepy, and on some potent pain medication so that he would rest comfortably. We settled him in on a cushy dog bed and I camped out next to him petting his sweet head. We had a bit of a rough night... he was restless and uncomfortable. However, by morning he was eating and had gone outside to do his business and he was obviously feeling good! What a trooper!! As the next few days went by it was clear that my biggest job would be to keep this happy puppy quiet during his 3 week activity restricted period! Newton says...that bum leg was just getting in my way before... watch me go! His post-op care includes pain medication, and changing the cotton padding under his Thundershirt (which he is wearing for protection/compression/comfort during his recovery). He allows me to do this with no fuss at all and his incision looks wonderful! No drainage, swelling or anything concerning. He is healing very well. When Newton first came into rescue I was only listed as his "temp" foster. He had a wonderful permanant foster offer to take him when he was medically ready to move. He was now ready... even though temp foster mom was not. Over the course of the last 2 months this sweet boy has found a place deep in my heart and it is never easy to say goodbye. I know he will be in a wonderful home with the most loving people around and he will be so happy! I'll dry my tears, laugh at the memories of all my missing shoes, and watch the rest of Newton's story with all of his other fans. Thanks Newt for loving me, trusting me and teaching me so much about strength and love. You are one incredible dog and I will never, ever forget you! Enjoy Iowa :) :)Last, but not least... THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to Newton's sponsors: Charles and Kara S! It means so much to us. Newton just gained two more angels :) He sends his love and kisses!