Front Dew Claws...

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Postby motiveworks » April 3rd, 2009, 4:04 pm

We are not into cropping anything, ears, tails, etc...

was just wondering.... Ice is 9 weeks old and has his front dew claws (this is how we got him) - is there any reason / or need to have these removed?

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Postby Marinepits » April 3rd, 2009, 4:11 pm

The only reason to get them removed at this point is if he continuously snags them on things and injures himself. Just keep the claws neatly trimmed. :wink:

If you do have to get them removed, it can be a fairly painful and involved process in an older dog.

All five of mine have their dew claws and none have serious problems with them. Every once in a while, one of the dogs will snap off a claw and it will bleed like crazy and be tender for some time, but generally they're fine.
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Postby SisMorphine » April 3rd, 2009, 4:13 pm

Every dog I've owned has had fully attached front dew claws and I've never had any problems. In fact my dogs use their front dew claws to hold things, to scratch their faces, etc.
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Postby motiveworks » April 3rd, 2009, 4:36 pm

Thanks so much for the info.

Our 2 other dogs do not have dew claws... so the input is helpful! :)

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Postby maberi » April 3rd, 2009, 4:38 pm

SisMorphine wrote: In fact my dogs use their front dew claws to hold things, to scratch their faces, etc.


I thought I had discovered the reason for these things myself!! My guys are constantly using these to scratch their faces (usually after enjoying a nice marrow bone) :wink:
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Postby Marinepits » April 3rd, 2009, 5:22 pm

The dew claws are also VERY handy for ripping e-collars off their heads! :lol3:
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Postby mnp13 » April 3rd, 2009, 5:31 pm

How are they attached? If they are just flopping then they are far more likely to get torn off. If they are fully attached bone it's different.
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Postby Dog_Shrink » April 3rd, 2009, 6:38 pm

They're not all floppy. Many are attached and functional. "Poorly" bred dogs have been said to have the dew claw bred to be a vestigal (unneeded) digit, but as in many such as great pyrs the double dew claws are actually little individual bony appendages that they use often.

Here is a x-ray skeletal pic of a dog's legs.

Image

You can clearly see in image B and C that the dew claw is indeed an attached bony digit.
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Postby call2arms » April 3rd, 2009, 7:14 pm

Front dewclaws usually not a problem, Beaucerons have double dewclaw a as a breed feature and they live with it. I wouldn't worry about it, unless like said previously they catch everywhere and hurt and cause problems.

My dog's front dewclaws have been there for a long time and have yet to cause a problem, and they are useful, nothing better than a dewclaw to scratch an itchy eye. She's pretty precise with it.
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