![]() ![]() Dew Claw CatĬontrary to what many people believe about their cat’s claws, they do not retract completely inside a sheath or all the way into the paw. If a puppy has torn or otherwise injured the dewclaws before that time, it’s certainly worth discussing their permanent removal to prevent reinjury. If dewclaws aren’t removed in the days after birth, the next opportunity is typically at the same time as a spay or neuter. ![]() (Some breeders remove declaws themselves, but this is a task more appropriately handled by a veterinarian.) In others, it’s done to prevent possible injuries, such as being damaged while a hunting dog works through brambles. While in some breeds, the removal is thought to improve the appearance of the show ring. In many breeds - but certainly, not all - the dewclaw has traditionally been removed in the first few days of a dog’s life. They are attached to the carpus by a separate metacarpal bone, forming an actual joint with the carpus. ![]() Front dewclaws are a normal part of a dog’s anatomy. There is no valid medical reason for front dewclaw removal and even removal of well-developed rear dewclaws unless there’s a diseased dewclaw or dewclaw injury. Rear dewclaws are considered an anomaly except in a few breeds where single or double well-developed rear dewclaws are parts of the breed, such as the Briard or Great Pyrenees. Rear dewclaws: Some dogs are born with 1, 2, or even double dewclaws on the rear legs.Front dewclaws: All dogs are born with a dewclaw on each front leg.When a dog has extra dewclaws in addition to the usual one on each front leg, the dog is said to be double dewclaws. Additionally, this will save dog owners money on office visit charges at the veterinarian.At least one of these dewclaws will be poorly connected to the leg, and in this case, it is often surgically removed. This can be helpful for both owners and dogs: Owners will only need to plan their schedule around one vet visit and one recovery period, and dogs will only need to undergo anxiety of a vet visit and pain with recovery during one short period. This means the dog will only be under anesthesia once, and only one recovery period and veterinarian visit will be necessary. In many cases, veterinarians can recommend dew claw removal at the same time a dog is spayed or neutered. While it is a simple procedure, owners should not attempt dew claw removal on their own, as complications can occur and proper precautions should be taken.ĭog owners should plan on being with their dog during the recovery period, as dogs often will not stop licking the removal site. These dogs are said to have double dew claws.ĭepending on the age of the dog, removing a dew claw is a simple procedure that may even be able to be done with only a local anesthetic, meaning the dog is not under total anesthesia and is only numbed at the removal site.Ī dew claw should only be removed by a licensed veterinarian in an office setting. Some dogs have two extra claws growing from the back of one or multiple legs. This type of dew claw is more likely to present a problem and in most cases will need to be surgically removed. Some dew claws are not connected properly to the leg and may be loose or floppy. In dogs where the dew claws never make contact with the ground, dew claws need to be trimmed, as they will not be worn down by ground contact like regular claws. ![]() They do not make contact with the ground when the dog is standing, though they make may contact with the ground when the dog is running. They are usually on the back of the leg and appear more often on front legs than back legs. To download and print this information, please click here.ĭew claws are claws on a dog that grow farther up the leg than regular claws. ![]()
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