Declawing a DOG?

**wolf_Q** · 09-26-2002, 11:38 PM

At work today there was a beautiful golden retriever female (looked just like Dixie!). The person who brought her in apparently had got her from a shelter, and didn't know anything about her previous owners. The poor dog had this huge scab on her nose, and her front paws were declawed! Why in the world would anyone remove the nails off of a dog? That's ridiculous! Poor dog!

Such a sweetheart too, just full of wiggles, hehe.

**Twisterdog** · 09-27-2002, 01:42 AM

I've NEVER heard of declawing a dog! I didn't know that was possible, actually. Dogs claws are firmly attached to their toe bones, as opposed to a cat's claws. I think that is just horrible!

**C.C.'s Mom** · 09-27-2002, 01:44 AM

Only thinking about it makes me cry. Poor dog.

**Presley** · 09-27-2002, 01:49 AM

People remove the claws in labs and i'm guessing maybe goldens when they are used for hunting dogs or the dog maybe going through lots of brush swamy areas where the claw maybe ripped or ripped off. Lots of time this is done when a puppy is one day old.
People fail to see a dog needs those claws. They need them for climbing... The breeder i got Presley from has been breeding for over 20 years and has never had one of her dogs claws removed.

**Dixie Belle** · 09-27-2002, 02:16 AM

OUCH!!!! I won't even have a cat declawed, never mind a dog! The poor pup.

**wolf_Q** · 09-27-2002, 02:24 AM

People remove the claws in labs and i'm guessing maybe goldens when they are used for hunting dogs or the dog maybe going through lots of brush swamy areas where the claw maybe ripped or ripped off. Lots of time this is done when a puppy is one day old.

I can see removing a dew claw for this purpose, but not the actual nails on the dogs toes! Can't they just keep the nails trimmed? lol.

I had never heard of somebody doing this before I saw that poor doggy either. I couldn't figure out why in the world they would do that! And what vet would do it? The dog looked young too! I bet she wasn't more then 2 years old.

**DoggiesAreTheBest** · 09-27-2002, 07:03 AM

Oh my! That sounds like it would hurt so much! I too didn't know it was possible to declaw a dog. I know about removing the dew claw, but not all the claws!

**Dixieland Dancer** · 09-27-2002, 09:09 AM

It is common practice to remove the dew claw but to have all of them removed is ridiculous! I would love to see a picture of a beautiful Golden girl who looks like my Dixie!!! They have something else in common if she wiggles a lot too! One of my pet names for Dixie is wiggle butt another is Happy tail. When I come home her whole rear wiggles from her wagging her tail so hard!!!

That is actually how we came up with a registered Kennel name for our Goldens. Here is the logo I created before Dixie's puppies were born.

**primabella** · 09-27-2002, 09:13 AM

that's terrible, to remove the claws! i hope it doesn't cause problems for the dog later on in life. can it?

oh, and wolf_q..i had the craziest dream last night. i was taking nebo in to my art classes for people to draw. lol. they loved him, btw

**lv4dogs** · 09-27-2002, 09:22 AM

I have never heard of anyone doing that but at the vets office we do have many dumb owners out there that do ask to have it done (they scratch the doors, dig up the garden etc..). Between our policy of not preforming total declaw on dogs and us explaining the importance of keeping them & what to do to help w/ the behavior problem, none of clients go through with the procedure.
However we have seen dogs (it is very rare but ussually in greyhounds... can't remember the name of it) but it is like a fungus/disease that kills the nails and they will fall off and bleed bad so to help we will anesthestize the dog and remove the claws to prevent further pain & injury. BUT they DO grow back. Sometimes we will have to perform the surgery multiple time and try different meds & diets but so far it all turns out good in the end!

**ramanth** · 09-27-2002, 09:34 AM

Remove a dogs nails!?!? That's so absurb.

Poor Pup.

**Presley** · 09-27-2002, 10:00 AM

OK!
I am NEVER posting again at night... IGNORE my post.. I guess i can't read that late at night for me!!!!!!!! SORRY!!! My mistake. I thought you said dewclaws ......... Sorry once again.

Anyways that is just stupid to remove a dogs claws. They do need them!!!!!!!

**wolf_Q** · 09-27-2002, 11:53 AM

Oh, that's ok Presley! Lol I think we were both confused, I was posting at around 2 a.m. and was tired also.

I wish I did have a pic of her, Candy! One of these days I'm going to bring my digital camera with me. She had the same coloring as Dixie, and a real sweetie. Lol she came out of there with red bows and her back nails painted red, along with a few places that had to be shaved because of mats. Hopefully one day she'll get her coat looking as pretty as Dixies.

I think that logo is very cute, and a great name!

oh, and wolf_q..i had the craziest dream last night. i was taking nebo in to my art classes for people to draw. lol. they loved him, btw

LOL! I guess Nebo felt like wandering around in your subconscience, eh? hehehehe. I'm glad your art class liked him, lol! I don't know how in the world they'd ever get him to hold still long enough to draw him though!