Due Claws [SP?]

[Kfamr]

Honey has her Due claws still..... and they don't seem to bother her... and i never really knew dogs had them [Simba has is removed guess?] But the vet said it would be 300 dollars to remove Honey's.

Now... here's my question... Is it healthier for the dog to have them, or not? Or does it make a difference? Thanks in advance.

[Cookiebaker]

I would love to hear the general consensus(sp?) on this also. Our trainer mentioned briefly (when talking about swimming) that if we still had the dew claws that we have to make sure to keep them short, else it is easy for them to catch & rip out. That makes my stomach flop just to think about it! But are there other pros & cons on this issue?? Thanks!

[Logan]

This procedure is usally done in the early days of the puppy's life, Kayann. I think it would be terribly painful to do it later. I have one with, and one without. Lilly's breeder was a little more professional and had it done when the puppies were a couple of days old, I think. Honey still has hers and we have had no problems. I think it is especially important when you have a dog that is going through lots of brush (a hunting dog perhaps) or a search and rescue dog that might be digging through debris. Otherwise, I think they're fine to have them.

My two cents worth!

Logan

[Karen]

All my dogs still had their dew claws, and were fine with them. I never knew, until Pet Talk, that anybody got them removed! My Sheba doggie of childhood was a digger, but just for practical purposes - every summer she's dig herself a cave under the back stairs, and she never tore her dew claws ...

[wolf_Q]

Does she have dew claws in the front and back? Nebo still has them, in the front. As long as you keep them trimmed like the rest of the nails it should be fine. I didn't even know dogs had back dew claws until I became a groomer. I've seen some dogs with pretty badly curled ones too. Sydney had like one claw in the back. It was really odd...only on one leg, and there was no toe or anything...just a nail.....

[manda99]

Originally posted by wolf_Q
I didn't even know dogs had back dew claws until I became a groomer.

I must have missed it... You got the groomers job, Wolf Q? yay!

[Uabassoon]

I've had dogs all my life and I also didn't know until recently that people got them removed. Missy has hers and it doesn't seem to bother or affect her in any way.

[AdoreMyDogs]

KayAnn, some dogs are born with them, and some dogs are born without. The breeders to purebred pups will often take the 3-7 day old puppies to the vet to have their dew claws removed. They usually get their tails docked at the same time, if it's that type of breed.

There are front and rear dewclaws. The rear dewclaws are the ones that most often get torn and injured. Sometimes the dewclaws (especially in the rear) are not attached to bone. They have a little nail and a blood vessel that keeps the nail growing, and a tiny little pad, but the whole dewclaw is not attached to bone. Kersey had rear dewclaws that just flopped around. Whenever she took a step, the rear dewclaws just sort of jiggled around. They were not attached to bone so the surgery was easy and relatively painless. I had hers removed because I had big plans of agility for Kersey, and rear dewclaws could get ripped and torn on some of the agility equipment. Also, they flopped around and it just didn't look good to me. She does have front dewclaws, as does Graham, as did my yellow labbie, Beener, and I have never had a problem with front ones.

When the dewclaw is attached to bone, removing it is similar to amputating a finger. It is extremely painful for the dog. If the vet is charging $300 (which is an aweful lot) then chances are Honey's dewclaws are attached to bone and it is a more extensive and painful surgery. If that's the case, I would absolutely not do it.

Give Honey a kiss for me, please

[Dixieland Dancer]

Dew claws can be removed from day one to day 5 usually without any problems in new born pups. After day 5 though when the bone starts to harden it becomes more difficult and may require stitches. Before that though it is just a mushy piece that can be tweezed or plucked out.

If your pup is not having problems then leave them alone. having the surgically removed at this point is costly and could introduce a spot to have problems such as bacterial infections, etc.

[anna_66]

Angus & Roxey's were removed when we got them, but Keisha still had hers & so does Huney. We never have (or had) any problems with them, as long as they were kept trimmed.

[lv4dogs]

Yes, the dew claws are normally removed within the first week of a pups life. There are a few breeds (can't remember which ones) that require to keep them for show reasons. The rear dewclaws pose more of a problem as they stick out further and are not as atatched. If you do a lot of work with your dog or go hiking it is best to have especially the rear ones removed. They can rip very easily from brush and whatnot. If an emergency problem occurs it will be even more expensive to treat! If your dog still has them after a week old it is easier & cheaper to have them removed when you spay/neuter the dog as it will already be under anesthesia and what not. Sojme people have problems with them healing but it is ussualy because they are not taken care of properly. From what I have seen working at vet offices you must follow the directions on proper care: You MUST keep the area VERY DRY and do not let the dog lick or chew at the bandages. Also check with your vet as most will reccomend you keep the bandages on for only a few days, (most problems are caused by keeping the bandages on until the sutures come out) If the bandage becomes wet from outside or the dog licking you must remove the bandages and sometmes apply new clean dry ones (depending on how long they have already been on). That is the biggest problem moisture!

[turner]

Both Deisel and Phoebe have the back dewclaws removed. They still have the front ones...I keep them trimmed very well. Deisel had his removed at 4mths (I think it was) when we had him fixed. You wouldn't have even noticed except for the bandages on his feet that he had them removed. Didn't phase him at all.