Dew Claws?

I'm just curious & please forgive my ignorance.. I'm not too familiar with dew claws and I wondered why some breeders remove them and others do not.

What are the pros/cons to removing them? Or, the pros/cons of leaving them? Does your dog have their dew claws?

Thanks ~ As you can see, I'm still learning here! :wink:

 

oh you soooooooo remind me of me!! I grew up with dogs that had them removed, so I asked my vet about that on Bailey's first appointment. She pretty much told me that they are only an issue/problem on larger dogs. She said on smaller dogs (like our shihpoos) it's completely unnecessary to remove them....

 

Woohoo, Monster to the rescue! :bow_now: Thank you.. I was just talking to my husband and he wasn't quite sure either but thought they'd be fine with them.

Our breeder has not removed them and that's the way we'll keep it

 

I ditto what Monster said!!! :y_the_best:

Mickey & Tigger's breeder didn't have their dew claws removed, and there is absolutely no need to (in them)! I don't know if you know or not, so I don't want to sound like I am trying to make you feel ignorant, but the dew claws are found on the front two legs, and there is one on each leg. They are found on the inside area of the leg above the foot (in other words, they are not included in the row of nails on their paw). But, be sure to clip them as you would with all the other nails! Just wanted to let you know! :wink:

Just about a week now, and Molly and Emma are commin' home!!!

 

That makes me feel better MyBaby! And, quite honestly, I had NO idea where they were exactly! So, thank you for clearing that up So, if it's no included in the row of nails on their paw, then what exactly is the purpose of a dew claw? Is it for digging/hunting or something? Just curious

A week from today!!!!!!! :0020: \/ :0020:

 

declaws: You'll have to keep them trimed or they will grow under and into the dogs foot. we declaw all our little ones at one to three days old. My female yorkie doesnt have this done and it turns backwards toward her pad and can grow into it.

 

I have read from several sources, and talked to several vets, and they all say that dogs use their dew claws when running and they need to make a turn...in other words, for grip and maneuverability. This does NOT mean that a dog w/out dew claws can not make turns while running and not be able to maneuver well, not at all! In addition, when dogs were wild, they would do a lot of climbing and fending off, which is where the dew claws were useful as well!

The removal of dew claws started originally in working dogs. Working/Hunting dogs are often in woodsy/forest type areas which contain a lot of underbrush in which the dew claws could get caught on and tear as a result! Many breeders remove dew claws for cosmetic reasons. I don't like the idea of removing dew claws unless it is done for a specific and important reason (i.e. some hunting dogs need them removed so they don't tear when hunting in woods, somehow the nail is causing a problem and needs to be removed, etc.) The previous statement is SOLELY my opinion...not everyone agrees!

Furthermore, some breeders remove them because they fear that they might snag on something. Although, and this is somewhat subjective, I, nor my vet, hear about or see a lot of problems with front dew claws in typical house pets not used for hunting and the like.

(By the way, it is not very often that dew claws are found on the back legs, but it is a slight possibility! It's not uncommon for the back dew claws to present problems since they aren't attached as solidly as the front dew claws are. Most people will have the back ones removed for that specific reason. However, I doubt your girls will have them!)

Like all their other nails, dew claws need to clipped regularly to prevent problems. Dew claws are the same as any other nail on the dog, but located in a different area. As long as you keep them trimmed, there should be no problems with them in *most* cases!

 

Thank you very much for that explanation, MyBaby (and, congrats on acheiving 'senior member' status)! Very thorough and clear as usual!

I'll have to inspect my girls and check these dew claws out! :lol:

 

I too was going to say that dew claws do pop up on the hind legs. I always thought it was a given that the back ones be taken off. They can get snagged and pulled off. My poodle when I first got her had a front dewclaw that was completely torn out (the whole nail) the never thought it would grow back but it did. Being that she was neglected I assume her nails were long and it happened with her climbing or something. I think all back dewclaws should be removed because the dogs will climb with their hind legs and its easier for them to get hung up on.

Are you talking about front or back dewclaws?

 

Puttin ~ I was asking about front & back dew claws I wasn't very specific in my post, sorry about that :?

Thanks for explaining.. I'm anxious to get the girls and see what's what! I haven't even been able to find any pics online!

 

If its at all possible I'd get rid of the back ones. But I'm not certain if that is something that should have been done when they were days old. Like with docking tails. If you can't just remember to keep the dewclaws as short as you can.

 

Well, thank you!

Puttin is right on target there...it is pretty much common practice to remove the back dew claws (the dew claws on the back legs) since they can cause a lot of problems due to their awkward attachment to the leg (i.e. the front dew claws have a solid attachment to the leg, but the back dew claws are usually loose and floppy in their attachment).

However, the front ones I would leave alone unless they are causing problems, which most don't as long as you keep them clipped like all the other nails.

Just my two cents!