![]() ![]() Per the orthopedic specialist I took my first one to, the best thing to do with a partially dislocated or avulsed nail is to grab it and pull it all the way off while immediately while the dog is pumping out plenty of his own endorphins. Also, anytime they even touch the nail it hurts! The nail grows back crooked and can cause arthritis at the first joint of the toe. Partial avulsions BTW are rarely treated appropriately by regular vets who like to cut them back. To be fair to dewclaws, I’ve also had a few avulsions of regular nails. I do have a couple of toy fox which have had their dewclaws off and don’t seem to miss them. ![]() They tend to keep their legs upright and drop their chest to turn and pivot at a run so there’s little wear on dew claws which I grind about once a week.īoth dewclaw injuries occurred when they were after lizards or other small prey amongst rock piles or the piled up trees we had to clear a few years ago. It just prevents a dog from tearing off a vestigal digit while doing its work, playing, or just being a dog.Ĭurrently I have bulldogs, which because I breed for health and athleticism, (and OFA, PennHIP, CHIC and CERF ) get out and about and in loads more trouble than the average spud with fur people usually think of. *I should point out here that, contrary to what folklore says, removing dewclaws does not make a dog immune to snake venom. They hang loosely to the sides of the legs and jiggle when the dog walks. I don’t know whether this is the reason or if he feels that this is an unnecessary medical procedure.īut hind dewclaws on any breed that doesn’t have to have them really should have them removed. My vet talks people out of removing dewclaws on the front legs. I know of any good studies to suggest that this is the case. There is some anecdotal evidence that dewclaw removal causes carpal arthritis. It’s unlikely that the puppy will have any lasting damage to the dog. This happens when the puppy’s neurological system is quite primitive. Dewclaw removal hurts the puppy for a few minutes and maybe is sore for a few days afterword. Well, I don’t remove dewclaws, but some people do. The reason why people don’t remove dewclaws is something like this “You’re chopping off the dog’s fingers!” If you ever have a dog that pulls a dewclaw, which I haven’t, it is a very bloody mess. The practice is actually becoming less and less common, not because the risk of damaging dewclaws has been reduced. So not all “working dogs” have their dewclaws removed. ![]() ![]() The most famous Briard is “Buck” from Married… with Children. But the two have similar conformation and both have the double dewclaws on the hind legs. Its closest relative is the Briard, which looks very little like it on the surface. This breed has always had a requirement for the double dewclaw on the hind legs. However, it is probably related to the German shepherd, descending from the old European herding dog landrace, and it is an ancestor of the Dobermann (I spelll it with two n’s because Herr Dobermann spelled it that way!) It is derived from the Chien de Plain of northern France that herding sheep and guarded farms. The photo above is of a Beauceron, which looks something like a Dobermann crossed with German Shepherd. However, there are certain breeds– the Briard, the Beauceron and the Great Pyrenees come to mine– that have a requirement for double dewclaws on the hind legs. The vestigal digit hasn’t developed so strongly that they have a really well-developed bone with a lot of blood supply. It’s really not that big a deal with a neonatal whelp. These dewclaws are similarly easily torn. Dewclaws on the hind legs are very easily torn, and some dogs have large dewclaws on the front legs that don’t lie close to the leg. Dewclaws are often removed from neonatal puppies in the first few days of life. ![]()
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