What are dew claws on a dog? and why do people get them removed from their dogs?

Question

It's not something that I would put my dogs through. just want to know what they are and why some people have their dogs dew claws removed?
Your answers a greatly apreciated

Answer 1

I have a Pyr.....Pyr's have double dew claws in the back. It's an AKC Breed spec.


I read in the case of a Pyr the double dews acted like a snowshoe (extra traction). This breed is from the snowy mountains of France, their job is to guard the flock. I never knew what to think of that....it sounds far fetched but yet it kinda makes sense.

My Pyr has been the only dog I ever had with back dews. None of my other breeds have them. I never thought to ask my breeders if they removed them.

I would say, if you aren't having a problem with them (getting caught on things....which has happened with my Pry, but hers are HUGE....and there was major blood shed!) and your dog is an adult. Leave them on. "If it isn't broken don't fix it".

Answer 2

You have already received the answer to "what" above. It is an extra digit that can appear on any or all of the four paws.

I personally do not believe in performing cosmetic surgery on dogs. However, if I were a breeder I would have dew claws removed from the puppies as the healing time is very quick and they can be troublesome.

Please note that I have owned and known MANY dogs over my lifetime and many of them have had their dew claws in tact. The reason I would have them removed from newborn puppies is that I had a poodle that had his and one got snagged in an afghan on my mothers bed. He jumped off the bed and ripped his dew claw approximately 1 inch. It was excruciatingly painful for him but luckily easy for the vet to correct.

My current 3 dogs all have their dew claws, because I received them with dew claws in tact. The healing time in an older dog is longer than in a puppy. However, if any of them had 'floppy' dew claws I would have them removed when they were in for teeth cleanings.

I hope this helps.

Answer 3

The dew claw is an unusable residual "toe" that harkens back to the dogs' primitive ancestors. It's been bred out of a lot of dogs, but still shows up consistently.

Most vets recommend removing them because if you have a dog that spends a lot of time outside, sucrrying through bushes, or digging around fences, the claws can become caught on the underbrush or fencing and then can get torn off -- causing the dog a lot of pain and extra injury.

It doesn't hurt the dog to remove these appendages. The surgery is simple, and done under anesthesia. If it's done at the same time the dog is spayed/neutered this minor claw surgery is often done either at a reduced cost or for free.

Answer 4

All working dogs usually have their dew claws removed at 48 hours old. This is done so the dog won't rip or snag it on something in the field (i.e. hunting, tracking, rescue, sled pulling, etc.). It is not necessary for an everyday house pet, but the dew claw is functionally useless to all modern dogs so it never hurts to take the precaution. Done early enough it is a relatively painless and simple procedure.

Answer 5

They are the extra claw up the side of the dog's front legs. They don't usually grow on the back legs but when they do, they will get snagged on things as the dog moves around and rip. Obviously this is really painful and so breeders will check the puppy and remove them at birth.
When a dog is for working, they will often remove the front paw dew claw for the same reason.

Answer 6

Contrary to Tom B's answer, dew claws do not harm the dog. Dew claws are sort of like an appendix in humans; it used to serve a function, but due to Man's development, it does no longer. The same holds true for dew claws. Unless advised by a vet, I recommend leaving the dew claws alone.

Answer 7

The dew claws are at the back of the legs and some dogs get them caught on things this is why people remove them

Answer 8

Dew claws are redundant in dogs. They were used for hanging on to objects when in the wild. It is advisable to have them removed as a pup because later on they could cause problems if they get caught and come away from the skin. The blood vessels run close to the claw and can cause quite a lot of bleeding.

Answer 9

They are a carry over from their Wolf ancestry, aiding the animal to maintain a grip on prey animals, like when you seen those nature programmes of Lions bringing down Gnu's etc with their body weight. Because the claws are so flexible and designed to latch on they are easily twisted and torn living the way dogs do nowadays, especially if they get caught on clothing etc. My Springer Spaniel has a fair sized set but have'nt had a problem in 8years, he's been trained not to jump up however so maybe thats why? If sharp, carefully using a nail file to round them off a bit could be the answer.....

Answer 10

dewclaws are situated on the back of the legs its an extra toe/nail like our appendix it onced served a purpose but is now just something that is just there...as long as it is treated by cutting the nail there is no need to remove it.. the nail can grow into the leg and be very painful for the dog but normal grooming will stop this happening ...a dew claw is removed on a puppy a few days old after that it is not advisable as it is quite an operation and cause the dog to go into shock ....just keep them clipped short like you would any other nail....