what is that little thing on a dogs front legs ??????????

Question

you know it looks like part of the paw padding . kinda looks like it could be a thumb. me and my family are so curious about this. also any idea how to get a dog to take his powder meds. he wont eat it in his dry food. so that is out.

Answer 1

Dew claw - take some meat cooked some sausage and stick the meds inside and give to your dog

Answer 2

If on the side of the paw and has a claw it is the dew claw, if on the front leg on the backside of the ankle, it referred to as the stopper pad the canine version of a heel used as their emergency brake to help sometimes with sudden stops or to walk down a slippery hill.

Another way to get the powder into them is to mix in a dab of peanut butter, most dogs would take willing but if not can be stuck on the roof of their mouth, and not the easiest substance for a dog to be able to spit out

Answer 3

That is his dew claw. Originally, many animals had 5 fingers or toes at the end of each leg. Over time, the smallest toe shrank and gradually moved up the leg. The same thing even happened with horses--their hooves were once just their middle toes.

As to getting him to take his meds, you might try what we do for our dog's pills. I know she would take it anyway, but we put a dollop of peanut butter on the end of a dog biscuit. You might try pushing the dose of the meds into the peanut butter. If he loves peanut butter as much as Molly does, he'll gulp it all down. And he can't separate the peanut butter from the meds very well.

Answer 4

Dew claws. Many breeders remove them shortly after a pup is born as they can get torn and bleed severely. (Sometimes this is done with nail clippers and a soldering iron to cauterize!) Your vet can also remove them at the time your dog is spayed or neutered.
For the powdered meds try mixing it with a small spoonful of canned dog food or even a little hamburger or canned tuna or cottage cheese.
There are pill pouches that you can buy but I don't know how easy it would be to get powder in them.
There is also a dog food called Bil-Jac that looks like coarsely ground beef, we use it at the doggie daycare where I work to "coat" pills for boarding dogs. Don't recommend it as a steady diet however.

Answer 5

Yes the dew claw can create problems, but it is not useless. Nature put it there for a reason.
Watch your dog when it lays and starts chewing on a bone. If it's big enough you'll see the dog uses it to help hold the bone in position along with the rest of the paw.
Yes, some people have them removed,, I don't.

Answer 6

The "thing" is a thumb. It's easily removed by the vet, and it's best to get it done. The dog can catch it on things and tear it, only causing problems. It actually useless. powder meds, roll them up in cheese. The dog should scarf it down.

Answer 7

I wondered that very thing today. Must be kind of a thumb. As for medication, can you not get whole pills? Those are VERY easy to give to a dog, ask your vet to show you. Otherwise mix it with something like minced chicken that he likes, so he can't detect it. If he only ever eats dry food, ask your vet for suggestions.

Answer 8

Dewclaws that dont really serve a purpose.
Try mixing the powder into the smallest amount of canned food possible. I say the smallest in order to not get him too hooked on it & go off his dry food.

Answer 9

Mix the powder in with a meat/chicken (not fish) quality canned cat food. Dogs love that stuff. Pills you can push into a cube of cream cheese (low fat).

Answer 10

That little thing is called a dew claw. If he won't take it in his dry food mix it in some canned food or yogart.