Dew Claw help/advice please

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Comments

  • edited April 2012
    About the dewclaws......In deciding to remove declaws it might be helpful to review the following info. in weighing the decision. www.caninesports.com/DewClawExplanation.pdf

    It is my understanding if the dewclaws are well attached removal should not be done, at least on the front. I am sure there are some anomalies (like small size seen on ghost), I'd wait it see how the healing goes.

    Snf
  • Wait are we talking about front dew claws? I wouldn't remove front ones. I thought we were talking about rear dew claws.
  • I would only remove front dewclaws if they had been badly damaged beyond repair. If not? Leave them alone. But those odd "floating" rear ones... One of my dogs, Sasha, has one, and it's the oddest thing. It's hard to trim the nail on it since I can't get a good grip on it. I might have it removed if she had to have surgery for something else, since it's got no purpose whatsoever, but then again she's not a very active dog so I highly doubt she'd ever get it caught on anything and have it rip off.

    I don't do anything for flea/tick except a good combing/monkey grooming session (I don't eat the bugs, they go into alcohol) after every hike.
  • I think we are talking about unattached rear dews... the floppy ones with no internal support structure. If there is a toe involved, that's a different story.

    I have a polydactyl cat- she has 5 toes on each front foot and six on each back foot. They are all structurally sound, so not a problem. But she also grows a weird extra toenail growth on one of her pads, this I keep trimmed flush as it has no support at all and if she were to catch it on the carpet or something It could tear her skin I suppose. She is an elderly lifetime-indoor cat and doesnt actually run around much at all anymore.
  • @Calia I remember your thread about Miyu's toes! I'm interested to see if Yamato is passing on funky toes to his offspring, too. He certainly passed on clownishness... It would be nice if we catalogued these things [anomalies, health concerns] with the limited stud/dam population and most people owning a shikoku being on the forum.

    @Wryly Brindle Would she happen to be a main coon?! c: (We're looking at *maybe* getting one.)

    [Sorry for thread jacking]

    Let us know how Ghost is doing!
  • @jikjak @BradnJess - nope, Kuma does not have any rear dew claws - only front ones.
    @Wryly+Brindle - Ghost, Argos and Kuma are just over 8mo old
  • @BradnJess nope she's just a big fat old standard shorthaired shelter cat! She is a blac cat from Salem, Massachusetts though. ooo-weee-ooo!!
  • This is a little scary for me - my dog has rear dewclaws, they're not attached to bone though. They're just little flaps of skin and nail, I don't think they even have a quick. My vet wants to remove them when he's neutered, but I kind of wanted to keep them.
  • @Wryly Brindle Lol! Time to get the witch hunt on! (If my US geography is right, we are talking the same Salem?!)
    Gotta love the big, fat standard cats, too. c; I love the polydactyl look on cats. (It's probably for the best that you don't have a main coon, I'd hound you with questions if you did...)
  • edited January 2013
    How common are rear dew claws? Are certain breeds more likely to have them?

    I ask because I have a puppy from a rescue, no one seems certain of the breed. Many think some type of spitz, leaning towards some Shiba Inu him. I found his paws fascinating as I am fairly new to dog ownership and he has large paws with rear dew claws.

    Tonight I have to look closer and feel if they appear to be more flaps of skin or they seem to have bone.

    Due to being a shelter rescue he was neutered way too young in life, so I am not sure I would remove his rear dew claws unless it could be a big risk to an active sports career.

    Haven't I read somewhere the dew claws are actually best not removed because they attach to tendons and help with sharp turning?
  • Wow, I have been googling rear dew claws after posting my question and feel like an complete idiot ... seems like rear dew claws are a lot more common than I thought in lots of breeds.

    Still have lots of questions in my mind on if I should worry about them and have them removed or not considering he could potentially become active in canine sports.
  • I am afraid kilbuns are going to rip off. I'm going to have it removed when I neuter him
  • Rear dews are often not attached (just hanging by flaps of skin). Getting them removed with neuter is pretty easy (better than waiting till they rip!) I would remove them if unattached.
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