Broken Dew Claw..need some advice please

[Kim @ Flying H Farms]

Hey, yall. Rose was playing frisbee today and I don't know when she did it, but she bent back or broke her dew claw. It was bleeding for a little while and it stopped. But now it feels 'loose' and you can tell it's sore, because she doesn't want me messing with it.

what should I do? Will it come off by itself or is this a vet issue?

Thanks for your help!!

[Miztiki]

Is it the front or back dew claw?

 

I'm not sure but I know I had Boy's back one removed at the time of neutering because it was very loose and I didn't want it to catch on anything and rip off.

 

Many back dew claws are not attached to the foot by a bone, so it may have always been loose and you just never noticed it before.

 

I doubt it would come off by itself, at least not safely, unless you are talking about the nail only.

 

Infection would be my main concern. Otherwise it will probably heal on its own. If she were my dog, I would see how she is in a couple/few days and go from there. If it looked at all infected, or if she came down with a fever, or if I suspected further injuries to her foot (beyond the dew claw) then I would bring her in. Otherwise I would wait a couple/few days.

 

I hope she heals quickly!

[Black Watch Debatable]

Was the skin torn where it connects to the leg, or are you talking about the nail?

 

I am not a vet (and of course I haven't seen Rose's dewclaw), but when my Piper tore one of her dewclaws (the skin, not the nail), it healed fine on its own. To protect it while it's healing (if Rose is going to be running and jumping) you can use a wristband as kind of a dewclaw guard.

 

If it's the nail and it's dangling and at risk of catching on stuff, it might be best for you (or the vet) to trim it.

[juliepoudrier]

Kim,

Do a Quick search in "dewclaws." This subject was just discussed within the past couple of weeks (I started the thread) and AK Dog Doc posted some specific advice to Christine's question about a broken dewclaw on her dog.

 

J.

[AK dog doc]

Kim, your description sounds like a torn nail (at least so I thought on reading it). In such an injury, the horn of the nail is torn loose from the quick (fully, or, as I suspect in your case, partly), and the elevated portion wiggles or feels loose. If so, touching the torn nail will tug or press on the exposed quick, which hurts, so that's why she doesn't want you to mess with it. Every time the torn nail brushes against anything, in fact, it'll hurt, so it may even produce lameness. This is not an uncommon injury (although it's not that common on a dew claw) and the vast majority heal without complications. The torn nail needs to be cut back (carefully) or pulled. In my experience, it's far easier for the vet to properly trim it than for most owners to do so (and you should NOT attempt to pull the nail, regardless), but it's not a "rush her in right now" situation - tomorrow is fine. If she will tolerate you putting a little Neosporin on the surface that's fine, but she may just lick it off; that won't hurt her (use the original recipe Neosporin, not the pain-control kind), but if she licks it right off it won't help, either. Do NOT try to disinfect it with alcohol or peroxide. Wrap the foot until you see the vet if you need to, to keep it from snagging on things, but if she's leaving it alone and isn't lame, that's not required (and in some cases, depending on the individual dog and injury, will actually annoy the dog enough that it's better left alone). See your vet on Monday for a full assessment; he or she will tell you if a wrap needs to be kept in place after treatment and while the dog is healing.

 

(After writing this reply I see that Julie posted that we'd gone over it before, which we have... I couldn't find the thread when I did the search, though...)

[Kim @ Flying H Farms]

Thanks yall. It is the front right dew claw. It does wiggle and feels loose at the base. I felt of her 'good one' and it's tight like it should be. That way I know what I am 'looking for'. I will check her when I get home this afternoon and see how it is. Thanks again yall are great!!! I'll keep you updated.

[juliepoudrier]

Here'sthe original thread, though it's probably not needed anymore.

 

http://www.bordercollie.org/cgi-bin/ultima...ic;f=4;t=001495

 

J.

[Peg Haese]

Speaking of dewclaws, do many working-bred BCs have rear ones? One of our seven pups had rear ones which were removed when she was a couple of days old. I was afraid they'd get injured out in the field. She eventually went to a pet home.

 

Peg Haese and BCs in SW Wisconsin

PNP Katahdins and commercial wool flock

[Kim @ Flying H Farms]

Wow! went back and read that thread (thanks! Julie) that makes a BIG difference now. We are going to our FIRST field trial Sunday (just to watch) and I was holding off the surgery because it would take 7 to 10 days for recovery (not getting wet, dirty, etc.) so we decided to wait and see if it bothers her. I had no idea it was a TOE..so far she's fine with it. I will wrap it though just to keep her from re-injuring it. Yall are the best...THANK YOU!!