Dew claws - probably revisited

[Guest esbabb]

Hi,

I've just looked up dew claws in the archives so I know this topic has been covered. But we have an appointment for Kent to have his rear dew claws removed in a week and I feel very nervous about it.

He's 2 years old. His rear dew claws are very loose, hanging by a thread! Not quite but they definitely don't seem solid.

He has some wild romps in the brush with his brother Jaye (who has no dew claws).

I guess we are having them removed because we worry that he'll tear one off with his wild romps. Or this winter with hard crusted snow. He hasn't really experienced New England winters; only Kentucky winters.

What is everyone's opinion? What's the worse that could happen if he does not have them removed?I am going to call the vet this week to ask some questions, mostly about post op.

If we didn't have to do this, I don't want to.

I know it's just a day thing. His poor brother is going to miss him so! They've never been separated!

Thanks!

[trailrider]

Although I`ve heard stories of problems, my dogs run in snow, through gullies, in the swampy, fallen log areas, dog sled in ice and snow, and run through the pasture with the sheep. Never had a problem with the dogs that had dew claws. Some conformation breeds remove all of them to mave a "smoother look"

[Tassie]

My dogs haven't had rear dew claws, but my previous Kelpie/BC mix bitch had trouble a couple times with a front dew claw - both times she caught it on something, and it was sticking out at right angles, and seemed pretty sore. The first time I took her to the vet and he just snipped it off under local - he wasn't removing it. The second time we didn't visit the vet, because Jess 'fixed' it herself - just bit through the claw!

 

You could try emailing Mandie in Queensland, Australia - mandiefurniss is her user name. She just had her Bindi's rear dew claws removed a month ago. I can't find her original post about this, but there's one on 09-27 and one on 10-03.

 

I know what you mean about them not being separated. My two are only 7 weeks difference in age, and I even had them desexed on the same day!

 

P.S. Mandie's posts are on the General BC discussion board.

 

 

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Barb

 

 

[This message has been edited by Tassie (edited 10-16-2002).]

[Danni]

One of my dogs has double dew claws on his hinds legs - being a Pyrenean sheepdog, this is normal. They are also quite "loose". He is seven and a half years old and (touch wood) in all of that time of him charging through the woods, etc. he has never had any problems. I am not saying that there is no risk not having them removed, but for me, the reason I did not have them removed was quite simply that until recently I did not know that was an option - I certainly won't bother now. My vet never suggested it either. Sorry I probably haven't been much help to you.

Danni

France

[chicken]

I have a dog with front and rear dew claws that seem to be hanging by a thread also. He's never had a problem and he has 40 acres to romp in and he's always climbing on things and under things to hunt. I have 3 other dogs with front dew claws, one has never hurt them. My border collie always gets them hurt on things, but they heal back to normal. My lab sliced both his clean off somehow, it hurt him for about 2 days, but they're gone now.

 

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[Guest PairDogx1.5]

On one of my dogs, the dew claws were gone before I got her. I'm sure there are other pros & cons, but one thing I like about them not being there is that those are the most difficult nails for me to trim correctly on my other dogs that have them. I just can't get a good angle. And I think it's the nail that can hook on things and cause problems.

[Guest rtphokie]

I had 2 of the 4 rear declaws removed from my BC mix when she was spayed. they just removed the one on each leg that was loose (not attached to bone) and left the other on each leg that was tight (attached to bone).

Only problem I had is she chewed her suture out on one and had to go back and get a staple put in.

If the dew claws are loose, it's a very simple procedure.

 

Laura

Raleigh, NC

[Guest esbabb]

Thanks everyone.

We're going ahead with it. I guess the most telling argument for that I got was when they get ripped off in the heat of the movement, it can be pretty messy and an emergency like situation. I guess we're doing this to prevent such a situation.

They are very loose so it doesn't seem like it will be surgically a big deal.

Now to deal with Jaye while Kent is gone! They haven't been separated before.

Again thanks from a nervous mom.

[Guest esbabb]

Update:

Kent had his dew claws removed yesterday.

Of course it is raining hard today so we need to keep the little booties on. But we're feeling a little smug that right now he shows no interest in licking his feet or anything. Of course when the healing itching process begins....

The vet said because they were so loose the recovery time will be shorter than usual. We're bringing him in on Tuesday late to see if the bandages can be removed.