Dew Claws??
- Thread starter dachshunds4me
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It really is a personal preference. Mine is for them to not have them so I ask that my dogs don't have dewclaws or I have them taken off when I put them under for something. I certainly would leave this up to owners as I have never seen a decent vet surgeon screw up a dewclaw removal to any lasting effect.
I've had two dewclaw incidents in my history to decide that I just don't want them in my home. First one required me to have 4 stitches from being taloned by an over enthusiastic husky mix while wearing shorts. The second was when my eldest papillon Booker caught his dewclaw in his tag ring and panic ensued. I'm so glad I was home to help him before he really hurt himself. While both of these instances are freak accidents I don't see a situation where having a dewclaw really made a difference in the life of my housedogs.
Honestly if I were adopting from a rescue I wouldn't ask if I can do these things. Once that dog is at my house it's my dog, and my decision. If I need to have the vet amputate a tail due to a bad case of happy tail, broken tail, or some such other issue I'd do it, if I felt the dews needed to go I'd do that. When rescues agree to clean my house, pay for dog food, and scoop the dog poop in my yard that's when imo they get to dictate future vet care of that dog beyond the minimum the law requires.
I've had two dewclaw incidents in my history to decide that I just don't want them in my home. First one required me to have 4 stitches from being taloned by an over enthusiastic husky mix while wearing shorts. The second was when my eldest papillon Booker caught his dewclaw in his tag ring and panic ensued. I'm so glad I was home to help him before he really hurt himself. While both of these instances are freak accidents I don't see a situation where having a dewclaw really made a difference in the life of my housedogs.
Honestly if I were adopting from a rescue I wouldn't ask if I can do these things. Once that dog is at my house it's my dog, and my decision. If I need to have the vet amputate a tail due to a bad case of happy tail, broken tail, or some such other issue I'd do it, if I felt the dews needed to go I'd do that. When rescues agree to clean my house, pay for dog food, and scoop the dog poop in my yard that's when imo they get to dictate future vet care of that dog beyond the minimum the law requires.
I didn't read any of the other posts, so I'm sorry if this has been touched on, but maybe they were just casually asking if they could have them removed...? (As opposed to being like....insistant on it or something). If so, a simple "No, we'd like to leave the dew claws on at this point" would probably be a decent answer. And say they wanted to have them done in the future, why not? I don't see a big deal in having them removed, particularly if they'll already be under (say for a spay/neutuer, dental, etc). Violet has her dew claws, and so does Chloe, but I wouldn't be opposed to having them removed while they're being spayed.
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Dixie's - its been established that its a very painful amputation that could have lasting complications.
I'm a bit amused-- in our rescue we do our best to ensure dogs adopted from here get much more than "basic care required by law"...or I wouldnt be rescuing.
But to each his or her own.
Btw- dixies- it was a request to do it for appearance and "just in case" something happened. As mentioned previously those are poor reasons for removing well attached ones like this girls are.
I'm a bit amused-- in our rescue we do our best to ensure dogs adopted from here get much more than "basic care required by law"...or I wouldnt be rescuing.
But to each his or her own.
Btw- dixies- it was a request to do it for appearance and "just in case" something happened. As mentioned previously those are poor reasons for removing well attached ones like this girls are.
As for it having lasting complications, I'm sorry, I didn't read that part, as I mentioned. Just going on what I've experienced (Chloe, too, has had her dew claw stuck in her tag ring) and it seems like it'd be best for them to have them removed (not arguing against it being something that's better done as puppies, though, if it is in fact, something that can have lasting effects).
Well that is good news.
And I appreciate all the info that show preemptively removing them is a bad idea-about that, I was right
And I appreciate all the info that show preemptively removing them is a bad idea-about that, I was right
Belgians seem to be breeders preference on front dews, although the rears are removed if they are there. My dogs are about half and half with dewclaws removed or intact. In some breeds it is very rare to ever see a well bred dog with dews and with some breeds, it is rare for them to be removed. Some breeds have lots of toes, front and back. Norwegian Lundehunds have I believe 6 toes front and back. Briards, Beaucerons, Great Pyrs and PyrSheps usually have double rear dewclaws. So it really depends on the breed.
I personally have never known a dog who suffered from having them removed and I have known lots of sport dogs without dews. The Irish Setter we had when I was a kid had his dews but they should have been removed, as he ripped the nails out of both of them multiple times in his life. The rest of my dogs have not had any issues with them and probably more of my dogs have had them than not.
But who gets to decide? There are loads of cases in animal husbandry of doing something "grey" morally for the prevention of a problem which may in fact be marginally or even more so harmful for the animal. If being right is leaving the dog precisely as nature bore it (which is fine if that is your standard) then the following must be wrong all the time.
Dogs - debarking, spaying and neutering, dewclaw removal, tail docking, cropping, disarming, branding
Cats-spaying and neutering, declawing,
Goats, cows, sheep - disbudding, dehorning, castrating, ear tagging, branding
pigs - castration, teeth clipping, tail docking, ear notching
Reality is that we alter animals all the time for vanity's sake, for health reasons, for population control, behavior modification, for safety both for handler and for other animals. It's just what you feel is too far which imo is a permanent aware loss of quality of life or a likely result of lasting uncontrolled pain. The bottom line is that it should be a decision between vet and the animal's owner, not something dictated in a broad brush by a dealer or a rescue unless they do not give up ownership and financial stake of that animal.
Dogs - debarking, spaying and neutering, dewclaw removal, tail docking, cropping, disarming, branding
Cats-spaying and neutering, declawing,
Goats, cows, sheep - disbudding, dehorning, castrating, ear tagging, branding
pigs - castration, teeth clipping, tail docking, ear notching
Reality is that we alter animals all the time for vanity's sake, for health reasons, for population control, behavior modification, for safety both for handler and for other animals. It's just what you feel is too far which imo is a permanent aware loss of quality of life or a likely result of lasting uncontrolled pain. The bottom line is that it should be a decision between vet and the animal's owner, not something dictated in a broad brush by a dealer or a rescue unless they do not give up ownership and financial stake of that animal.
I am super surprised by this thread. I thought that it was normal practice for breeders to remove the dew claws while the pups were just newborns. The only one I have with dew claws is Root and they are a P.I.T.A. I always wished he didn't have them.
Now, I am wondering if my others are going to have issues from NOT having them...
Now, I am wondering if my others are going to have issues from NOT having them...
Pfft... I'd lop off all dew claws if I could.
Had one dog nearly bleed out on me on a hike on a remote trail when he tried to rip on off.
Had another dog catch a dew claw just right on the skin under my daughter's eye, managed to rip it enough that it needed stitches.
Our guys are rescues so they all have front dew claws, but I will ALWAYS remove rear ones when I speuter. Way too scary how easily they can get ripped off. A toe gets ripped off and its not near any major blood vessels, dew claws are.
Oh, and I'd also rather see rescued dogs neutered/spayed early than adopted out intact. I've never known a reputable rescue to operate otherwise.
Had one dog nearly bleed out on me on a hike on a remote trail when he tried to rip on off.
Had another dog catch a dew claw just right on the skin under my daughter's eye, managed to rip it enough that it needed stitches.
Our guys are rescues so they all have front dew claws, but I will ALWAYS remove rear ones when I speuter. Way too scary how easily they can get ripped off. A toe gets ripped off and its not near any major blood vessels, dew claws are.
Oh, and I'd also rather see rescued dogs neutered/spayed early than adopted out intact. I've never known a reputable rescue to operate otherwise.
The rescue that I adopted Fozzie from (very reputable and wide-spread across NorCal) let me wait until he was 6 months old to neuter him, with proof of pre-payment at the Vet. I pushed it to 7 months. I wish I could've waited until he was fully grown. I can spot dogs who were altered as puppies in a second, and I DO NOT like the looks of them. They almost seem infantile, stunted in some ways, and the boys squat, which is a huge pet peeve of mine. Not to mention the structural issues caused by cutting off hormones at 8 weeks.
Gonzo has no dews. Fozzie has front dews. My only issue is that they are annoying to dremel... I see dogs at my work, who come in with dews growing into their legs, and that breaks my heart. Their owners literally don't see them, and they can't really wear themselves down. I have seen some detached rear dewclaws, and have asked the owners about them and they're just clueless. Umm, you never noticed that your dog ripped her dewclaw from the tendon? And now it just hangs there? And you don't care or have sympathy for her pain? Ok.
I do feel that Fozzie's dewclaws help straighten his legs/feet and he uses them to grip. But for most breeds and most owners, I feel that dewclaws are more of a danger than anything. Not just from ripping them out, but from the owners who don't clip them or don't even notice when they rip out. I wouldn't do it at 6 months, though. I've seen late dew claw removal and it leaves ugly scars, and it just makes me uncomfortable to remove them after a dog gets used to them and it's an official amputation.
Gonzo has no dews. Fozzie has front dews. My only issue is that they are annoying to dremel... I see dogs at my work, who come in with dews growing into their legs, and that breaks my heart. Their owners literally don't see them, and they can't really wear themselves down.
I have seen some detached rear dewclaws, and have asked the owners about them and they're just clueless. Umm, you never noticed that your dog ripped her dewclaw from the tendon? And now it just hangs there? And you don't care or have sympathy for her pain? Ok. I do feel that Fozzie's dewclaws help straighten his legs/feet and he uses them to grip. But for most breeds and most owners, I feel that dewclaws are more of a danger than anything. Not just from ripping them out, but from the owners who don't clip them or don't even notice when they rip out. I wouldn't do it at 6 months, though. I've seen late dew claw removal and it leaves ugly scars, and it just makes me uncomfortable to remove them after a dog gets used to them and it's an official amputation.