How late can you remove dew claws
They can remove dew claws at any age, however, in most cases they are removed when the dog is young. This is because the dog is small and won’t bite their feet, nor do they require as much care as a big dog.
As with everything, I would check with your local vet before removing a dog’s dew claw and getting their professional opinion on the problem.
Depending on the dog’s age and the issue with the claw itself, it can range from one week to longer. Older dogs will require more care and more recovery time than very young dogs.
The cost for removing the dew claw is fairly cheap, only $30-$70, but it requires an exam that is sometimes included in the removal’s cost. Some breeders will do their own dew claw removal, I highly recommend you seek a vet’s advice before doing anything like this.
The price will also vary depending on how many dew claws you are removing off your pit bull.
Is Dog Dewclaw Removal Necessary or Safe?
“Traditionally, some dog breeders have opted to have their puppies declaws removed a few days after birth. This was intended to prevent future injuries to the dewclaws and to uphold breed standards,” says Jenna Stregowski, RVT, Daily Paws Pet Health and Behavior Editor.
However, dewclaw injuries are not extremely common in pet dogs; they more often occur in working dogs who get their dewclaws caught while running through rough terrain, she explains. “There is typically no medical need for puppies to have their dewclaws removed. In fact, dewclaws serve a purpose: they help stabilize the carpal (wrist) joint when a dog puts pressure on the front paws and can provide extra traction on some surfaces.”
Dewclaw removal in puppies is relatively simple because the bones have not fully developed and the dewclaw can be easily snipped off by a veterinarian. “Although this is painful and unnecessary for the puppy, it is fast and heals quickly. Adult dewclaw removal requires surgical amputation under general anesthesia. This is because the vet must carefully detach bone, nerve, muscle, and blood vessels,” Stregowski says. “Recovery is longer too—dogs require exercise restriction and usually need to wear an e-collar.”
Adult-dog dewclaw removal is rare, Marks adds. “We do it when its the only option we have left—if theres a permanent injury, tumor, fracture, or infection that wont heal.”
Dogs are more likely to injure a dewclaw than another toe. Thats because dewclaws often become overgrown. And sometimes, back dewclaws arent firmly attached and dangle loosely. That makes dewclaws prone to getting caught on things and breaking as your pooch pulls away.
Broken dewclaws bleed if the quick—tissue in the center of the nail that includes a blood vessel—is exposed. This can also happen if you trim too far down the nail. To stop the bleeding, Marks recommends using cornstarch. Its a crude hemostatic agent, which means itll temporarily stop bleeding. Its a good idea to keep some on hand at home and in the car, if you take your dog out and about. If your dogs nail is fractured or the bleeding continues, see a veterinarian.
Like the other toes on your dogs paw, dewclaws may also develop ingrown nails and nail-bed infections. Besides injury, Marks says another cause of dewclaw infection is when dogs excessively lick their paws—like those with allergies or anxiety. Signs of infection include a change in color, swelling, and odor. Treatment for an infected dewclaw requires antibiotics, bandaging, and usually an e-collar to keep your pup from licking the site.
To prevent injuries, its important to treat dewclaws the same as your dogs other nails. In fact, says Marks, you should monitor and trim them more often. “The rest of the nails get worn down by going for walks on cement and playing at the park. But the dewclaw never touches the ground so it quickly becomes overgrown.” With proper maintenance though, dewclaws arent usually a problem.
What Do Rear Dewclaws Look Like?
Unlike front dewclaws which are fully formed fifth toes with bone, rear dewclaws come in various forms and often lack bone.
The commonest type of rear dewclaw is just a fleshy protuberance with a claw at the end. Even in breeds bred to have one or two rear dewclaws, they often appear this way. The toe may stick out at an odd angle from the leg.
In other dogs, the rear dewclaws are fully articulated toes. They have jointed bones inside and sit tightly against the leg. In this case, the toe is fully developed and must be close to the type of rear dewclaw the earliest dogs had.
Border Collie/Bernese cross puppy with double rear dewclaws.
Unlike front dewclaws which are important for stabilising the wrist joint, rear dewclaws do not appear to have a functional purpose. People sometimes think it is best to have them removed to prevent injury. However, injuries to rear dewclaws are not as common as people fear, and in some breeds, rear dewclaws are a requirement of the breed standard and should not be removed.
Rear dewclaws that stick out from the foot and are not articulated by bone can be at risk of catching and being injured. If these are not removed when the dog is a puppy (always by a veterinarian) then it may be an option to have them removed when another surgical procedure is being carried out, such as when the dog is spayed or neutered. Consideration should be made to the necessity of this removal, as this will require a general anaesthetic which can carry risks of its own.
Rear dewclaws that are an actual bony toe and sit flush to the foot are a more complicated matter since they are effectively a true toe with nerves running through them. It is not fully understood if removing such a toe could lead to similar issues that occur from removing front dewclaws, including the withering of the nerves that were in the toe.
Usually, these types of rear dewclaw are so solid and near to the foot that they cause no problem for the dogs well-being, and once again consideration must be taken as to whether putting a dog through an operation to remove claws that cause no issue is really necessary.
Many vets now prefer to leave dewclaws (rear and front) alone and only advise removing them if they are severely injured.
When debating your dogs rear dewclaws and whether they should be removed, consider that some breeds are expected to have single or double rear dewclaws and they do not suffer problems because of them.
Pyrenean Mountain Dogs are one breed that should have double rear dewclaws.
Why Do Dogs Have Dew Claws? | Answered by a Vet Tech
While some breeders remove them from puppies, for most dogs, dewclaws — those thumb-like “toes” on the sides of your dog’s front legs — actually do serve a purpose. This is what I told a reader who asked about them.
Q: Why do dogs have dewclaws? I’m talking to a breeder about a puppy, and she says the dewclaws will be removed. Is it better to remove them or keep them?
A: Dewclaws are small thumb-like appendages that, if a dog has them, are found high on the inside of each paw (on the carpal, or wrist, of the front leg). Certain breeds are distinctive for having double dewclaws on each hind leg. They include the Beauceron, briard, great Pyrenees and Icelandic sheepdog.
The dewclaws are often referred to as vestigial appendages, meaning they no longer serve a purpose, but many dog owners would beg to differ on that subject. Dogs haven’t taken to texting yet (give them time), but they use their dewclaws to grasp and manipulate items such as bones and toys, grip ice or other surfaces to pull themselves out of water, and gently scratch an itchy eye. Dogs doing agility may grasp the sides of the teeter with their dewclaws to steady themselves. And canine speedsters such as whippets and border collies use their dewclaws to corner like race cars.
Now some breeders remove the dewclaws because they don’t see any use for them, and because it can be a painful, bloody mess if your dog tears his dewclaw. Dewclaws that stick out, instead of being tight to the paw, can get caught in carpeting or brush or when dogs go after prey such as lizards in rock piles. Usually the dewclaws are removed when puppies are only a few days old. While painful, it’s not an especially traumatic event, as it would be later in life.
For dogs that do the dew, it’s important to trim the claws regularly to help prevent tearing and the possibility of the dewclaw growing into the footpad.