How Do Dogs Benefit From Retractable Claws?
The purpose of using retractable claws in other animals and dogs differs in some ways. While other animals like cats may use claws to climb trees, scratch, etc., dogs use them for other purposes.
Only a few dog breeds have retractable claws that use them to traverse snowy regions. Their bodies have evolved with time and adapted to harsh weather conditions. These dogs use these sharp claws to their benefit, and here are some of them listed below.
Snowy and icy terrains are the hardest to ply through during winters, and even modern vehicles find it difficult to gain access to such regions. This is because the land is covered with snow, and sometimes they are intense.
However, dogs like huskies, Samoyeds, malamutes, etc., use their retractable claws to help them maintain their balance while walking on snow. Their claws protract when their body needs support while carrying goods and people around these regions.
These claws add more grip to their paws as the ground would be slippery without such abilities. The same would happen to cats if they did not have retractable claws. They would find it hard to balance their bodies and would not be able to climb trees, scratch posts, etc.
Dogs cannot use their claws as efficiently as cats, but the need arises sometimes. These claws help fend off other dangerous animals or violent humans who attack them.
However, their retractable claws are used mainly for movement and body balancing. The ability to use them for defending themselves is an added bonus.
Although Huskies, Malamutes, and Samoyeds use their teeth for hunting, they can also make minor use of their retractable claws. Once they have caught their prey, they can use their retractable claws to grab it tightly so that it will not slip away.
How to Look After Your Dog’s Retractable Claws?
It is essential to clean your dog’s retractable claws and clip them timely so that they remain in good health. You should think of their retractable claws as another crucial part of their anatomy.
If you are an owner of huskies, Malamutes, or Samoyeds, you can try following these simple steps to keep your dog’s claws in good shape.
If you do not know how to take care of a dog, you should call for professional help. You can also take the dog to the vet, where they will take care of its retractable claws without hardship.
You should trim your dog’s retractable claws at least once a week so that the dog will get used to the routine and not make any fuss in the future.
Taking a Closer Look at the Anatomy
When comparing our pets’ feet, they seem to be very similar at first glance. Both dogs and cats are digitigrade, which means that they stand and walk with the heals up and only their toes touching the surface. Both species have four toes on their back paws and five toes on their front paws, one of which being the dewclaw – the smaller, seemingly functionless toe located more towards the inside of their front legs. An x-ray will show that their feet contain metatarsal bones connecting the ankle to the toes, and all of their toes (excluding the dewclaw) contains three bones – the distal, middle, and proximal phalanges that are connected to each other by an elastic fibrous tissue called a ligament, allowing the bones to shift and rotate in certain directions.
On closer inspection, the main difference can be found with the middle phalanx, where the dog has an even symmetrical shape while the cat’s are more asymmetrical. What may seem like a minor discrepancy actually creates a major contrast in functionality; The dog can only lift its distal phalanx back so far, but when the cat relaxes its muscles, their distal phalanx can be rotated back towards the middle phalanx, and essentially be tucked or “retracted” back into the paw. It is this retractable trait that protects the cat’s nails as they walk on various surfaces, keeping their claws nice and sharp. The dog on the other hand (among most digitigrade animals outside of the cat family) will develop blunt nails since their distal phalanx cannot retract and the tips are quickly worn down by whatever surfaces their feet interact with. Did you notice you can hear your dog’s nails tap on the wood floor as he walks while your cat seems to tiptoe around without making a peep?
Now the interesting question remains, how did this difference in anatomy come to be? Let’s take a look further into our pet’s ancestors and track the evolution of their lifestyle, their environment, and of course their paws.
NOTE ON DECLAWING: Cat claws are often clipped in an effort to defend our furniture from becoming filled with holes. The claws are made up of the protein keratin and are relatively painless to have cut (as long as the root vessels and nerves are avoided). But when it comes to declawing, that’s a whole different story.
It may appear in the above that the claw’s nails are growing directly out of the distal phalanges… that’s because they do. Unlike human fingernails, which are only connected to skin tissue, cat’s nails are connected directly to the bone. When it comes to declawing a cat, the entire distal phalanx – yes, an entire bone – must be removed with the nail (otherwise it would just grow back again). This would be the equivalent of amputating the tip of a human finger up to the first knuckle. And since cats solely walk on their toes, walking on the ends of their knuckles must be quite an unpleasant and painful way to live.
How often should you do a dog’s nails to recede the quicks? | ADVICE FROM A DOG GROOMER
Most dogs do not have retractable claws. Retractable claws are only found in a few breeds originating from cold climates. Unlike cats, dogs rely on their claws for balance and stability. If the claws retracted, dogs would not dig or climb rocks as easily.
So why don’t all dogs have retractable claws? Unlike their feline friends, dogs don’t use their paws for defense or hunting. They use them in more subtle ways, like movement and grip.
To better understand why most dogs don’t have retractable claws, it will be beneficial to examine the anatomy of their claws.