Dew claw removal

I never had my pup's dew claws removed and never have had any problems. I agree that small dogs seem to have larger ones. Just keep the nail clipped.

If dew claws are going to be removed, they need to be removed when the pup is about 3 days old. After that, I would leave them intact if the dog has them as an adult. There is a BIG CHANCE that if you keep the nails trimmed (including the dew claws) that you will never have a problem. It's about the same price to have them removed if the dog injures one as it would be to just have them removed in the first place. There are some people out there that sware that dew claws still have a purpose and some breed standards state that the dog must have them. Some of my dogs have them, and some do not. I have never had a problem, although I have known quite a few dogs that have. I do agree that if they are loose and floppy that you run more of a risk of one getting caught on something.

Gus has Dew claws on the front and they shed like cats claws do! The tip falls off before they get very long! Is this very odd? I've never heard of dogs shedding the tips of claws like cats before but there you go!

GUSTAV...I have never heard of that either. Too strange. Guess your pooch is special and low maintenance

He's definatley special!! Not so sure about the low maintenance bit though!! lol!

I hate to ask, but how do they get removed? Hunter still has a little nubby bone underneath, but no nail. So, I'm guessing it's like they do when the declaw cats? Pull the nail out and snip it off at the roots? Ouch!

Actually, declawing involves the complete removal of the first knuckle and the attached nail. I'm not sure if that's what they do with dew claws, but I assume it's at least that if not more. (Which is also why I don't declaw cats!)

Im not sure because I leave that to the owners if they want the dew claws removed or not personally like I said before if their not flimsy and dangerouse to the dogs health I leave them. It helps especially when on the trail.