Benson has dew claws on his front legs and recently for no apparent reason he attacks both sides as if he is trying to remove them. On inspection there is neither injury nor infection to the claw and I am just curious as why he should be doing this particularly as it is not done on a regular basis, possibly like humans when they get bored they go to the pub? This is definitely not a case for surgical intervention but I would be interested to hear from others with similar problems. Roger
Re: Dew Claws Penny occasionally goes through a phase of nibbling her feet and toes, but not specifically her fore claws. Perhaps they're uncomfortable and he needs them trimmed?
Re: Dew Claws You say there is nothing wrong with his dew claws...but still maybe worth a check - as Lauren says, maybe they need a trim. If not though, and the claws are fine, I'd say that if he is just having a nibble from time to time and doing no harm to himself, well, it's just probably one of those things. Charlie will have a little chew at something or other most days. I think some dogs just lick, scratch and chew bits from time to time. It's just a dog thing. ;D But if he does it a lot, or starts to looks a bit "obsessive", or he is starting to make anything sore, then it might be time to look at his overall regime - enough exercise, enough mental stimulation, enough "to do" generally? To make sure he is not developing undesirable behaviour because he has too much down time. Or if he is a hugely active dog already, that there is not too much stressing him in his regime, perhaps.
Re: Dew Claws Thanks for the comments. As I understand it the dew claw is a redundant prehensile thumb which does not come into contact with the ground and in Benson's case it looks perfectly normal and the nail is not in need of a trim. He is also a very active dog (2 big walks a day) and has company 24/7 so I do not think boredom comes into it. Nevertheless, something must be causing him to vigorously pull his claws and I will mention it to the vet on his annual MOT. Roger
Re: Dew Claws [quote author=Morwenstow link=topic=9007.msg128627#msg128627 date=1417871759] As I understand it the dew claw is a redundant prehensile thumb ...[/quote] Snowie uses his dew claws to hold his meaty bones when he's eating (and also other chew things like hooves, toys, etc). I am always so interested to watch him use his "thumb" and "fingers" while eating and also how dexterous they are. When he was a puppy, someone mentioned I must ask the vet to remove them at some point. I didn't know any better then and I'm so pleased I didn't get them removed now that I see how much he uses them.
Re: Dew Claws I'd say they are itchy. Causes of that could be an allergy (like something airborne). Worth having a chat to your vet when you're in next
