Rear dew claws removed from an adult dog ? Nell has dew claws on both back legs . The nails were so curled round when she came to us, that they were in danger of embedding into the skin , thankfully she let us clip them , we have taken a little more off each week and now they are reasonably short . When she had her Vet check last week , it was mentioned that they could be removed when she has her spay, now beginning of June . Thing is , I know that on a dog such as Sam , who goes crashing through the undergrowth , rear dews can get ripped or even torn off, but due to her hearing issues, it is highly unlikely that Nell will ever enjoy the freedom to charge through undergrowth, plus she is so tiny that she probably couldn't charge through the rough . I do understand that the rear ones are usually only held on by gristle , so the theory is that they should be relatively easy to remove, but I cant bear the thought of her legs being bandaged for something I have chosen to do to her, it seems barbaric . Just wondering if anyone else had faced this with an adult dog, thanks x
We have a little rescue as well who has dew claws on her back legs. Hers are intact and we haven't had any issues. She goes off lead into the woods and fields and so on but is quite agile and dainty and like Nell not likely to be crashing through undergrowth anytime soon As she says, she's far too dignified for such behaviour!! My Lab thinks she's being boring...
Thank you @SilverFalcon That's put my mind at ease ! I reckon Sam thinks Nell is a bit boring too, at times x
I confess to not knowing that dogs even had back dew claws I have just looked at Hattie & Charlie and they don't, do only some breeds have them? x
I think its quite uncommon for dogs to have rear dew claws, the front ones are a proper toe but the back ones are often just a nuisance , and serve little purpose I believe . I don't think breed is a factor Helen , most breeders will have back ones removed when pups are very tiny . I`ve decided not to have them removed, keeping the nail clipped as short as possible should help and they don't seem to bother her at all .
There's a breed from France called beaucoran/beauceron Can't remember the spelling they have multiple back dew claws weirdest thing ever. There's also a cliff climbing puffin/ seabird hunting dog with extra back dew claws but i cant remember its name. I know i need to get out more
Definitely Beauceron. Also Spanish Mastiffs, of which I've seen gobs in the last few months, have completely nutty multiple dewclaws - just a hallmark of the breed like the neck waddle. A lot of times it's the most noticeable thing in the mixes. Toby's Black Beast, Tigre the Lab/Mastin cross, pretty much looks giant-Lab-shaped except if you look at his brindle coat and the massive dewclaw situation he has on his back legs. Then you think, "Yep, that's a Mastin alright!".
Years and years ago I had a little Collie/spaniel who had rear leg dew claws. The nails, as you say, used to grow and curl around and would of punctured the skin if not clipped regularly. Our vet at the time advised they be removed when she was spayed which is what happened, from what I can remember she had a couple of stitches on both legs which healed fine. It certainly wasn't anywhere near as major an op as when my Lab had a front dew claw removed.
