i know you love my numpty questions :) .. Dew claws?

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MrVelvet

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to get them removed or not? the little rescue Lola came from have just contacted me saying the remaining of the litter are having them removed and so Lola can go too? surely if it was important they would be done when she was younger? I know injuries can occur when they brush and catch the other leg with them, but also if Im correct, don't they neeed them for grip ??
 
How old is Lola? If the dew claw is nice and tight to the leg I would be inclined to leave them alone,they are normally removed during a neuter if they look problematic.
My boy had his removed when he was castrated (the vet didnt ask he just did it!) His were nice and neat and had residual bony attachments so did not flop, they took a lot longer to heal than the castration wound alone and I was not best pleased!
Unless they are posing a problem it is really personal choice.
 
without working it out shes around 13 weeks. Im looking now, and you cant even really see it unless u press the leg so it sticks out. Ive heard they take ages to heal and can be quite painful thats why I'm not keen on her having them removed unless they are going to be detrimental to her :)

Asif they just removed them without consent! by the time Lola will be getting spayed she will be too old for them removing (Ive also heard the op gets worse as they get older?) so I thought Id make sure I was doing the right thing now :)
 
A vet said to me that " you wouldn't take a baby to a doctor and ask for their thumbs to be taken off" but having said that, I had my bitches dew claws removed after she caught one on a fence and tore it up her leg. I think that if they are tight to the leg they should be ok but working dogs and loonies are a bit more problematic. Gundogs going through fences etc.
 
Are you talking about front or back dew claws? GSDs have their back dew claws (if they have them) removed at a couple of days old but the fronts are left. I have never had any problem with them catching or tearing them.
I think back dew claws do seem to catch more, they don't seem to lie against the leg in the same way. I imagine at 13 weeks it is still a bigger op than at 2 days, needing GA etc so if they are not causing a problem I think I would be inclined to leave them.
 
Is Lola the lurcher? If so, she's speedy and will be more susceptible to catching the dew running through undergrowth. Two of mine had them removed when born(ish). My other two have one front left on. Ivy ripped hers off in its entirety a month ago. Ruby has been ok with hers, but it is bloody ugly. My first whippet had his removed when we got him at three. It was a straightforward removal and we had no prblems.:)
 
If you want to wait you could always have them off when she is neutered. It's a very minor op, I personally dont like them left on, esp as BS suggests, as lurchers are terrible for repeatidly ripping them half off:) and thats when the mess/hastle begins.
 
CAYLA said:
If you want to wait you could always have them off when she is neutered. It's a very minor op, I personally dont like them left on, esp as BS suggests, as lurchers are terrible for repeatidly ripping them half off:) and thats when the mess/hastle begins.
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OK I wasn't planning on having her neutered this year! infact Iv been told to wait until she is mature? But I suppose if they become a nuisance I can have them removed in the meantime.... Or perhaps I could invent some speedicut/brushing boots?? :D
 
Personally I'd say if she has back ones and those are the ones we're talking about then I'd have them removed at some stage as back dew claws do seem to be very prone to getting caught on things. If they're just fronts then I'd leave them for now and wait and see, if they do end up causing problems or end up sticking out at such an angle they are likely to then they can always get taken off when she's spayed. A lot of dogs go through life with front dew claws and have no problems (inc my hair-brained Cavi who used to do a fair bit of tearing about like a loony in her younger days). You will have to watch for them becoming overgrown if you do keep them on as they don't get worn down like her other claws when walking so they'll need the odd trim.
 
with my smooth coated lurchers I chose to have them taken off as they had a habit of catching them and boy do they bleed and refuse to heal when that happens. With my rough coated lurcher I have them left on, she never seems to catch herself, I think it is something to do with the hair protecting them. One of mine had to have hers off when she managed to go outside and come back in with a trail of blood following her, I had to bandage the foot and put it in a plastic bag in order to get to the vets without flooding the car with blood. Vets sedated her and removed both dew claws to prevent future damage.
 
I have nine lurchers and have all my dogs dew's off at a couple of days old, We have one bitch Ruby who still has them and she is forever catching them when she is racing or working, she has ripped one clean out but now we have to vet wrap her legs if she is running.

Def have them off!!
 
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