# Dew Claws - Trying to decide if to remove them in my newly born litter



## Amichelk (Feb 11, 2020)

Hello! My Female Standard just had her first litter yesterday (yay!) and everything has been going great. Prior to the puppies being born I decided to keep tails as I personally feel it is just for cosmetic reasons to remove and un necessary. I read up a lot on dew claws and also decided that of all the dogs I’ve owned most have dew claws and I’ve never had an issue with them. So I was not going to remove them either. However now people are contacting me about the poodles and it seems people are turned off about the dew claws. Most are fine with the tails not being docked. I was not expecting dew claws to be a deciding factor on someone purchasing one. I’ve read that they help dogs and then I’ve read that they cause issues like getting ripped off and are more harm than good. Anyone have experience with this? Doesn’t help that I watched a YouTube video of someone ripping them off so I feel bad getting it done to the pups. Thank you!


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Congrats on the babies and good to hear everything is well.

I've read the same reasons for and against. I can only offer personal experience. I previously owned two mini littermate sisters. A almost 2 years old Noel's dew claws were not present when we took them home with us, Holly had one still. I don't know if it grew back (I think I've read that that can happen) but it was never an issue.

My current two boys, mini littermates, did not have their dewclaws removed, So far, never been an issue. They're now 2 years 9months.

Glad to hear you kept the tails long. I and many others are happy for this trend and hope it continues. I'm sure you know, but jic, your time is quite limited to get them removed without too much trauma for the babies. If the choice were mine to make, I'd leave them.

Hope they are found by wonderful new families when the time comes!


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

If done by a vet I would think it’s not major when they’re very little.

One of my dog has them and I truly hate It. They serve no purpose and they’re hard to clip.

(please do your presentation in the appropriate section).


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Hi Dechi,

You might know that I've been diving a lot lately into the history of the early years here at PF, and I got the impression from some old threads with posts by Todd, the founder, that this is probably the best (sub)forum for this question, and probably what he intended since it's related to the immediate care after whelping.

If you're thinking of the Members Intro, I don't think most of the new members are aware it's there because of VS . 

Rose


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## Vita (Sep 23, 2017)

*Yes, this is the right subforum for this kind of question. It covers all things technical related to planning, mating, breeding, whelping, and care of infant puppies and the dam.*

*****

Tail docking and dew claw removal, when performed, is done in the first five days of life by a vet or an experienced breeder. If you have never done a dewclaw removal of infants, I encourage you leave it to a vet. If you had a vet who did prenatal care, most will charge one basic price for the litter, rather than by the puppy. 

Now, you said you have potential owners who want the tail not to be docked, but do not want the dew claws. Dechi is right that clipping the dew claw nails is a chore. 

Also, many hunters and police dogs have these removed in puppies to be used to avoid them being torn or injured.


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## Newport (Jul 16, 2014)

Put me down as another person who dislikes clipping dewclaw nails. However, I also think it’s a very questionable practice to be chopping bits off of living creatures for our own convenience and sense of fashion.

Is there anything to the stories of dogs injuring their own eyes with dewclaws accidentally?


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

For performance sports people generally prefer the dewclaws be left intact as it gives dogs better traction, and it is a common belief that removal of the dewclaws causes some nerve degeneration or muscle atrophy (I forget which) of the associated areas that can make them more prone to some injuries. But I do not think it is a major concern. I viewed it as a plus if my pup came with his dewclaws, but it would not have been a deciding factor for me.

I do see how it somewhat complicates grooming of the paws. Whenever I brush I have to take care not to brush against the dewclaw digit. I do not find clipping them to be difficult though. Misha did break one of his dewclaw nails when he was younger, but it was just the base of the nail that was broken and it healed and grew out fine.

I do wonder if potential buyers understand what a dewclaw is. I find many people think you're talking about rear dewclaws. Many dogs have front dewclaws intact, so I don't think most would see it as something weird if they know what you're talking about. Maybe explain what they are and your reasoning more thoroughly.

I don't think it's necessarily a bad decision to remove them, but I also think you're justified if you want to keep them.


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## Dogs4Life (May 27, 2018)

Newport said:


> However, I also think it’s a very questionable practice to be chopping bits off of living creatures for our own convenience and sense of fashion.


I am not a fan of dew claws, as they are hard to clip, but Newport, I am in complete agreement with this. Well put.

My dog did have an issue with one of her dew claws getting caught on something (she ended up being fine), but it was my own fault for not keeping them short enough. Keeping dew claws at a safe length should be just part of the normal grooming process, in my opinion.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

I applaud keeping the full tail. I'm still not sure about dew claws.
Snarky ripped a dewclaw as an adult dog. He had gotten excited about something and was doing zoomies on the stairs. Being a klutz, he then fell down the stairs and caught the claw on the way down. The claw tendon sheared a small piece of bone off the leg as it pulled away.
It was a hassle and a pain all around. Of course, he did it on a Saturday, so I couldn't get him into our vet for two days. I had been planning to go on vacation that week. That trip got cancelled; I didn't want to dump the post surgery wound care on the friend who was going to dog sit. Of course I was out the airfare for the cancelled trip. Then I had to keep him on a leash and keep his leg dry for two weeks. It rained. (Why wouldn't it? Sigh.) So I had to walk him with a plastic bag on his leg. It was a really frustrating couple weeks.

What I don't know is whether Snarky's experience was a really rare incident or something more common. None of my friends have had it happen. Without knowing, I haven't decided if it's worth surgically removing all dewclaw to prevent some accidents. People sometimes shut their car doors on their dog's tail. I'm not going to advocate docking dog tails just because a few owners and dogs are klutzes.


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## rkj__ (Dec 24, 2017)

As a buyer, I was not put off by the fact that the breeder did not remove any parts from their dogs. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Starvt (Nov 5, 2019)

I agree with Raindrops that there might be some confusion between front and rear dewclaws. Hind dewclaws are often not well attached and therefore more prone to trauma. It's so much easier to have them removed as neonates than when they are older (often done when getting fixed). The front dewclaws are well attached, and as you have read they help support the carpus against twisting force- especially helpful in a bouncy poodle imo! 
Trimming the dewclaws is the same as the rest of the nails and would just be done at the same time.
As far as injuries, I would not say that I see more injuries to dewclaws than any other foot/nail in the vet practice where I work.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Rose n Poos said:


> You might know that I've been diving a lot lately into the history of the early years here at PF, and I got the impression from some old threads with posts by Todd, the founder, that this is probably the best (sub)forum for this question, and probably what he intended since it's related to the immediate care after whelping.


Hello Rose, not sure I follow your thinking here, I was only saying the OP should post an introductory message in the appropriate section, because I noticed it was her first post.

I guess we don’t ask members to do this here. It’s kind of odd, new members just dive into questions and we don’t even know who they are.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Dechi said:


> It’s kind of odd, new members just dive into questions and we don’t even know who they are.


I know. It's too bad we don't get to meet and welcome so many new members anymore.


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