# Dew Claws?



## amstafflady (Dec 14, 2010)

I have lots of questions today. My girl has six toes on each hind leg. The rescue she was in said that they didn't have them removed when she was spayed because they didn't seem to bother her or cause her problems. 
I haven't noticed problems either but now that the snow is covered in a layer of ice, I worry one of them will get cut or caught. 
Is it okay to leave them there or should I call the vet?


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## k8nkane (Jul 9, 2010)

Are you talking about toes or dew claws?

Can you post a picture of it?


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## amstafflady (Dec 14, 2010)

I can try to take a picture and post it. She is super sensitive when it comes to her feet. Not sure I could get a clear pick. I can try.


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## Firestorm (Feb 2, 2011)

Depending on how old she is, the vet may not recommend removing them now. Out of all my dogs, the only one that had dew claws on her hind feet, was Bella, and the rescue had them removed when they had her spayed the week we were approved for adoption. She was about 3ish months old. She had stitches that had to be removed, but other than that, she never seemed to notice them. Looking back, with some of the other dogs ripping their off when running, I think I would opt to have them removed if I had known then, what I know now. Of course, they are all way past the puppy stage now, but torn dew claws are no fun to deal with..... neither is the obsessive licking that comes along with a torn/ripped one.


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## amstafflady (Dec 14, 2010)




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## amstafflady (Dec 14, 2010)




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## angelbaby (Feb 4, 2010)

thats weird I havent seen that before ,loki my male has rear dew claws but they sit higher on his leg that is like a 6th toe almost. Loki split his dew claw last year but it healed and didnt get infected and we havent had to mess with it much although it is still split, We are going to have it removed but the vet said he has to put him under so trying to decide what else needs to be done and get it all done at once , thinking gettin him microchipped and tattoo.
Withthat being so low to the ground I would talk to the vet and see about getting it removed looks like it could be very painful if snagged.


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## Black Rabbit (Nov 14, 2009)

I went through this same thing asking lots of questions about it when I got Marley. I was always worried that they would get caught and tear or something bad like that. Here is a pic do they look like this? These are his back feet.










They were pretty long in that pic. If your dog's are like mine you need to make sure that you trim or file the nails down because they never touch the ground and can grow into the toe over time. We haven't had any problems with Marley's. He still has them and he just turned 10 years old in September.


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## Black Rabbit (Nov 14, 2009)

LOL I see your pics now they do kinda look like Marley's feet.


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## amstafflady (Dec 14, 2010)

I have always trimmed my other dogs nails without any problems. Cerena is extremely sensitive to touching her feet. If you even slightly touch them she will get up and move away from you. When she sits by me I always try to touch her feet or hold them. It's been months now and it has not worked to de-sensitize them. 
I've taken her to the groomers for nail trims and they never seem to clip them short enough. It frustrates me because I'm paying them to do their job, but even if I ask they don't do a better job.


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## Firestorm (Feb 2, 2011)

Wow... that is weird looking. I've never seen a dog with rear dew claws (and Bella's were removed so I didn't even see those ) I would think if you were looking to show a dog, that might be considered a fault, but as a pet, not much of an issue. As an adult dog, I wouldn't think the vet would want to remove them, but different vets may look at it differently. If I adopted a pup that had dew claws, I think I would definitely have them removed, but that's just a preference for me.


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## aimee235 (Apr 29, 2007)

If they are connected to her by bone and not just skin then they are harder to remove. Most vets want you to wait until they are getting caught on something before they remove them. I would get them removed because the position they are in is more likely to get caught on something then a regular rear dew claw.

Have you tried barley touching her feet then giving her a treat. You can work up to touching them longer and longer. Some dogs are uncomfortable with feet touching because they have not had their feet handled routinely. After you get her comfortable with extended handling of her feet you could get a dremel and do her nails regularly to keep them short and smooth. Here is a link with how to information.How to Dremel Dog Nails @ DoberDawn.com


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## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

They look like they could cause a problem but if they never do then leave them. If they are connected to bone they are hard to remove in adults and could cause life long pain if removed. Again unless they are in the way or she is in pain I would leave them. Your dogs toes in the back are not like most dogs and I think that is a genetic flaw in how far back those toes are but since she is a rescue it doesn't matter  
Some dogs just do not like getting their nails cut no matter what you do. I suggest you learn how to do them yourself and just make her get them cut. I have a few difficult dogs to but I do not have time to ask them nicely, lol I have about 20 dogs to cut nails on. What I have found that helps me and the dog is to do them standing up kind of like shoeing a horse. You can straddle them between your legs so they cannot back out and pick up one paw at a time and do it that way. The other dogs who don't care I just have them lay down on their side and I can cut them all quickly the ones who put up a fight get done standing. You really have to be alpha too, if you insist on them standing still and getting the nails cut they will submit but sometimes they still are not happy about it. I am a dog trainer and when I see clients I usually end up doing the dogs nails. It is a dog who has some behavior issues big or small but will let no one cut their nails. I just put a muzzle on them and cut the nails in a matter of minutes.


LMAO I just remembered Ask Dave (redog) when I was visiting and working with his pain in the butt mastiff. I was 8 months pregnant and not going to let that dog win, I was laying on top of him (the only way I could do them) till he got his nails cut. I almost went into labor over those nails!


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## k8nkane (Jul 9, 2010)

Omg Lisa, lol. Crazy story. GIT R DONE.


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## Black Rabbit (Nov 14, 2009)

Yea her feet like quite a bit different from my Marley. His little "creepy toes" as I call them, have no bone at all attaching them. We have been fortunate to not ever have problems but I would just keep an eye on then anyways.


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## Blue_Nose_Bella (Jan 16, 2011)

I used to see alot of dew claws like that when I was a groomer. We called them hanging dew claws because they were just hanging by the skin and you could literally just ping them back and fourth like a little punching bag LOL! Sorry, I got a funny vision :hammer:. Seriously they look like what I have experienced many of times and that they are just connected to the skin. I wouldn't wait until they get ripped off by her playing or getting caught up in icey snow. I think the vets should have just removed them when they were spaying her since she was already under anestisia anyways. JMO


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## Black Rabbit (Nov 14, 2009)

Blue_Nose_Bella said:


> I used to see alot of dew claws like that when I was a groomer. We called them hanging dew claws because they were just hanging by the skin and you could literally just ping them back and fourth like a little punching bag LOL! Sorry, I got a funny vision :hammer:. Seriously they look like what I have experienced many of times and that they are just connected to the skin. I wouldn't wait until they get ripped off by her playing or getting caught up in icey snow. I think the vets should have just removed them when they were spaying her since she was already under anestisia anyways. JMO


LOLLL!!!! I've so done that. You can spin them around and watch them flip back over too. Marley doesn't seem to care at all. He even lets me grab em and file them with my emery board


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