Dew Claw

[Marianne *OZZY & ZOEY]

Ozzy has two dew claws that have to be removed next week...Why do dogs have them??? and why don't they get removed when they are born??? Did anyone else have this problem??? Ozzy's have turned upside down and are growing in a "C" shape back into his leg....Poor Ozzy is going to have is front legs shaved to have the dew claws removed and the back leg for the IV. I guess I will even it out and shave the 4th so now he will look like a poodle.

[Linda and Murphy]

Good luck with the surgery. We will be thinking about Ozzy and you.

Murphy is now 95 lbs but I still worry about that other dew claw.

[Marianne *OZZY & ZOEY]

Wow that must have scared you...I am having Ozzy's removed as he is 85 lbs and runs and digs and his dew claws are growing upside down. Now for sure I would not want him to rip it off and he is almost a year.

[Linda and Murphy]

Well Murphy still has one dew claw. When he was about 4 months old, running in tall grass, he came back with blood EVERYWHERE! I had no idea what he had just done or where the blood was coming from. I finally slowed him down enough to see the dew claw barely hanging on. I wrapped him up in a towel and took him straight to the vet. She clipped it the rest of the way. He has a nub there now.
The other is still there but grows in a funny, twisted sort of way. It is hard to trim, to say the least.

[Marianne *OZZY & ZOEY]

Thanks Ann, at least I am finding out that the dew claw has a purpose...I don't believe Zoey will have this problem as she is a mini labradoodle. I will let everone know when Ozzy is done with surgery.

[Cam & Oski]

Oski still has his dew claws & hasn't had any problems. Interesting info on the pivoting advantages of dew claws--I'll need to tell that to Oski since he seems to pivot with his face mainly. My dood has NO TRACTION, LOL

Hope Ozzy does well with his surgery!

[Marianne *OZZY & ZOEY]

My vet has said that it is very common on a large dog that digs (of course that would be Ozzy) they are the ones that can have trouble. In Ozzy's case it is just the way that they grow in that is a danger to Ozzy they are all twisted and get caught on everything. I just feel bad for Happy Ozzy that he has to have surgery.

[Adina P]

A lot of breeders have them removed within the first couple weeks or so...forget exactly when. Neither of my doodles has theirs, but our Border collie Cass does have hers. They have to be trimmed like normal nails I believe--but Clark is in charge of Cass' grooming so I don't think I have ever trimmed hers myself. She does use her dew claws to gently (she is ever so careful) scratch and clean her face/head.