Dew claws: Yea or Nay?

[jenn D]

What are your views on dogs with or removed dew claws. All my doodles have their dew claws. Our vet is a believer in them and says they assist a dog when doing quick turns when running and removal can lead to arthritis or carpal issues later in life. When I had beagles, the breeder had them removed.
Curious about your thoughts. :)

[GBK]

I have one with and one without.  I would prefer to have them with.  I have also read about agility and other quick moving sports and dogs having problems with arthritis and other issues later in life. 

I love how my Buddy with the dew claws can actually hold onto my hand with the help of his dew claws.  They are definitely used, and I understand that they can tear, but I would prefer to have them natural and take care of that issue if I ever need to.

[Joanna, Zoe & Bender]

Hmmm this is interesting.  Zoe has dew claws and she's very agile and so quick!  Ben doesn't have them and he's quite clumsy & goofy LOL!  I always thought it was a hassle bc they seem to grow faster than her regular nails but I guess my mind has changed :)

[Jennifer and Lily]

Lily does not have them. She is faster and more agile than most of her doggy friends, so not having them has not slowed her down. However, I am interested in arthritis and carpal tunnel issues, I had not heard of that correlation before.

[GBK]

Here's a link to a good explanation from a Vet who deals with dogs that do canine sports.

http://www.caninesports.com/uploads/1/5/3/1/15319800/dewclawexplana...

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Charlie & Beau have dew claws.  I had not heard about the arthritis issues later in life. 

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Enzo's Breeder dew claws removed at birth. . My older Golden ripped his about off when he was younger, catching it on something in the brush. It took forever to heal and was extremely tender and painful for him. The lack of a dewclaw hasn't slowed Enzo down in the least and can corner like a " Ferrari" ;)

[Angie, Hudson and Lily]

Hudson doesn't have them, but Lily does. They are a pain to clip, but I do see how they are beneficial to her, as she uses them to help hold bones while chewing. 

[Stella]

A dogs dew claw is the equivalent of our thumb. It has it's own bones, muscles, and nerve supply. They are essential for gripping and turning quickly. I have attached a link of a great little video that also shows how essential dew claws are for a dog that falls through the ice. Removing a dogs dew claws is the same as amputating a persons thumbs. Imagine living your life without your thumbs - not much fun.

http://vimeo.com/m/39124130

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

Both of my guys have theirs and I only considered having them removed once when Murphy broke on at the quick. The Vet advised that he keep them or at least try to save the one and keep the other regardless. He does hold things very well with them. Bella has hers too, but doesnt use them to hold things like Murphy. So, Im not sure what the difference is between them tho. I just want to leave them as naturally intact as possible with the exception of spay and neuter of course.

[Julie, Eloise & Beasley]

Eloise has hers.  She definitely uses them to hold antlers and toys, which always makes me chuckle. She did tear one partially off in the carpet at someone's house a few months ago.  It wasn't terrible, thankfully, and she wasn't hurt.  I only knew it happened because I saw it laying on the carpet (and then figured out what it was). 

I learned I need to pay closer attention to hers -  they're always buried under all that fur.  When she had the tear, I think the groomer missed them because then I noticed they were way longer than normal after just being groomed.  Now I watch them more closely. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

Mine both happily have them . They definitely use them to hold things.

[Christine & Shelby]

My Shelby has hers.... Has broken one but it has grown back. I can tell she uses them quite a bit to hold chews... Rawhides, bully sticks, Nylabones, antlers, etc.