![]() Should you be worried? Is this an emergency, or can you wait to see your veterinarian tomorrow? Here’s what you need to know about the parts of a dog’s nail and what to do about your dog’s bleeding or broken nails. After cleaning away the blood, you can see that your dog’s toenail looks broken, and there’s a good amount of blood. It is the dreaded Sunday afternoon scenario-you’re playing fetch with your dog, and suddenly they come back limping. Dewclaws may need more frequent trims and, without attention and care, can easily become overgrown.The following content may contain Chewy links. PetMD is operated by Chewy. But for most pets, regular nail trims are needed to keep their nails at a healthy length-especially for dewclaws, which aren’t in contact with the ground as frequently as the other nails. Extremely active dogs may wear down their nails-including their dewclaws-to the point where trims are not necessary. When it comes to maintenance, dewclaws are no different from your dog’s other nails. They can remove damaged nails or trim ingrown ones (under sedation, if necessary), and prescribe any needed antibiotics and pain relievers. Any nail can become partially or completely pulled off, broken, split, infected, or ingrown (if not properly trimmed).īecause most nail injuries are extremely painful and prone to infection (think of all the places your dog’s feet have been!), it’s usually best to have them quickly assessed by a veterinarian. While dewclaw injuries are relatively rare, they certainly do occur. Keep in mind that removing the dewclaws in some breeds, like Great Pyrenees, disqualifies them from the show ring. When breeders elect to do so, they should have this procedure performed by a veterinarian when their puppies are under 5 days old and only after the area has been numbed with a local anesthetic. Some dog breeds routinely have their front dewclaws removed to “improve” their appearance in the show ring. Typically, the procedure is scheduled at the same time the dog is being spayed or neutered. But the actual incidence of these problems is quite low, too, so the value of these surgeries is up for debate. Veterinarians will sometimes recommend removing loosely attached double or rear dewclaws to prevent injury. But these problems occur so infrequently that removing healthy front dewclaws as a preventative measure makes little sense. In rare cases, a dog’s dewclaw may be severely injured or develop a disease (such as a cancerous tumor) and removal under those circumstances would be in the dog’s best interests. Should Dewclaws Be Removed?īecause front dewclaws serve several important purposes, they should not be removed unless there is a very good reason to do so. The usefulness of dewclaws that are only attached by skin is less clear. Some dogs also use their dewclaws to help them climb trees or hold objects to better chew on them. At high speeds (especially when turning) or on slippery surfaces, these dewclaws provide extra traction and help stabilize the carpal (wrist) joint. When dogs run, their front feet often bend to the point where their dewclaws contact the ground. Do Dewclaws Have a Purpose?Ī dewclaw that’s attached by bone to a dog’s front foot has a definite purpose. Rear and double dewclaws tend to only be attached by skin and are much more mobile. You’ll be able to wiggle the dewclaw a little bit (mostly in a forward and backward motion), but you can feel the bones and ligaments that connect it to the leg. In general, if your dog has a single front dewclaw, it will be. The dewclaw is the “thumb.” The same is true for the canine hind foot with the dewclaw, if it’s present, being the “big toe.”Īn important distinction to make is whether or not the dewclaws are firmly attached to a dog’s foot. Looking at a dog’s front foot, the toes that are in contact with the ground while standing correspond to our pinky, ring finger, middle finger, and index finger. They are not directly equivalent to the human structures, of course, but they are similar. But what, exactly, is a dewclaw, and is it a problem? What Are Dewclaws?ĭewclaws are essentially the thumbs and big toes of the dog world. That extra nail on the upper, inner part of a dog’s foot is the dewclaw.ĭid you come up with a different total? Have no fear, some dogs have dewclaws on their rear feet or even double dewclaws. ![]() How many toenails do you see? Most dogs have four nails on each rear foot and five on their front feet.
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