Torn dew claw

[Keegan's Mom]

I know I have seen this topic in the past but can't find much on a search.

 

Keegan tore his left front dew claw this evening while we were walking/playing in the snow. I noticed it when we got home and he was licking it while I was making dinner.

 

I called the vet and she said to wait until tomorrow to see if their office is open (it is snowy/icy here and everything shuts down).

 

I guess I'm worried that he will be fussy when they look at it to clip it. She said they may have to sedate him because he is wiggly and fussy.

 

My question is two fold...how much will this hurt until tomorrow and how much could this cost? I just want to be prepared for how much it could cost so that I'm not shocked if it is a lot.

 

Thanks in advance.

[AK dog doc]

It the claw is just hanging by a thread, they may be able to pop it off without sedation. Naturally I can't quote you for another clinic's prices, but at our clinic it would probably cost under $200 if anesthesia is needed - less if it isn't.

 

As for the pain factor - it mostly tends to bug them if the claw is dangling and gets tweaked by anything - if the claw is torn off completely, the quick is raw and tender, but not extremely painful. But if it's hanging, anything that moves it tugs at the quick, which is apparently more painful than just the raw quick being exposed. But it's probably on the order of magnitude of having an open cut on your finger, not on the order of having a broken bone. So, ouchy, but not dreadful. But of course we can't ask them, so this is speculation.

[Keegan's Mom]

Thanks. I'm going to try to get him in there today but the roads are still covered with ice. I read somewhere that they may be able to do a local anesthetic (sp?). I wonder if that would take off the edge?

 

Let's hope the roads clear up, I think it bothers me more than him.

[Spike's Bitch]

Spike did the same thing a few months back, playing football; he bit the broken part off himself while I was calling the vet. I suspect that it isn't that big a deal for the dog unless it gets snagged on things!

 

Liz & Spike xxx

[Eileen Stein]

Just like Spike, every dog I've had this happen to has bitten it off within a day or so. Bet Keegan does that before you can get him to the vet.

[Keegan's Mom]

I actually took him to the vet and it only cost $5. He let the vet snip it off. The vet said that he was growing a new nail underneath and that it probably wasn't tender because the old nail was trying to sloth off.

 

Tells you how much I have to learn about dogs!!!!!

 

Thanks everyone. And he was a good little boy at the vet for his "nail trim" as he is usually fussy when it comes to clipping nails.

[Cholla1]

Every morning for several years now any dog I have get's brushed, ears and teeth cleaned and toenails, even dewclaws if they have them, filed with two or three swipes.

That takes all of three or four minutes, nails stay nice and short, dogs don't mind that handling of feet and no more nail cutting day.

 

People should at least try it for a few weeks when they get a new dog so as to help it lean to be handled.

 

Try it and your dog may learn not to be fussy about his nail trimming.