leahluvsherpups Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 My foster, Alex, is going in to the vet tonight to have his rear dew claws removed tomorrow. What will I expect post surgery? I know they'll tell me tonight but I would like to plan ahead on what to expect. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prosperia Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 I have had two of my dog's dew claws removed, and I didnt have any problems. They never messed with the stiches or anything. It didnt really seem to affect them at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoku's mum Posted June 8, 2006 Report Share Posted June 8, 2006 Hoku just had his done yesterday. When we first got him from the shelter, our Vet recommended waiting to remove them (very long and loose, looked like he had thumbs!) as she is conservative about putting dogs under. Her feeling was at some point he would need to go under for something else and we could do it then. Well, while he was out for the foxtail up his nose she took them off. He has bandages on his ankles which need to stay dry (ekk!!! swimming is a daily thing for him). He came home with a cone, but I just can't stand the poor me look on his face, so we have it off and are monitoring him. He has not bothered the bandages, but we will probably use the cone at night (we did last night and he was not happy about it, but he is so agreeable and trusting that he was OK). He was wobbly last night, but it's full steam ahead today, and he just didnt understand why we didnt go play in the pond after our AM walk.... Gonna be a long week... Kristin and Hoku too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leahluvsherpups Posted June 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2006 Thanks guys. It's been almost a week now. I cant keep a cone on him all day because I'm not there to monitor him. We have him isolated but he's been chewing his bandages off. Thank dog he's not messing with the stitches. As for keeping them dry, I'm using IV bags converted into booties. It's always wet here, what a drag that is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Posted June 8, 2006 Report Share Posted June 8, 2006 Just curious but what reasons would you had dew claws removed for? I've heard of it being done, but never knew the reasoning behind it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK dog doc Posted June 8, 2006 Report Share Posted June 8, 2006 Rear dews are often loose and floppy (not articulated with the foot the way front dews are) and can get caught on things (especially in a working dog in rough terrain). Also, since they don't wear against the ground, the nails get quite long and need extra attention. Moreover, the rear dews are not useful toes and so there's no need to keep them, particularly since they can cause problems. Front dews, OTOH, are a useful toe and I generally don't advise removing them unless 1) there's something abnormal about them, 2) the dog is going to be bootied consistently for work (as in sled dogs), or 3) in the rare case where the dog is worked in terrain so rough that even a front dews will get injured. In a normal dog, the front dew engages the ground when the dog is turning at speed and will stabilize the foot in that situation; this decreases the risk of dislocation of the other toes. Hence, if possible I keep the front dews and lose the rear ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Posted June 9, 2006 Report Share Posted June 9, 2006 Thanx for the explanation AKDD. Makes sense now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted June 9, 2006 Report Share Posted June 9, 2006 Thanks, AKDD, for the explanation. I have nothing but anecdotal info but I wouldn't remove front dewclaws unless necessary. It is obvious from the wear my dogs put on those nails that they are useful for something pertaining to traction, particularly when changing directions. I wouldn't be the least surprised if they don't offer some degree of protection to the adjacent areas of the front leg. Again, simply my opinion. Since I haven't had rear dewclaws on any of my dogs, it's been a non-issue for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pipedream Farm Posted June 9, 2006 Report Share Posted June 9, 2006 Duncan had a rear dew claw removed when he was neutered. In his case though, it wasn't even a fully formed dew claw. It was simply a very small nail not much thicker than a few hairs and there was no actual toe at all. It was only on one back leg. For him, it was just a simple stitch job. Renee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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