Most dogs have dewclaws on the inside of the front legs and sometimes the hind legs. The rear dewclaws usually have more muscle structure and a little more bone than the front dewclaws. Occasionally a dog will have more then one dewclaw on a leg. When there is more then one dewclaw on a leg it is called “double dewclawed.”
Dogs use the dewclaws to grip bones and other things that dogs may hold with their paws. You may come across a dog who’s dewclaws look like they are held together only by a flap of skin. When a dog’s dewclaw is only held by a flap of skin it will not work for gripping.
If you are thinking about having your dogs’ dewclaws removed via surgery, there is debate on whether they should be removed. The argument on one side is that the dewclaws are barely attached to the legs so they may snag on something and accidentally rip away, causing pain to the dog and even infection.
The other side of the argument is that the dewclaws cause extreme pain to the dog when removed. Many countries ban the removal of dewclaws. Some folks are given the exception if their dog is a hunting dog. If you choose to have your dogs’ dewclaws removed, it can be done when the puppy is only a few days old. It is best to have your dog dewclawed as a young puppy. You may have your adult dog dewclawed, if it is not illegal in your country, but there are more complications.
There are dog breeds that require the dog to be dewclawed and some are removed for safety and health reasons.
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Ewww I never heard of this surgery. I wouldn't let my dog get this surgery.
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