The Dreaded Dewclaw

This overzealous reenactment shows how a
dewclaw can be snagged in tall weeds during play.

My dog has snagged both her dewclaws (the oddly placed claw that sits rather high up on a dog’s front legs and is probably evolving into a thumb so she can more easily grasp a beer for me out of the fridge).  A dog rarely has these claws on her hind legs, and if he does he may get teased and bullied at the dog park because he has polydactyly.  The whole 5 clawed arrangement on the back legs is called hind-limb-specific preaxial polydactyly.  Rolls off the tongue.

I took my dog (we shall refer to her as “her own poop breath” to protect her identity.  OK no, her name is Molly.  Molly the doodie snacker) to the vet because she snagged her dewclaw.  It bled and she cried.  I do not want to hear that crying again as it made my mommy instincts curl up into a ball of horror.  I asked if it would be best to just have them removed.  My vet, Dr. Jennifer Kistler, said she sees these injuries very frequently, but the removal of the front dewclaws is essentially major surgery.  Since my vet is awesomeness in a lab coat, that was enough for me, but for you guys I will throw in another expert.

According to Dr. M. Christine Zinc, a consultant on canine sports medicine, designer of

Yin and yang: A sister to rest with always makes
the healing process more enjoyable.

rehabilitation and conditioning programs for canine athletes and an award winning author, in her article “Do the Dew (claws),” this accident prone little digit is attached by five tendons.  The muscles attached to these tendons atrophy if they are not used, causing trouble for the dog like carpal arthritis and joint injuries, which are much more trouble than a dewclaw injury.

When a dog runs, this little claw does in fact hit the ground and helps with turning. 

Without the claw the leg twists and injuries develop.  Dealing with a snagged dewclaw injury is much better for the dog than the removal of that surprisingly important toe.

If your dog happens to have dewclaws on his hind-legs are your troubles doubled?  No indeed.  Your freaky little dog’s back dewclaws are not made the same way as the front and basically are held on with skin only.  Some dogs even have more than one little claw back there, all huddled together like a bunch of tiny bananas hanging from a hairy banana tree.

Damaged dewclaw.

Molly now has two little nubbins where a hard nail should be.  They look like worm segments hanging out of the torn remains of a chitinous cave.  Thank goodness my special poop eater wasn't about to participate in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.  They are a little tender but Dr. Kistler says the nails will grow back, perhaps slightly oddly shaped, but a girl who eats her own poo isn't very vain.

At the end of the day the reason her nails snagged was because I allowed them to grow too long.  The dewclaw is relatively easy to overlook, but when it grows into a macaroni shaped C or worse: a tight curl snagging at rug fibers, tall grass, blankets and dog bed threads, you are asking for trouble and the dog’s the one who feels it.  It’s going to take some work but I think she’ll forgive me.  I learned this lesson about dewclaws the hard way.

-Kiki Nusbaumer

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

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dewclaw