Southern Territory Pups
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Dew Claws
Dew or NOT to Dew ... That is the question.
Dogs almost always have dewclaws on the inside of the front legs and occasionally also on the hind legs.
For certain dog breeds a dewclaw is considered a necessity, e.g. a Beauceron for sheep herding and for navigating snowy terrain. As such, there is some debate about whether a dewclaw helps dogs to gain traction when they run because in some dogs, the dewclaw makes contact when they are running and the nail on the dewclaw often wears down in the same way that the nails on their other toes do from contact with the ground. In many dogs the dewclaws never contact the ground. In this case, the dewclaw's nail never wears away, and it is often trimmed to maintain it at a safe length.
The dewclaws are not dead appendages. They can be used to lightly grip bones and other items that dogs hold with the paws.
Info. from: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dewclaw#cite_note-Penn-2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dewclaw
Based on stop-action photographs, veterinarian M. Christine Zink of Johns Hopkins University believes that the entire front foot, including the dewclaws, contacts the ground while running. During running, the dewclaw digs into the ground preventing twisting or torque on the rest of the leg. Several tendons connect the front dewclaw to muscles in the lower leg, further demonstrating the front dewclaws' functionality. There are indications that dogs without dewclaws have more foot injuries and are more prone to arthritis. Zink recommends "for working dogs it is best for the dewclaws not to be amputated. If the dewclaw does suffer a traumatic injury, the problem can be dealt with at that time, including amputation if needed.
Here is a Link so You can read the report of M. Christine Zink DVM, PhD related to her research concerning Dew Claws.
https://www.secrethavenkennel.com/resources/DewClawExplanation.pdf
There is never one answer that fits "All" because "all" do not live in the same circumstances or conditions. However, based upon the information discussed here We do NOT have dew claws removed from our puppies. ***IF an individual wants dew claws removed from a puppy they are adopting, puppy is paid for in full and Buyer agrees to pay for expenses related to dew claw removal we will consider doing so. Remember it is best done w/in first week.
***ATTENTION***
***IT IS ALWAYS RECOMMENDED THAT INDIVIDUALS SEEK ADVICE FROM THEIR OWN VETERINARIAN PRIOR TO MAKING ANY DECISIONS ***
***IT IS ALWAYS RECOMMENDED THAT INDIVIDUALS SEEK ADVICE FROM THEIR OWN VETERINARIAN PRIOR TO MAKING ANY DECISIONS ***
The information contained here is what we have read concerning the topic of Dew Claws and it is what We have based Our decision upon. We are NOT licensed in the medical field and cannot guarantee its accuracies.