Dog Grooming Hints

While many people feel that removing dew claws from newly born puppies is cruel, the trouble they can cause if left on is much more painful for the dog than most people think. I have bred Show dogs for over 40 years, and always have my puppies Dewclaws removed by my Veterinarian at three days of age. At most the puppy will give a little whimper, and within a minute is back safely with “mum”.

Many breeds are bred for a reason, Gun-dogs to Point or Retrieve, usually in rough scrub land. Some Terrier Breeds are bred for flushing game out of their lair in the ground, as are some of the Hound Breeds. If these dogs have not had their Dewclaws removed, the can rip them to the point where the are only just hanging on by a tiny bit of flesh.

Think how painful it is if you accidentally remove a hang nail and it touches the quick of the nail. Agonizing, isn’t it? Well multiply that pain by ten, and be aware that the poor dog may have to suffer for as long as it takes to reach a Veterinarian. The Dog then has to undergo an Anesthetic, followed by surgical removal of the offending appendage, it has to be stitched, necessitating a further trip to the Veterinarian to have the Stitches removed. Painful for the dog, painful for the owners Bank Balance. After all this has been done, if the owner wishes to continue hunting, there are three more chances for a similar accident to occur. Bearing this in mind, surely it is easier to remove the Dewclaws at birth.

On another point, having run a Dog Grooming Salon for ten years, I could not even begin to count the number of dogs that have come in with their nails more like talons than nails. Seeing this would make my heart sink, because, while it is relatively easy to shorten the nails, what many people do not realize is, that when Dewclaws are neglected, the grow in a circular pattern, eventually piercing the flesh on the dog’s leg, and that causes the dog so much pain while it is extracted from the flesh so it can be cut back. During the many years of evolution, dewclaws have basically become redundant, and I can see no point in leaving them on a dog, considering the accidents that can , an often does, happen to them.