Dew Claw Removal - wouldl you ask for it??

[RandomMess]

Ddog is vet phobic following several visits when she has hurt her dew claw.

Months of weekly socialisation at the Vets where ddog will go into the nurses room and eat treats, and tolerate being stoked by nurse with tail tucked under

She has hurt her dew claw yet again, she will be traumatised having it attended to (soil and pee herself again no doubt). How horrific would it be to her if I insist they knock her out and remove it completely and will the insurance cover it????

She gets very agitated if we try and touch her claws when she is happy and relaxed at home, if I get the clippers out she is crying and whimpering before even getting near enough to cut - she is really that terrified.

I'm going to go against the consensus and say that I think it's a bad idea. Dew claws have a function and they help with steering and braking. Removing them as an adult may also mean damaging the bases of tendons which could potentially cause lameness or gait issues in later life.

If it were my dog, I'd keep them cut as short as possible (consider using a dremel rather than cutters, if she doesn't like having them cut) and think about a wrap for offlead adventures - there are lots commercially available as used by agility and flyball people.

My puppy had all 4 of hers removed and it was fine. She used to catch them on everything

AngelRosie - having them done as a puppy is a very different procedure.

Scuttlebutter - last time the vet tried to clip she soiled herself, 4 months later of weekly visits to the vets she is still terrified of the nurse stroking her - full on trembling. Ddog won't even let me touch her dew claws at home when chilling out together.

However I didn't know these wrap things existed - am off to google!!!!

Waiting for the vets to open this morning, she'll need to be sedated this time as it as right angles from the inside the pad, when the other side was like that she had to be but at least it's not grown back quickly and I do wonder if the nail bed has been damaged as I think that is from 6-8 months ago.

excellent suggestion about wraps.

Hope that 'under circumstances' vet would take a humane view of helping avert future sufering.

A "reputable vet" will listen to your story, have sympathy for you and your dog, and make a plan to remove the poor battered dewclaw/ vestigial digit with minimum stress and discomfort, probably using sedation given before you arrive but with the procedure being done under full GA, depending on how developed the digit is.

Wraps are ordered and it will be many many months before she has much of a dew claw on either paw that could get caught! Hopefully be then wrap wearing will be the norm and no surgery required.

At least she only pee'd over the nurse this time, it was already broken at quick so they managed without sedation. She has felt very sorry for herself all weekend but I'm hoping to avoid future digit removal as it does seem pretty barbaric if it can be avoided!