# does your golden have dew claws?



## sophiesadiehannah's mom

yes my goldens have their dew claws, vet tech said it would be like removing their thumbs, never could figure that one out, but i trim them with the rest of their nails.


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## foreveramber

my breeder had jakes removed when he was a little tiny boy. i can feel where they were though.

and i actually just thought that maybe he has issues with his front paws being touched because of his dew claws being removed, maybe he had a traumatic experience....hmmmmm...


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## TheHooch

Yeppers all mine have them.


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## Ardeagold

Yes...all of ours have them.


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## carrie

(Question: Do "dew claws" mean the extra-nail on the front legs?)
Carrie has dew claws on the front legs.
I know about dogs that have dew claws on their back legs-that's strange- the dogs that live on the street have them.:uhoh:


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## AquaClaraCanines

Rarely, if ever, will a Golden have rear ones. Beaucerons, Briards, Great Pyrs, and other breeds have rear declaws (and are required to).

All my Goldens have dewclaws, and I am glad they do. I wouldn't remove them, either.


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## telsmith1

Mine do too. I don't remove them from my pups either.


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## Bailey & Bentley

Both my boys have theirs. Bailey ripped one of his a couple months ago. It was a pain to get it healed up. It took almost a month!


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## Rosco's Mom

Rosco has his!


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## Kzwicker

Murphy doesnt have any, and we didnt get them removed.. Is that normal?


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## Oaklys Dad

Oakly and all previous dogs had their dew claws and I they never had any dew claw related injuries.


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## AquaClaraCanines

It's normal... do NOT remove them now. It's major surgery.


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## Scorpio118

One does......
One doesnt.......


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## rosemary

all of mine goldies and otherwise have dew claws cos i dont see the point in performing major surgery unless i have to


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## Kzwicker

Now I am confused.. Is it normal for them to be born with out them, or are they always born with them and then they get removed later?


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## AquaClaraCanines

They are born with them. SOME people cut them off at 2 or 3 days old... never later unless an accident occurs and they have to be removed due to injury.


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## Kzwicker

Oh.. I am going to ask the breader now. I dont remember her mentioning that they removed them, but I guess they did.. So you just remove them to prevent injury right?


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## AquaClaraCanines

Yes, and to neaten the look of the leg/paw in some breeds (like a Whippet, though maybe some claim it's to prevent injury in them, too). I wouldn't remove them, but many breeders do.


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## Kzwicker

I feel kind of bad now :-( I hope it didnt hurt him..


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## AquaClaraCanines

They are tiny babies when it is done- they do squeal in my experience, but I doubt they remember. Kind of like getting your shots when you're an infant.


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## hannahsmom

Our puppy Hannah has her dewclaws but our first golden Heidi didn't. My husband loves to hunt and used Heidi to retrieve partridge. The breeder we purchased her from removed them from his pups (bred for hunting) because they tend to get injured more in the bush.


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## foreveramber

AquaClaraCanines said:


> They are tiny babies when it is done- they do squeal in my experience, but I doubt they remember. Kind of like getting your shots when you're an infant.


 
hmm...jake's breeder had the whole litter done at the vet...

why are you so against removing them?


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## monomer

We got one with 'em and one without 'em... so I don't really know how to vote on this one. I don't suppose it would do any good to vote because one would just cancel out the other one 

Supposedly... puppies have no feeling in their torso and extremities until about day 5, so anytime before is typically when dew claw removal (and tails docked in some breeds) are performed... at this time the operation is essentially painless and mostly bloodless.


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## foreveramber

monomer said:


> Supposedly... puppies have no feeling in their torso and extremities until about day 5, so anytime before is typically when dew claw removal (and tails docked in some breeds) are performed... at this time the operation is essentially painless and mostly bloodless.


thats what i thought, so why did ACC say that they squeal??


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## monomer

Really, who knows why a puppy squeals? Maybe they are complaining about being separated from the big warm lunch wagon...


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## tintallie

Wiggles already had his dew claws removed when we got him so i'm assuing the breeder got it done.


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## MaddieMagoo

Maddie had hers removed as a little puppy. At a dog show (4-H), this one black lab bit another one and tore off the dewclaw...OUCH!! So maybe it's a good thing to remove them. I think Maddie would've had some troubles too...


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## Griffyn'sMom

Griff has his but I know someone that has them removed on her pups - I think they are maybe 2 days old when they do it - she says they give the best hugs without them. LOL


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## Sit Happens

Very long, and reprinted without permission :nono: 

(My apologies in advance for the errors in formatting...I'm too lazy to go through the entire thing.)










*With A Flick of the Wrist *by Chris Zink, DVM, PhD _(as seen in Dogs In Canada – September 2003)

_​ _In the hundreds of agility trials I have attended over the years, only rarely have I seen a dog suffer an acute, serious injury. An exception happened in early May this year. I was relaxing at ringside, enjoying one of the rare rain free moments this spring offered, watching a bi-black Sheltie named 'Shadow' negotiate the Open Jumpers course with smooth abandon. Suddenly the dog took a misstep, completely misjudged where he should take off, and crashed into the jump. As he fell, his front legs landed on the fallen jump bars, and he immediately let out an agonized scream. He was still crying as he was carried out of the ring. I ran over to help and examined the dog in a shady area some distance from the ring._​
_Shadow's left front leg was extremely painful and he held it stiffly away from his body. In a few minutes he had relaxed enough for me to determine that there were no major bone breaks. In fact, the main problem appeared to be a severe sprain of the carpus (wrist). Later X-rays not only confirmed my finding, but interestingly showed that the dog had preexisting arthritic changes in the carpal joints of both front legs. Thus, although this dog did have an acute agility injury, he had chronic problems, too. In fact, it is possible that the arthritis contributed to his lack of coordination in approaching the jump._​ _Once Shadow was on the mend, his human teammate had many questions for me. How common is carpal arthritis in performance dogs? How painful is carpal arthritis and what can be done to relieve the pain? Will Shadow still be able to play agility, obedience and other fun doggie games? Since carpal arthritis is quite common, I thought I would share the answers in this column._​ _In the last several years, while doing sports-medicine consultations for performance dogs across Canada and the United States, I have seen many canine athletes with carpal arthritis. *Interestingly, this condition is much more common in dogs that have had their front dewclaws removed.* To understand why, it is helpful to understand the structure of the carpus. This joint consists of seven bones that fit together like fieldstones that are used to build the walls of a house. _​ _The carpus joins to the radia and ulnar bones (equivalent to our lower arm), and to the metacarpal bones (equivalent to our hand). __Each bone of the carpus has a convex or concave side that matches a curve on the adjacent bone. Unlike the bones of the elbow, for example._​ _The elbow bones have ridges that slide into interlocking grooves __the bones of the carpus do not have ridges that slide into interlocking grooves on the adjacent bone. The relatively loose fit of the carpal bones is supported by ligaments that join each of the carpal bones to the adjacent bones._​ _With so many carpal bones that don't tightly interlock with the adjacent bones, the ligaments of this joint can be easily stretched and even torn when torque (twisting) is applied to the leg. The dewclaws have the important function of reducing the torque that is applied to the front legs, especially when dogs are turning at a canter (the main gait used in agility)._​ _In the canter, there is a moment during each stride when the dog's accessory carpal pad (on the back of the carpus) of the lead front leg touches the ground and the rear legs and other __front leg swing forward to prepare for the next stride. At this point, the dewclaw is in contact with the ground and if the dog turns, the dewclaw can dig in for extra traction to prevent unnecessary torque on the front leg. Without the gripping action of the dog's 'thumbs’ there is more stress on the ligaments of the carpus. This may cause the ligaments to stretch and tear over time, resulting in joint laxity and ultimately, arthritis._​ _There are many more options for treating dogs with arthritis today than there were just a few years ago. Here are some of them._​ _1) Weight reduction. The more weight your dog carries around, the more stress there will be on the joints. This is a particular problem in dogs with carpal arthritis, because the front legs bear 65 per cent of the dog's weight. 
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_2) Massage. This is an excellent way to prevent excess scar tissue from forming and to keep your dog's joints flexible. Make an appointment with a canine massage therapist and learn how to do massage that is targeted to your dog's carpi. You can do the massage while you watch television in the evenings. 
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_Afterward, gently flex and extend your dog's front legs two to three times to help promote flexibility. 
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_3) Acupuncture. Acupuncture is often very helpful in relieving joint pain and slowing the progression of arthritis. 
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_4) Chiropractic adjustments. Many dogs with painful joints will benefit from regular chiropractic adjustments because they are using their muscles unevenly to avoid pain on one side or the other. 
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_5) Joint-protective nutraceuticals. There are many products on the market, and all are not created equal, so be sure to buy a product from a reputable company. For best results use a combination of __glucosamine, chondroitin, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) and cetylmyristolate (CM). 
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_6) Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory food and supplements. Feed your dog natural antioxidant foods such as fresh vegetables and fruits that contain vitamin C. Supplement his diet with vitamins E and 
B and an appropriate combination of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids._
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7) Anti-inflammatory drugs. Talk to your veterinarian about whether' your dog should be taking antiinflammatory drugs and if so, whether he should take them only when he is in pain or on a regular basis. Because of common side effects such as gastric ulcers, I usually suggest that anti-inflammatory drugs be used only intermittently when the dog is having a painful bout. There may come a-time however, when regular doses of anti-inflammatory drugs may be necessary to give your dog the quality of life he deserves. 
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_8) Moderate ongoing exercise. Dogs with arthritis need enough exercise to keep their muscles strong so that they support the joints, but not so much that it causes excessive wear and tear on the joints and the ligaments that support them. _​ _Moderation is the key. Dogs should get a moderate amount of balanced exercise each day, and avoid being weekend warriors. Avoid high-impact exercise as much as possible. For example, don't use stairs as a way to exercise your dog because of the impact on descending, and don't let him run over rough, uneven ground. _​ _Have your dog jump full height only about 10 per cent of the time during training, and only on surfaces that are smooth and appropriately cushioning, such as thick grass or properly prepared dirt (arena) surfaces. Swimming is a great exercise for arthritic dogs. _​ _Even if your dog doesn't currently suffer from arthritis, keep this article for later. If you should be lucky enough to have your canine companion in his senior years, these tips may make it possible for him to keep running and playing like a youngster. _​


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## foreveramber

i wouldnt have wanted to type that either!!!! interesting article!!

i dont understand. it says that *Interestingly, this condition is much more common in dogs that have had their front dewclaws removed.*

i guess these things just dont seem to check out, when i see words like "more common in" well yea, but is that really what caused the arthritis? or could it be something else? agility maybe? the combo of agility and removal of claw? the breed?


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## monomer

I too have read else where about this connection between arthritis and dew claw removal and in fact started a thread about it a few months back... however, to date, I've not seen any conclusive proof of such a connection, only innuendo and suggestion. Nevertheless, I found it an interesting article.


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## foreveramber

monomer said:


> however, to date, I've not seen any conclusive proof of such a connection, only innuendo and suggestion. Nevertheless, I found it an interesting article.


 
agreed...... **** wheres that thank you button when i need it.


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## Sit Happens

monomer said:


> I too have read else where about this connection between arthritis and dew claw removal and in fact started a thread about it a few months back... however, to date, I've not seen any conclusive proof of such a connection, only innuendo and suggestion. Nevertheless, I found it an interesting article.


Oh, yes, there are far worse things to damage a dog than removing dew claws. For instance, repetitive jumping of a dog that is too heavy (overweight, or too heavy boned, or both), or a dog that does not have the structure to take the jumping, turning, and twisting that agility requires (with or without dew claws, LOL).


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## graciegirlsmama

*does your Golden have dew claws?*

Gracie has hers, but Spencer who we just adopted a month ago does not. He is the first Golden I have seen in 30 years without them!


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## Noey

we have ours. My vet would not remove unless they were injured or loose...they do check. If you rip a dew you can bleed pretty badly. 

How do they know a puppy feels anything for 5 days?


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## GoldenSail

Interesting thread--

Scout had hers removed by the breeder. At first, I *thought* I wanted them there, but I have since decided that it doesn't really matter. I do have a friend that is a groomer who has had to deal with some pretty bad dewclaws. If pet owners do not keep up on them they curl around and can even grow into the paw--all very painful.


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