Nail trims are a daily occurrence at Woodland Veterinary Hospital – we see dogs, cats, and even the occasional rabbit! One of the most frequent requests we hear with nail trims is “please trim them as short as possible.” This can be a delicate balancing act – we want to keep the pet comfortable, and make sure your wishes are fulfilled as well!
Pets’ nails grow constantly, and just like with people, some animals’ nails grow faster than others, or are worn down more quickly. Within the nail, there is a “quick” – a pink area containing the nail’s blood supply. Pets whose nails are very long usually have long quicks to match. If the quick is nicked, the result is somewhat similar to pulling a hangnail on a person – a sharp burst of pain that does not dissipate, and often there is bleeding as well. Many animals who have been “quicked” will cry out and flail, and they become naturally wary of nail trims. Woodland Veterinary Hospital’s Dr. Dennie also notes that “some dogs that have been trimmed too short in the past become so fearful and anxious about having their nails trimmed that it is better to have them sedated for it than doing it forcefully and making it even more traumatic.”
At Woodland Veterinary Hospital, we want to make sure your pet is happy and in the best shape possible when they head home, so when an animal with very long nails comes in, the final result may be longer than the owner would prefer. Rather than traumatize a pet and cause them deliberate pain, we want to make their “pawdicures” a pleasant experience. By trimming the nails more frequently (every 3-4 weeks instead of every few months), the quick will naturally start to recede inside the nail, and eventually we will be able to trim the nails shorter, closer to the ideal length for owners and pets alike!You may have noticed your dog’s little toe that sits a bit higher up the leg, away from the bed of its paws. In some dogs, they are tightly attached, in other dogs they only seem loosely attached to the leg. These are your dog’s dew claws.
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You may have found this article because you are considering removing your dog’s dew claws. This article will help you understand what dew claws are, explore their function and which different types of dew claws there are. We discuss the pros and cons of surgical removal as well as the implications and costs of such a procedure.
Dew claws are short nails on the site of the foot that don’t touch the ground. They are often referred to as a dog’s thumb, but they have a lot less purpose and value to a dog than a human’s thumb does.
– a very early ancestor of modern dogs – needed all five toes for climbing trees. However, since then dogs have evolved and the physiology of their paws changed to allow for more speed when hunting on the ground. Dew claws are basically leftovers of the canine evolutionary process.
The Importance Of Trimming Dog Nails
The majority of dogs have dew claws only on their front paws, however some dogs exhibit dew claws on their hind feet, e.g. Newfoundlands. And in some cases dogs even have an extra toe which is often referred to as a double dew claw, or polydactyl (meaning “extra toe”) and is commonly found in breeds like the Briard, St Bernard and Great Pyrenees.
In some dogs the dew claws are held tightly against the paw, in others they can be quite loose and floppy. These looser type of dew claws can cause a bit of worry for dog owners, as there is a risk of serious injury occuring. They can, for example, get torn off when the nail catches on something, as the dog runs through bush or over rough terrain. Some dog sports also pose a level of risk for dew claw injuries, e.g. agility and flyball.
If a dew claw is injured, you will often find that the animal may limp and cry out when you touch its leg. If the claw gets caught and torn off, expect there to be a lot of bleeding. This is because dogs’ nails have quicks (the soft tender flesh below the growing part of the nail), which have their own blood supply.
When/how You Can Treat A Broken Nail On Your Dog At Home
If your dog has injured its dew claws, it is best to take it to the vet. If it is torn but still connected to the leg, then the vet will probably cut it off completely. If it is broken, the broken part of the nail will be trimmed off. A bandage will be applied for a few days if there is a lot of bleeding or the nail has completely come off.
Apart from the bleeding and being painful for the dog, these injuries aren’t too serious. Your vet will very likely give your dog some pain medications and antibiotics if needed to stop infections.
A pet insurance policy with Bow Wow Meow will help ensure you can always afford to give your pet the best treatment for your dog’s dew claw injury, along with many other health conditions.
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Because they don’t touch the ground, dew claws do not get worn down on walks. Keep an eye on your dog’s dew claws to avoid long toe nails becoming overgrown and growing into the toe pad.
Use scissors or clippers that are especially made to trim your dog’s nails. With dew claws, it is best to separate them a bit from the leg to avoid cutting into the skin. Make sure you don’t cut into the internal nail area, which is called the quick. If the quick is too close to the tip of the nail it is better to wait until the nail is further away from the quick before cutting it.
Our friends from dog training company, Dog Matters, have published an informative (and entertaining) video on how to trim your dog’s toe nails and what you can do to get your dog used to it.
Broken, Bleeding, Split, Or Cracked Nails In Dogs
In countries like the USA, removing a dog’s dew claws is quite a common procedure and is even done preventatively at puppy age. The dew claws are frequently removed by breeders when the animal is only a few days old and the digit has not yet attached to bone or muscle tissue.
The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) however, has a more conservative view on dew claw removal, which it does not promote unless required because of a legitimate medical reason. It is seen as surgical alteration to the natural state of an animal, which is acceptable only if it is necessary for the health and welfare of the animal concerned.
In practice, Australian vets tend to recommend removing a dog’s dew claws if they hang loosely off the paw and provide a risk for injury. This is often recommended to be done when your dog undergoes a standard procedure such as de-sexing, where the animal will be put under general anaesthetic.
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Step 1: Your dog will be put under general anaesthetic. Ensure that you follow any preparation guidelines your vet gives you, e.g. not to feed your dog anything on the day of the surgery.
Because their bones are still soft, and muscle tissue has not developed that much, dew claw removal is much simpler in young puppies, and is often performed when they are only a few days old.
The surgery itself often takes only 15-30 minutes. Your dog may have to stay at the vet hospital for 2-3 hours and can return home once the anesthetic has worn off.
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The most expensive part of the procedure is the general anesthetic. For this reason, the procedure is often combined with other surgeries such as de-sexing. The extra amount that you would pay for the actual dew claw removal procedure is usually around AUD $70 or more, depending on your vet and your location.
If you have opted for our Routine Care option, Bow Wow Meow Pet Insurance will contribute up to $50 for your dog’s dew claw removal* (conditions apply). Learn more about our Routine Care Cover.
Removing your dog’s dew claws in most cases is not necessary if you keep an eye on them to ensure they do not get too long and prevent injuries when your dog is in rough terrain. However, if you feel the dew claws impact your dog’s wellbeing and risk causing an injury, you should discuss the option of surgical dew claw removal with your vet. Especially with very loose sitting dew claws, this might be beneficial. The surgery itself is simple and in most cases requires general anaesthetic. Recovery time until removal of sutures can take up to one week.
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