Tag Archives: dewclaw

Another Busted Dewclaw!

Yep… not long after Lally’s last broken dewclaw, she snagged and broke the dewclaw on her OTHER front leg! This poor dog. Once again, my parents had to hold her while I tried to snip off the dangling bits with my trusty nail clippers. Once again, she got upset and widdled on the floor. My poor little girl. What use are dewclaws, really? They’re more or less an evolutionary leftover. A lot of breeders will actually take care of dewclaw removal (at least on the hind legs) when puppies are just a few days old. When I got Lally from … Continue reading →

First Aid: Broken Dew Claw Update

Maybe I should stop writing about possible pet injuries. The other night after our usual “Aimee just got home” game of ball, Lally started favoring her right front leg. She spent a LOT of time licking. Sure, everybody likes to lick, but this was pretty excessive! Once we had settled into bed for the night, I finally spotted the source of the problem: her dewclaw had broken down past the quick, almost to the skin! My poor baby girl. The nail was split horizontally, and was hanging on pretty well. So I figured I would wait and see what happened. … Continue reading →

How to Treat a Pet’s Torn Nail or Dew Claw

A torn nail is a pretty common injury, and it’s actually something you can usually deal with at home, without making a visit to the vet. If your pet’s nails are at a good length, you may not ever have to deal with a torn claw. If your pet has super-long nails, you’ll probably face a broken claw or ten. Dewclaws are often at a higher risk for breaks and tears because they don’t get worn down through normal walking. A dewclaw is the solitary nail in the ankle region. You may notice your pet limping, or favoring one paw … Continue reading →