Re: [PyrNet-L] Dewclaw Question

[Kshoffman <Kshoffman@aol.com>]

I've produced a total of 58 pups in the litters I've bred over the last 9
years and haven't had a pup yet with *less than* double dewclaws on the rear
feet.  I have however had around 15-20% pups with triples in the rear
(sometimes third one is tiny) and maybe 5-10% with doubles in the front.  I've
also had a couple with double nails coming out of single dewclaw toe in front.
(Almost as if the genetic map was there for a second dewclaw toe to form but
it just didn't quite develop.)  In each of these cases of "extra toes" (front
or rear) both feet (left & right) had same number of *extras*.

So long as the extra toes are clearly defined (i.e., not closely attached to
the others) I remove them when the pups are a couple of days old.  It's no big
deal at all; my vet showed me how to do it.  I clamp extra toe very close to
foot with a sterilized hemostat, then either cut it with a razor or clip with
people nail clippers.  Pups feel no pain as they don't even acknowledge it's
being done.  Occasionally there is a tiny amount of bleeding and I put a dab
of surgical glue on it that I got from my vet.

Occasionally pups will have extra toes that are in such close proximity to the
ones you want to keep that it can be tricky to remove them on tiny pups.  I've
had maybe two instances like this where my vet didn't want to attempt it in
the first few days after the pup(s) were born.  One case was with the rear
feet and the extra dewclaws were just left intact.  The other case was in the
front and the extra toe on each front foot eventually grew to be rather large,
loose, and unsightly.  This pup was put under anethesia and the extra dewclaws
were removed at around 4 months of age.  By that time, there was a clear
division between the two and the outside one could be safely removed without
damaging or sacrificing the one closer to the foot.

Kelley Hoffman
BasqueLaine
kshoffman@aol.com