The One About Dewclaws

Some dog breeders, routinely and without much thought, amputate puppies' front dewclaws when the puppies are between 3 and 5 days of age. The intention behind this practice is to prevent potential injuries, such as tears of the digit, later in life. There is a function to the dewclaw, though, and consideration of this should be taken into account when deciding whether or not to amputate. Some breeds also have the removal of the dewclaw in their standard, and this is typically due to a breeds predisposition to having dewclaw related injuries, often as a result of the breed's function (more on this later). Most breed standards include leaving the dewclaws, though.

One of the biggest drawbacks of routine dewclaw removal is the increased risk of chronic carpal arthritis, especially in working dogs or those that compete in various sports, and it is often so severe that they must be retired or carefully managed. This suggests that one of the functions of the dewclaw is to actually protect a dog from certain injuries or debilitating conditions as they may contribute to the structure and function of the forelegs.

There are two functional muscles which are attached to the front dewclaw by four tendons. Each of those muscle/tendon units has a different function in movement. That means that if you remove the dewclaws, you are preventing the muscles that were attached to the dewclaws from properly functioning.

In contrast, rear limb dewclaws do not have muscle/tendon attachments, so their removal might be appropriate, except in the breeds such as Briards and Beauceron in which they should be retained.

And since there are muscles and tendons attached to the dewclaws, this indicates functions. Broadly speaking, dewclaws have at least two different functions: grasping the ground, and gripping objects.

Dewclaws grasp the ground when the dog is turning to prevent torque on the forelimb. Each time the front foot lands on the ground, particularly when the dog is cantering or galloping, the dewclaw is in touch with the ground. If the dog then needs to turn, the dewclaw actively digs into the ground to stabilize the lower leg and prevent torque. If a dog doesn't have dewclaws, the leg will twist on its axis, creating increased pressure on the carpal bones, as well as the elbow, shoulder and toes. A lifetime of this kind of torque and the result can be carpal arthritis or injuries to and subsequent arthritis in other joints of the forelimb, such as the elbow, shoulder, and toes. Remember, the dog is participating in the activity regardless, so there will be concussive pressures on the leg, and if the dewclaw does not help to stabilize the leg, those pressures will be transmitted to other areas of the leg, especially the joints.

They also grip objects. We have all seen dogs using their dewclaws to grip an object such as a ball or bone. I've even seen many photos of agility dogs gripping the teeters for stability. But did you know that the dewclaws' gripping ability can, in fact, save your dog's life? Check out the video "Dewclaws Do Have a Purpose" to view dogs attempting to get out of water onto ice without the help of dewclaws. The video also shows dogs using their dewclaws to grip the ice and escape the water. This same application of dewclaws could be equally important when a Retriever is attempting to lift itself out of the water at a steep embankment when out hunting, even without ice.

The most common argument for dewclaw removal is that of potential injury. And truth be told, there is a risk of injury. They happen, and they can be severe. But the data indicates that dewclaws are not injured very often. A study published in 2018 showed that the dewclaw was the least likely toe to be injured in agility dogs, in which landing and turning from jumps and other obstacles put the toes at risk for injuries. Thus, it makes no sense to remove the dewclaws because of risk of injury. And, of course, no one would consider removing the 5th digits in the front feet, which are by far the most commonly injured toe.

Another reason often given, which to me is quite bizarre, is that owners forget to trim the dewclaws. This is a matter of education. Owners should be aware of their dog's anatomy at least enough to know how many toes the dog has, and trim nails accordingly.

The last reason that I have occasionally heard, though I'm hearing it less frequently these days, is that dewclaws make the forelimb look less straight when viewed from the front in conformation. The AKC states: "The breed standard describes the characteristics of the ideal dog to perform the function for which it was bred." While we could have long discussions about the veracity of this statement, it is interesting to note that there are VERY few breed standards that require dewclaw removal. I know of only one - the Vizsla breed standard (viewable in the forequarters section of the standard). Almost all reputable breeders of AKC and UKC registered dog breeds follow breed standard and leave the dewclaws accordingly. Some breeds even have multiple dewclaws per foot as a breed trait! So to all breeders who currently routinely remove the dewclaws of the puppies you produce, consider leaving them. And certain breeds, such as herding breeds, find more benefit than most by having their dewclaws remain intact.