There are 6 toes on a dog's paw. Dog's dewclaw

Often seen in mongrel dogs fifth toe on the hind limb. He doesn't carry any functional load, therefore considered profitable. It is located on the inside of the limb, just above the foot.

At dog shows of many breeds, the presence of such a toe is considered a fault, and the dog may be removed from the ring. Therefore, the vestigial fifth toe on the hind limb is removed in puppies at the age of 3-6 days.

The operation is not traumatic. Used local anesthesia. The skin along with the finger is grabbed with hemostatic tweezers and cut off underneath. The wound is sutured with several interrupted sutures. Many puppy owners ask: “Is it possible to remove dewclaws yourself?” As a veterinarian, I do not recommend doing this yourself, as there is a danger of bleeding and painful shock in puppies.

But I also believe that dewclaws are on hind legs should be removed, as they are too often injured when dogs move over rough terrain, especially in dogs of hunting breeds.

I would like to note that there are dog breeds in which extra toes on their hind legs are considered a sign of purebred. And if the expert does not find them at the exhibition, he can remove them from the ring. For example, a Briard dog must have two extra toes on its hind limb.

I remove the dewclaws of puppies 3-6 days after birth. The puppies are near their mother. Me and the owner of the bitch are in another room with closed door. And not because I’m afraid of the puppies’ mother, but because I shouldn’t worry her again.

I prepare for the operation, take out the instruments that have been previously disinfected, and the owner of the bitch brings one puppy from the mother dog. Usually the strongest. I carry out manipulations to remove the dewclaw. And the owner immediately takes the puppy to his mother, so that he does not have a painful shock, he must definitely take a sip of his mother’s milk. And the mother checks whether her puppy is alive, licks his wounds, the baby calms down and falls asleep. Then they bring the next baby and so on for everyone who has dewclaws.

I forgot to say. The dog's owner places a white cloth under the mother before the operation. So that later I could check whether the babies’ wounds were bleeding.

During surgery, you can use self-absorbable suture material, and then you won’t have to remove the stitches for 7-10 days.

The main thing in this matter is to correctly and completely remove the dewclaw. Because sometimes the finger consists only of a skin sac with a claw. But sometimes the finger has bones and formed joints, and these need to be completely removed. As I say, you need to isolate the bone from the joint capsule. Otherwise, as the puppy grows, the dewclaw will be visible as a skin defect on the back paw.

Sometimes new breeders are unaware of dewclaws and do not remove them at the appropriate time. Puppies with dewclaws on the toes are eligible for activation. hind limbs. This is noticed by the employees of the club where the breeder is a member during activation. And here I can already say one thing. The puppy will have surgery after a series of vaccinations already under general anesthesia. And it's going to be pretty serious. surgery, especially if the finger is fully formed.

Adult dogs can also have dewclaws removed.. This is usually done under general anesthesia and only by a veterinarian.

I recommend removing dewclaws from dogs that are constantly groomed.. These are breeds like

The wolf's claw is a rudiment in a dog that represents the fifth toe. Dewclaws are not a pathology, but a norm physiological development. Normally, all dogs have five toes. And just the fifth finger is a sign of rudimentary atavism inherited four-legged pets from their distant ancestors. Amputation of the dog's fifth toes is required if your pet participates in exhibitions or competitions. Then, according to the breed standard, you can decide on.

What is the fifth finger needed for?

No matter how trite it sounds, a wolf’s claw is a simple rudimentary appendage. But in some dogs it simply does not appear, as long-term selection takes place, affecting the purity of the breed. The rudiment does not appear in Catalan Shepherds, German Shepherds, mastiffs, Dobermans.

There is no functionality in the fifth finger, although it is attached to the limb, has phalanges and can be movable. He doesn't spoil appearance and does not interfere with the dog in any way.

Should my dog's fifth claw be removed?

Many dog ​​breeders don't know whether to remove the toe or not. If your dog does not participate in exhibitions and does not qualify for certain breed standards, then in this case you do not have to undergo a painful and unpleasant procedure. You should contact a veterinarian in the following cases:

• The vestigial finger often becomes inflamed;
• It interferes with the dog when jumping or running;
• Do you want to achieve high standard breeds

The wolf claw is removed through surgery. Most often, the procedure is performed on puppies no older than seven months. It is done using local anesthesia. At this time, the owner can stay close to his pet, thereby calming him down.

After the procedure veterinarian puts stitches. not complicated. It is enough to treat the surface of the wound with alcohol or other antiseptic drugs. During the first days, you need to carefully monitor the dynamics of healing. The wound should be clean. If there are abscesses, suppuration, or excess cerebrospinal fluid in the suture area, then it is worth contacting a veterinarian for an additional preventive examination.

Try to change your bandages as often as possible. After the operation, the dog comes to normal condition in about a week. A wolf claw can be removed on one or both paws. Most often, dogs of large massive breeds have problems with an extra toe. In any case, before the procedure it is better

Wolf (vestigial) claw - this is what the fifth (dewclaw) finger in dogs is called today. Normally, dogs (regardless of breed, age and gender) have five toes on their front paws (the fifth toe is additional) and four on their hind limbs. The appearance of a fifth toe on the hind legs is a sign of atavism. However, in some dog breeds this phenomenon is considered a sign of purity of origin, the level of thoroughbred (Beauceron, Pyrenean Mastiff, Catalan Shepherd).

What is the function of the fifth toe in dogs?

The dewclaw in dogs currently does not carry any functional load and is an atavism - a “gift” from distant forefathers, which are considered to be not only wolves, but also more distant ancestors - ancient animals with five fingers that look like something in between a hyena and a horse.

What does a wolf's claw look like in dogs?

The dewclaw fifth toe on the front paws, as a rule, looks fully developed, has three phalanges and is securely attached to the limb. It is almost never removed, unless the owner of the dog (puppy) himself expresses such a desire.

A vestigial finger (claw) on the hind limbs can either have the appearance of a fully developed finger or resemble a small rudimentary fold of skin. Most often it has one or two phalanges and is not firmly attached to the skin, which is why it is often injured, especially in hunting dogs.

Is it necessary to treat wolf claw in dogs?

By and large, deleting dewclaws in dogs it is not a mandatory procedure and is carried out at the request of the animal owner. The extra toes on the front paws in most cases fit tightly to the limbs and are not injured more often than others. But things may be a little different with vestigial toes on the hind legs. They can rise greatly above skin and often get injured, for example, while hunting, when the dog has to move through thickets, reeds, tall grass and so on. Quite often, owners of long-haired pets remove extra toes from dogs to make grooming easier. For domestic dogs that do not lead a “hunting” and “secular” lifestyle, as a rule, dewclaws on the hind legs and especially on the front legs do not cause any inconvenience.

How are dewclaws removed from dogs?

Removal of dewclaws is carried out using surgery for puppies under 7 days of age and older individuals. In the first case (up to a week old), a low-painful, quick operation is performed under local anesthesia and I apply sutures made of self-absorbing material (or they don’t apply them at all). In the second case, the operation is performed only when the puppies are more than 12 weeks old. This operation is performed by an experienced veterinarian and always under general anesthesia. After removal of vestigial toes in older dogs, it is necessary to post-operative care, which consists of applying a soft bandage after surgery and monitoring the dog so that he does not lick the wound or try to tear off the stitches.

How to care for the fifth toe in dogs?

You need to take care of the extra toe in the same way as the rest, that is, trim the claws regularly. If the claw on such a finger grows incorrectly and constantly causes discomfort to the dog or, even worse, provokes inflammation, you should think about removing this rudimentary organ.

What is a rudiment?
Vestigial organs are organs that are underdeveloped or have lost their main function during the process of evolution. These include, for example, the tailbone, wisdom teeth, muscles auricle, appendix ( appendix cecum), cervical ribs and including dewclaws in dogs. Normally, dogs have five toes (the fifth is considered vestigial) on their front paws and four on their hind paws. However, some dogs have a fifth toe on their hind feet, and sometimes two extra toes, which are known as dewclaws. Scientifically, this phenomenon is called polydactyly (Polidaktylia; Greek many + daktylos finger).

dewclaw- This thumb in dogs, located just above the foot. More often it occurs on both paws at once. Its presence is due to the fact that the wolf took part in the origin of many breeds of hunting dogs. The appearance of extra toes on the hind legs of dogs is an atavism (a feature characteristic of distant ancestors, but absent in nearby ones). Such a finger does not bear any functional load. It can look like a small rudimentary fold of skin or like a fully developed finger. As a rule, dewclaws do not have a second phalanx (sometimes the first one) and are attached only to the skin, and therefore are very often injured. The “extra” fifth finger on the forelimb has three phalanges (short tubular bones, forming the skeleton of the fingers) and is firmly attached to the limb. It is rarely removed, usually at the request of the dog (puppy) owner, especially in breeds that require constant grooming (fox terriers, poodles, schnauzers). Another type of polydactyly is observed in pharaoh dogs - the appearance of dewclaws, visually altered toes, on the front paws. They are usually located above the main toes and look like a wart. But, if you look closely, you can see that this new growth has villi, similar to the villi on the paw pads. Sometimes the false toe has an underdeveloped claw.

• Briard.
• Nenets Laika.
• Beauceron (French Shepherd).
• Catalan Shepherd.
• Mountain pyrenees dog(Pyrenean Mastiff).

• It is best to remove dewclaws in three to six daytime. Sutures are often made of self-absorbable material. In this case, there is no need to remove them. If non-absorbable suture material is used, removal occurs within 7-10 days. In some cases, no stitches are placed at all.
• Puppies older than one week are no longer operated on. You should wait 12-16 weeks and then perform surgical intervention. In puppies older than 12 weeks and in adult dogs, the operation is performed under general anesthesia. If the joint is not formed and the finger is attached only to the skin, surgery can be performed under local anesthesia. Sometimes a finger has bones and formed joints and these need to be removed completely. Therefore, the operation should only be performed by a veterinarian!

Bibliography:

Information and photos from the website of the nursery Litlar's New were used.

The dog's toes, what could be interesting or unusual about this topic? It would seem like nothing, but a variety of questions from both beginners and experienced owners dogs are constantly discussed on forums. Let's figure out what number of fingers is considered normal for dogs and what to do if there are more.

It is known that dogs descended from wolves, and wolves, in turn, are successful, tireless hunters. Regardless of size or breed, every dog ​​has a hunting instinct.

Let's not downplay the role of group work when hunting wild dogs. However, the skill of four-legged animals should not be underestimated. It is generally accepted that wolves live in packs, but when a young male begins to claim the role of leader, he either takes the place of leader or leaves.

When the male leaves the pack, he is left to his own devices, he has to hunt on his own and take care of his own safety. Agree, few animals will survive in such difficult conditions

Unlike cats, dogs' hunting method does not require remaining motionless for many hours. The dog's task is to track down the prey, get as close to it as possible and pursue it, exhausting it with a long chase.

It is worth noting that there is a very large group of hunting dogs, whose working methods differ. You might be surprised, but every type of hunting dog needs strong, well-placed paws to be successful. For example, let's take the dachshund, a breed bred for burrow hunting. During a hunt, a four-legged animal needs to enter a hole, fight with the animal, maintain balance and stability. Naturally, this work cannot be done without strong, tenacious claws.

Unlike cats, dogs cannot hide their claws, so types The paw structures of some breeds are different:

• Hare- an elongated oval paw with almost straight toes and long sharp claws. This type of paw is common to many mongrel dogs, burrow hunters, small breeds. Although this species is not the most numerous, it can be called universal. A dog with hare paws can use its claws not only for hunting and work, but also for defense in a fight.
• Felines- the most common type of paw structure. The hand itself is round and neat, the fingers are arched, the claws are curved. This type of paw is typical for most purebred dogs and almost never involves the presence of dewclaws. The uniqueness of the cat's paw is that the dog's claws wear off while walking and do not require frequent trimming.
• Wolf– elongated, rounded paws with arched toes. The claws in this case are moderately curved, directed towards the ground, and their main function is to maintain the dog’s balance while running.

Dogs, like most carnivorous mammals, belong to a subspecies that literally walks on its toes. When moving, quadrupeds do not touch the ground with their heels or wrists. Simply put, all dogs walk on their toes. This is uncomfortable, but this type of gait allows the dog to maintain greater agility while maintaining good balance. Compared to cats, the structure of the hands of dogs looks rougher, but this does not mean that the former are inferior to the latter in maneuverability or the ability to hunt.

Normal and abnormal number of toes in dogs

Dogs of any breed have five toes on their front paws, four of which are fully developed, and the fifth is located on the side of the paw. The dog has four fully developed toes on its hind legs, but this is normal; there are also five-toed individuals. The fifth toes on the hind legs are called dewclaws or wolf-like, which indicates a decrease in the suppression of genes passed on to dogs from ancient ancestors.

For a long time, dewclaws were considered a fault in some purebred dogs and were docked in puppies immediately after birth. Today, international convention for the protection of animal rights, prohibits the docking of body parts if there is no medical indications. However, this rule does not work in all countries; many breeders still dock the tails, ears and dewclaws of dogs.

On what basis the conclusion was made about the uselessness of the fifth, dewclaws on the front and hind legs of dogs is still not clear. While the functionality of the hind paws can still be debated, the benefit of the fifth toes on the front paws is obvious.

If you watch a dog playing with a ball, you will notice that he uses his fifth finger to hold the toy. Many wildlife films feature scenes of wolves or other wild dogs hunting. If you look closely at how wolves hold their prey, you will notice that all the fingers of their paws are involved in fixing and applying pressure.

There was only one extremely reasonable argument in the argument for removing the fifth toes on the hind legs of purebred dogs. During games, walks, and work, dogs often caught with their long claws, which led to serious injuries. Since torn claws and especially toes are a very painful and long-healing injury, dewclaws began to be removed exclusively for working dogs. Just a few years later, this trend spread to non-working and even show dogs. Note that some breed standards still have recommendations for removing dewclaws if newborn puppies have them.

Extra toes in dogs are called wolf or dewclaws, but in biology there is a separate term for this phenomenon - atavism. Atavism is the identification of characteristics that were present in ancient ancestors, species, subspecies. The atavism of modern animals is a tool that their ancestors once used. In the process of evolution and progress, some organs and devices have lost their relevance.

Atavisms include the sixth toe on the front paw, the fifth toe on the hind paw, and the third eyelid in some dog breeds.

Such a phenomenon as a dewclaw is not rare. It is known that many breeds of dogs, especially those bred for hunting and fishing, were obtained by crossing with wild dogs, including wolves. It is interesting that wolves themselves descended from animals that have similar features not only to the canid species. It is not clear why fifth toes on the hind legs appear in modern purebred puppies. There are quite a lot of versions. However, most breeders, scientists and zoologists come to the conclusion that the fifth toes on the hind legs are a hereditary trait passed on from the mother or father.

The appearance of fifth toes on the hind legs is considered recessive trait. Simply put, normally the gene responsible for the formation of the fifth toe on the hind paw should be suppressed, but this does not always happen, and the reason for this is unknown.

Despite prejudice, extra toes in dogs would be considered an anomaly, but they are not a pathology. Dewclaws are perfectly acceptable and, in some breeds, natural. Moreover, some native breeds Those belonging to the hunting class must have dewclaws according to the standard.

What to do with “extra” toes in dogs?

Removal of dewclaws must be justified. Today, indications for the removal of dewclaws are only relevant for hunting dogs. The fact is that during operation, there is Great chance that the dog will get caught in a long curved claw, tear it off or injure a finger. The hunt can last for several days, the owner of the dog may not even notice that the dog is injured. Owners of hunting dogs often turn to veterinarians who have not only torn off a nail, but have also suffered from an inflammatory process.

What to do to avoid similar problems? Veterinarians recommend amputating dewclaws during puppyhood. Removal of the fifth toes on the hind legs is an operation performed under general anesthesia.. Although the procedure is considered minimally invasive, anesthesia does involve some risks. To protect the health and puppies, some veterinarians perform amputation of dewclaws under local anesthesia. Until recently, this method was considered humane, like docking ears and tails without anesthesia. Numerous controversies surrounding this topic led to the fact that puppies began to be docked only under anesthesia... and this decision cannot be called wrong.

Contraindications to general anesthesia are congenital heart failure, liver or kidney pathologies. Amputation is strictly not recommended for puppies that were born weak or are developmentally delayed.

There are certain deadlines for removing dewclaws. Fingers are removed either from birth until seven days of age, or after twelve weeks and under general anesthesia. The fifth toes on the front paws are not removed unless there are medical indications for the procedure.

For pets, dewclaws do not need to be removed. However, if your pet has five toes on its hind paws, you need to carefully monitor the length and condition of the claws. The claws of the dewclaws do not wear off naturally, they need to be cut or filed regularly.