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Removing Front Declaws


my_sibe_owns_me
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Thanks for all the replies.

I got a friend of mine who breeds frenchies and use to breed Airadales (she did tails and dewclaws on them). I didnt trust myself not to chicken out and stop after one clip lol. I'll watch more videos and read up on it more before i do it myself. thankfully thats not doing to be for another 3+ years!

The forceps technic seems like it gets the job done best. Any thoughts about that?

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I was shown but when I went to the vet to get the powder recommended he would not give it to me. He then did them for a number of years and sutured them with 2 stitches. I then had to remember to remove the stitches. :grouphug:

Then he refused to do them so I bit the bullet and do them myself.

Trick is a good pair of sharp curved scissors. Use condys after and no problems.

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Thanks for all the replies.

I got a friend of mine who breeds frenchies and use to breed Airadales (she did tails and dewclaws on them). I didnt trust myself not to chicken out and stop after one clip lol. I'll watch more videos and read up on it more before i do it myself. thankfully thats not doing to be for another 3+ years!

The forceps technic seems like it gets the job done best. Any thoughts about that?

Please get your friend with the experience to show you and supervise you as you do them for the first few times, dont rely on videos,

hands on is the only way. for the fist few times you will need to have someone hold the pups for you while you operate.

Good luck!

Cheers Hogz

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I did mine, day 2 or 3. Only 2 pups and much reading up and watching of video's to make sure I would get it right. My regular vet was away, the others looked at me like I was really, really bad for wanting them off.

Perhaps the vet does not usually have breeders in with breeds that have them removed. Lots of breeds get to keep their front dew claws so unless the vet sees a lot of litters they may not be used to doing it. I have never removed front dew claws and after reading up on studies that point to the fact that the wrist is more stable for activities like agility if the dew claws are left on, I'm glad I never considered it.

When possible I try to breed them without back dew claws as I believe it is a dominant gene and at least one parent had to have had them to produce them in the puppies.

Depends on the breed. I have sibes and they are active, WORKING dogs. The last thing you want is to be sledding/carting/mt biking and have one ripped off/half off by iced snow, ice itself, something sharp or big thats in the way. Its very dangerous once they are older.

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I did mine, day 2 or 3. Only 2 pups and much reading up and watching of video's to make sure I would get it right. My regular vet was away, the others looked at me like I was really, really bad for wanting them off.

Perhaps the vet does not usually have breeders in with breeds that have them removed. Lots of breeds get to keep their front dew claws so unless the vet sees a lot of litters they may not be used to doing it. I have never removed front dew claws and after reading up on studies that point to the fact that the wrist is more stable for activities like agility if the dew claws are left on, I'm glad I never considered it.

When possible I try to breed them without back dew claws as I believe it is a dominant gene and at least one parent had to have had them to produce them in the puppies.

Depends on the breed. I have sibes and they are active, WORKING dogs. The last thing you want is to be sledding/carting/mt biking and have one ripped off/half off by iced snow, ice itself, something sharp or big thats in the way. Its very dangerous once they are older.

Yes, it does depend on the breed but I have Border Collies, a very active WORKING breed and very, very few BC breeders have ever removed front dew claws and most of us have never had a problem with them ripping them. Borders are more likely to rip their stopper pad and this is a very common injury, along with a long list of other common injuries Borders inflict on themselves but torn dew claws are very rare.

Actually more than the breed I think the shape of the dew claws is the issue. Mine all have neat tucked in dew claws and if removed it would leave a large dent in the leg. I have seen other dogs though with dew claws that stick out away from the leg and these must be much more likely to get caught and damaged so I can see the need to remove them.

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I did mine, day 2 or 3. Only 2 pups and much reading up and watching of video's to make sure I would get it right. My regular vet was away, the others looked at me like I was really, really bad for wanting them off.

Perhaps the vet does not usually have breeders in with breeds that have them removed. Lots of breeds get to keep their front dew claws so unless the vet sees a lot of litters they may not be used to doing it. I have never removed front dew claws and after reading up on studies that point to the fact that the wrist is more stable for activities like agility if the dew claws are left on, I'm glad I never considered it.

When possible I try to breed them without back dew claws as I believe it is a dominant gene and at least one parent had to have had them to produce them in the puppies.

Depends on the breed. I have sibes and they are active, WORKING dogs. The last thing you want is to be sledding/carting/mt biking and have one ripped off/half off by iced snow, ice itself, something sharp or big thats in the way. Its very dangerous once they are older.

Yes, it does depend on the breed but I have Border Collies, a very active WORKING breed and very, very few BC breeders have ever removed front dew claws and most of us have never had a problem with them ripping them. Borders are more likely to rip their stopper pad and this is a very common injury, along with a long list of other common injuries Borders inflict on themselves but torn dew claws are very rare.

Actually more than the breed I think the shape of the dew claws is the issue. Mine all have neat tucked in dew claws and if removed it would leave a large dent in the leg. I have seen other dogs though with dew claws that stick out away from the leg and these must be much more likely to get caught and damaged so I can see the need to remove them.

On of my dogs has a "dent" but you cant see it. You can feel it tho. I think it would be a bigger issue for dogs with less coat like boxers ect but a declaw sticking out would be just as much of an eye sore. guess it would depends on the breeder.

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I was shown but when I went to the vet to get the powder recommended he would not give it to me. He then did them for a number of years and sutured them with 2 stitches. I then had to remember to remove the stitches. :(

Then he refused to do them so I bit the bullet and do them myself.

Trick is a good pair of sharp curved scissors. Use condys after and no problems.

:D thats awful! I was told a list of things that would work if there was a bleeder. I read up on the stitches but everything I read said you where more likely to get an infection that way so I veto'd it. I was told if they look like they are getting pussy with the scab to just hot water compresses it and get rid of the scab.

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The forceps technic seems like it gets the job done best. Any thoughts about that?

Ive seen them use the mosquito forceps technique, to clamp first then use a scalpal blade to chop off the claw. Seems like unnecessary extra pain to me? I do mine close to get rid of the joint so i cant see how forceps allow you to get that close? Be interested to see if anyone here uses the forceps technique and their opinion.

I do mine day 2-3, quick snip and condys, i use the handy little scissors from Sways shop. Literally takes seconds. Never had any problems. :p

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  • 3 months later...
If they pups are shreiking and screaming, it's not being done right

RSG is correct. If you can't do it yourself enlist the help of an experienced breeder who does their own litters. A lot of vets are hopeless and often make a complete mess of it. You even get some who want to administer anaesthetic, put in stitches and give antibiotics, all totally unnecessary.

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Because a vet clinic is a swarm of potential germs, my pups don't visit unless they absolutely have to!

As the next pup is being born and mom is busy, I quickly nip the dews off and apply clotting substance (depends what I have as I normally used silver nitrate sticks before now will use the crystals) Mom isn't any the wiser, pups don't care.

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my regular vets were hopeless and I had my keeper girl have one grow back. I found an older vet further away who is brilliant, and clips them off and doesn't apply anything, you occasionally get a bleeder but didn't have any this time with 11! they don't cry when done correctly and this was day 4. I am not confident enough to do myself but will eventually

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