What do you do if a dogs dewclaw breaks off?

Answer 1

Don't mess with the dewclaw - it is probably very sensitive and painful to your dog right now. Schedule an appointment with your veterinarian as soon as possible for treatment - your veterinarian can use local anesthetic and remove the rest of the dewclaw if it is almost out, or can schedule general anesthesia and surgical removal within the next few days.

Answer 2

In the immediate aftermath, apply pressure with a clean sterile gauze to get the bleeding to stop. After the bleeding has stopped, you can carefully look at the dew claw to see how extensive the damage is.

At this point, you need to make the decision about whether you want to treat this yourself at home (your dog is not likely to cooperate with the rest of this) or if you want a veterinarian to handle this.

Either way, the next step is to remove the torn and ripped portion of the dew claw. This is going to be painful, so make sure you keep safe so you don't get bit. Remember that EVERY dog will bite - it just depends on the situation - and ANYONE can be bitten by any dog, including the owner. Once you have the damaged portion removed so it won't catch on anything, staunch any further bleeding with sterile gauze.

If the skin is ripped open, you will need to keep the wound clean and covered to prevent infection from settling in. Sterile gauze wrapped in athletic tape may work, although some dogs are little miracle workers at getting bandages off. Over the next few days, change the bandage every 12 hours and keep an eye on the area. Once the skin has closed up, you can leave the bandage off and your dog should be fine.

If you don't think you can remove the torn portion of the claw, or if you don't think you can get a bandage on your dog, or if you would like some pain medication for your dog, you will need to have your veterinarian take care of this. Provided you can get the initial bleeding stopped, this isn't a medical emergency - you can wait until the next regular day's appointments are available rather than pay emergency hour rates.

Answer 3

My dog tore her dew claw off and just the inside "flesh" was there. It was bleeding very badly, she was limping and licking it. I called the vet and he said not to cut it, I put some triple antibiotic on it and covered it with a large band-aid then loosely covered it with a 4 by 4 and soft tape to help the bleeding stop and keep her from licking or biting at it. The vet said to watch it and if it became inflamed, had any drainage or foul smell to bring her in right away. She did fine and in a few days the band-aid was off and she had no further problems. Fortunate for me I had some mild tranquilizers I would give her when the weather was stormy, she would shake and hide under something so I gave her 1/2 pill and it made her a little sleepy and quiet for a few hours until the bleeding had stopped and hopefully the pain had wore off some. She acts like nothing ever happened to her. Good luck to you and your beloved dog!

Answer 4

Dewclaws are the "fifth finger" on the dog's front legs. Since dogs essentially walk on their toes, the dewclaw - the dogs thumb - usually dangles uselessly several inches above the ground. The dewclaw can catch on brush, logs, rocks, or other trail obstructions the dog has to navigate over, under, or around. A torn dewclaw can bleed a lot, but generally it isn't a serious injury. The prescribed treatment is to stop the bleeding through direct pressure. Next, wrap gauze around the dewclaw and leg, then wrap tape around it to hold the dewclaw firmly to the leg. Don't wrap too tightly, however, or you'll constrict blood flow into the lower leg.

Answer 5

Dewclaws are the "fifth finger" on the dog's front legs. Since dogs essentially walk on their toes, the dewclaw - the dogs thumb - usually dangles uselessly several inches above the ground. The dewclaw can catch on brush, logs, rocks, or other trail obstructions the dog has to navigate over, under, or around. A torn dewclaw can bleed a lot, but generally it isn't a serious injury. The prescribed treatment is to stop the bleeding through direct pressure. Next, wrap gauze around the dewclaw and leg, then wrap tape around it to hold the dewclaw firmly to the leg. Don't wrap too tightly, however, or you'll constrict blood flow into the lower leg.

Answer 6

As a pet owner, you don't. This is an amputation procedure that should be performed by a veterinarian. The dewclaws are typically removed within a few days of birth, and most veterinarians require it to be done in the first seven days of life.

As a side note, unless your dog is a registered show animal that needs to conform to breed standards, there is no reason to have the dewclaws removed. Most dogs can live their whole lives with their dewclaws and not have any problems with them. If a problem does arise later in life, the dewclaw can always be removed then.

Answer 7

Nothing, many people get them cut off as pups.

Answer 8

Take it to a vet. missing claws are no different to biting off your nails. just think about the pain of having to walk on that hand. I reccommend you see a vet right away.

Answer 9

This operation should be performed by a veterinarian, who will show you how to correctly remove the other puppies dew claws.