Other dogs have figured out how to use their Dew Claws to scratch their noses or the corner of their eye. Many dogs will use their Dewclaw like a thumb to hold onto bones or toys. In fact, they do have a number of purposes. So since Dew Claws don’t actually touch the ground are they just a useless appendage. When a dog walks through the grass in the morning before the dew has vanished, the Dewclaw skims along the top of the grass. When a dog has a double claw on a leg, it’s called polydactyl. In fact, some claws actually have double Dew Claws on some legs. Some dogs and breeds also have Dew Claws located on the inside of their rear legs. (accessed May 25, 2012).The Dew Claw is a toenail located on the inside part of their front leg. “Do the Dew(claws)?.” Canine Sports Productions. After a lifetime of twisting, it could cause carpal arthritis, or injury to other joints such as the elbow, shoulder and toes (Zink). It is thought if the dewclaws were absent, the dog’s leg would twist each time. If the dog needs to turn, the dewclaw digs into the ground to provide support to the lower leg and prevent torque. When the dog is cantering or galloping the dewclaw comes in contact with the ground. The muscles attached to the dewclaw indicated that the dewclaws actually do have a function, which is to prevent torque on the leg (Zink). According to the Miller’s Guide to the Anatomy of Dogs, there are five tendons attached to the dewclaw, which would atrophy if the dewclaw were removed. In canine athletes it is believed that the dewclaw still does have a function and is not just the remains of a digit that has regressed in the course of evolution (Zink). Other veterinarians say that such injuries are actually not very common at all and it is far better to deal with an injury than to cut the dewclaws off all dogs as a precaution (Zink). It is believed by some that it should be removed due to the possibility of injury in life. However, the removal of the dewclaw is debated amongst veterinarians and owners. The Briard must have double rear dewclaws present (Zink). These dogs include the Great Pyrenees dog and Briard. There are some breeds, which must have the dewclaw present in order to be recognized as the breed standard. The dewclaw is commonly removed from puppies at an early age due to the susceptibility to injury and infection throughout life. This helps control pain in the immediate postoperative period. These nerves can be blocked with local anesthetic above the site of the dewclaw prior to surgery. Branches of the radial, median, and ulnar nerves transmit sensations from the digits to the brain. Blood does reach the dewclaw of a dog and therefore, if torn, the dewclaw can become infected. An ungual process is the process on the distal end of the distal phalanx of dogs that is surrounded by the claw in the living animal (Colville et al. Each distal phalanx contains a pointed ungual process, which is surrounded by the claw (Colville et al. There are no sesamoid bones in the dewclaw of a dog. This is a similar structure to the human thumb, which also only contains two phalanges as well. In the dog, the dewclaw contains two bones a proximal phalanx and a distal phalanx. There are no dewclaws present in aquatic mammals due to its definition of “a claw not touching the ground.” Both the metacarpal and phalangeal bones are present in the dewclaws of pigs, just as they are in weight-bearing digits (Colville et al. Pigs, cattle, and sheep also have dewclaws but only in pigs are bones present. In dogs, the dewclaw is the first digit, but actual bones are only found in the dewclaws of the forelimbs. They are also considered to be an accessory claw of the ruminant foot, analogous to a false hoof of a deer, hog, goat etc. It is defined as an accessory appendage of the integumentary system (Colville et al. The dewclaw is the rudimentary first digit of dogs and cats, found on the inner side of the front legs, above the weight-bearing digits.
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