Watcher Engel k9 ( matter now resolved ) - Page 2

VK, don't you wrap them every time the dog's working out in the brush? That should be fine. 

Hexe is right, of course, and being in the veterinary field means she sees lots of worst case scenarios- but doesn't see all the times they get caught and ripped and don't end up being a big deal to take care of...or don't ever become a problem......so...different perspectives. My philosophy is based on an old country vet's advice to a friend of mine whose dog had rears and she was contemplating surgery. I have always removed them at one day old when they've occurred in my litters. 

If it were my dog and so far so good, and I always kept them trimmed very short and smooth, I'd be comfortable just wrapping them in vet wrap or similar in certain terrain. I would assume (perhaps wrongly) that if you're that far from help, you'd carry some firstaid stuff for both yourself and the dogs out in the bush? 

Jenni, you're right in that what I've seen come into the vet's office have been bloody messes where the torn-off dewclaw is fully pulled away from the leg and generally hanging by a shred of skin if it's still there at all--thus the difficulty of repairing it, because there's not really much free skin available at that spot, and what would have been a very small incision if surgically removed has instead become a gaping hole with jagged edges which will be difficult to close neatly and securely. The lower legs are a hard place to be able to pull enough skin from either side of a wound for stapling, too. I always removed hind dewclaws at birth, too, when I was raising sled dogs, but I also saw the effects of not removing them on dogs owned by other drivers when a hind dewclaw got torn away in heavy, 'punchy' snow where an icy crust had formed on top but the snow underneath is soft and non-supportive and the paws punched right through the ice layer. The hound-crosses were the worst, since their skin was like tissue-paper to begin with...

With a pet that didn't get them removed at birth, I probably wouldn't put the dog through surgery just to remove them, but I'd get them taken care of when the dog was under for something else.  For an older pup or dog that is actually working in brush or other rough terrain, though, if they aren't always going to be wrapped, I do think it is best to get them taken off by the vet so it's done with a smaller incision, and the skin of the suture line for closure won't have suffered pre-surgical trauma and damage--but I'd also probably keep them wrapped until I was going to take the dog in for something else as well, I wouldn't just make a special trip for it, either.

Boy, did this skew off-topic, to a certain extent...let's bring it full-circle: I wouldn't reject a puppy I'd put a deposit on simply because it had hind dewclaws, though I admit I would be annoyed that the breeder hadn't checked the pups carefully enough at birth to have detected and dealt with them at that time, when it could have been taken care of with a sterilized pair of nail clippers and not even a stitch would have been necessary. Beyond that, if a breeder says they will refund a deposit, they should follow through with it; if a breeder decides they don't want to sell a pup to someone who has already given them a deposit, then the breeder is definitely obligated to return the deposit, since they are the ones backing out of the deal, not the buyer.

 

Anyone heard or had dogs trained and title by ''apcck9'' they are located in Missouri ?

Below is their website.

  http://apcck9.com/products

On the 1st litter we had hind dewclaws , Vet pulled up the bone of the dewclaw with hemostats , then cut with scissors . Then placed a heated razor blade to the area that was cut . 6 days old

2nd litter no dewclaws .

3rd litter with same stud as the 1st litter , another vet came around and just cut the dewclaw with scissors . 5 days old .

Tried to find the website , could not find it again ... but this woman recomends cutting the hind dewclaws at birth as it hehelps to clear the lungs

Dewclaws i removed many times on my puppies,when the puppies are 2-3 days old just cut them off with the scissors,same like cutting off tales in rottweilers ,dobermans.Two days old puppies barely feel any pain and the wounds heels in few days.My point is that you got burned on your deposit,and that was planned it.The excuse they gave you is just radiculous,and untrue,they got your money and that all matter to them.The good think is you posted this message and that will inform and warn potencial buyers to stay away from this breeder.
 

this woman recomends cutting the hind dewclaws at birth as it hehelps to clear the lungs 

 

Excuse my language, but WTF???

LOLOLOL!!

Maybe the pain makes the pup cry, which helps expand the lungs, because they take deeper breaths when crying??

[OT]Anyone know why the Briard breed standard calls for double dewclaws?  What possible purpose could they serve?[/OT]

I used the nail clippers for cats or tiny dogs to remove rear dewclaws. They are nice and sharp and they cut very very close to the leg so by a week post removal, you could never tell the pup had rear dewclaws. Happened to me twice. I did ask the buyers the pups were intended for if they had very strong feelings either way, but decided it was a lot easier to do it then. They barely even bleed-nothing mom can't take care of in just a few minutes. Granted, she glared at me a bit like WTH are you doing, woman?! They were fine and I leave for a second and now they're bleeding! LOL

We really should start a new thread, but I highly recommend the scissor-type nail clippers for cats and tiny dogs to remove rear dewclaws. Very very nice cuts, very minimal bleeding and they're so sharp that I think it hurts them a lot less than if you're struggling with scissors or whatever. They cut like butter and they barely utter a squeak. 

This thread has taken off on the subject of dewclaw removal seems like alot of interest in that topic, yes a new thread should be started,in my own thinking rear dewclaws should be removed at about three or four days old. Carol has sent me an email stating sorry for the delay in getting my refund back today sunday through paypal I,m hoping it goes through and that it  clears and that this can be resolved.

bundishep it would make more sense to change the title of this thread to dewclaw removal and YOU start a new thread on yr deposit :-)

 

anyhoo, glad it seems you are making progress.

 

has anyone seen the clip on people removing dewclaws form retrievers climbing ice shelves, totally wrong practice, dogs used the front dew claws like ice picks, an amzing vid if anyone finds it.

Yeah, VK4, I saw that. I used it to show people who think it's fine to remove front dewclaws. Makes me cringe to even think about.