Feelings on removing dew claws yourself?

I wasn't sure where to put this so I just put it here. I have heard a lot of people remove dew claws themselves, and even had someone tell me how to do. It seems simple enough and was thinking of doing it from now on, but I was wondering what everyone else feelings were about this? The majority of my dogs have always had their dew claws and have had no problems with them whatsoever so they are not really a top priority for me personally, but I know a lot of other people prefer them be removed soo...

I was told by another breeder to snip them off at the base then clean them with iodine, and then put silver nitrate on them to stop the bleeding.

I read the thread over on the dachshund haven on how to do it and it seriously made me sick to my stomach and weak in the knees. (We need a pukey face smiley, Karen!) I'm too sensitive to do it myself, but I strongly prefer that it be done. I paid my vet in the neighborhood of $150 to remove the dewclaws from my four girls.

I had a scary incident with Scooby involving one of his dew claws. The vet said we could either clip it or he could remove them. Scooby was in so much pain, he had ripped it on something and it was a bloody mess. I decided to get them removed so that I don't have to worry about it happening again. I'd like to learn how to do it with puppies.

I normally remove mine off my pups myself. But I have also found that if you don't do it right, part of it can grow back. If you don't remove that little piece of what I call cartledge(sp?) that is in there, it can still grow the nub with no nail. If that makes any sense cause I am not looking up all the proper terms or names.....LOL!!! Sorry.
I use hemostats and scissors strictly for the removal and I sterilize them between each pup. Now I don't always remove them off every litter but off of most of them. Sometimes I forget til it is to late about removing them since it should be done within 3-5 days after birth! I have alcohol and peroxide available and cotton balls with my sharp small scissors & hemostats when I do removal! You can use nitro sticks or septic powder that you use when clipping nails. It does the same thing only nitro sticks are less mess and right in the spot to seal it. I can't tell you how many I have removed....many!!
Now....I can't remember who or where I heard this, but someone said that if you are raising show litters.....to not remove them. I need to find out who said it and why....something about making the foot look wider and more appealing to the judges.
Anyway.....just my 2 cents worth....LOL!!!

I was just interested to see how people do it. I don't think I'd be comfortable doing it myself though unless someone with experience physically showed me, otherwise I'd be scared of doing it wrong or hurting the pup

Oh ok!!
Well if you give me a call after your next litter is born.....maybe I could come over and show you! I have done it for others before also!
Someone said they saw a video on how to do it.......not sure where to find it but it would be interesting to see it!!

I cut the main part of the dew off with scissors then use the hemostats to remove the small piece of cartledge....it leaves a small hole and that is where you would put the nitro stick in to seal it and to stop the bleeding. I have had pups not make a peep from it and I have had those squeelers.....but the squeelers are the ones that make noise no matter what you do to them at first.

If you have the stomach to do it......it is a piece of cake.......if you don't have the stomach to do it.....then don't worry about it. If you are selling the pups as pets.....they can be removed for a low cost of around maybe $60 I think when they are being spayed. Having teeth cleaned....they can remove dews also. I guess it is a decision you will have to make. But I would be more than happy to show you if you have a litter when the weather breaks!

Haha well we should have two around March or so....I think Taffy may have brought Hollie in a month early because her little bird looks a little larger than normal so we're keeping an eye on her too LOL

I would like to learn how to do it as well. I'm sure I could handle it, lol!

Luckily though our vet is very inexpensive on dew claws. For a litter of 4 it would be $29.45
Just 5.50 for the office visit, 8.95 for the 1st pup and 5.00 for each additional pup. Plus if you have a breed that needs tail docking as well, it is the same price for tails and dews, or dew claws only.
I didn't get them done on Ireland's litter though, but I wasn't too worried about it since nobody had rear dew claws.

Angelboys3 wrote:I would like to learn how to do it as well. I'm sure I could handle it, lol!

Luckily though our vet is very inexpensive on dew claws. For a litter of 4 it would be $29.45
Just 5.50 for the office visit, 8.95 for the 1st pup and 5.00 for each additional pup. Plus if you have a breed that needs tail docking as well, it is the same price for tails and dews, or dew claws only.
I didn't get them done on Ireland's litter though, but I wasn't too worried about it since nobody had rear dew claws.

I wish we had a vet like yours, ours is outrageously expensive on everything. We have a couple other vets in our area that are a little bit cheaper, but the actual doctors arn't as good as the ones they have where we go

I don't remove declaws. I have never had any new owner ask me about it. Kiko has her's removed(not at my request) and I think the breeder did it and didn't do a good job, cause there are small bald/scar spots where the declaws should be. I don't know if this is how they are supposed to look like if they are removed, but I don't like that look. I agree with Karen that with declaws, the legs seem to look thicker and stockier.

Angelboys3 wrote:I would like to learn how to do it as well. I'm sure I could handle it, lol!

Luckily though our vet is very inexpensive on dew claws. For a litter of 4 it would be $29.45
Just 5.50 for the office visit, 8.95 for the 1st pup and 5.00 for each additional pup. Plus if you have a breed that needs tail docking as well, it is the same price for tails and dews, or dew claws only.
I didn't get them done on Ireland's litter though, but I wasn't too worried about it since nobody had rear dew claws.

Angie I know you could handle it....I'm sure there is nothing you can't handle....LOL!!!
I also know how to dock tails but the laws in Ohio are now passed that it must be done by a licensed vet. I'm sure my vet would sign off of them if I showed him I could do them on my own and do them right!! I won't be having any Aussie pups here tho for awhile!!

dove wrote:I don't remove declaws. I have never had any new owner ask me about it. Kiko has her's removed(not at my request) and I think the breeder did it and didn't do a good job, cause there are small bald/scar spots where the declaws should be. I don't know if this is how they are supposed to look like if they are removed, but I don't like that look. I agree with Karen that with declaws, the legs seem to look thicker and stockier.

I have only had one litter with rear dews and you know....I didn't even notice them til it was to late to remove them.......I must of had a brain fart when checking out the pups but I had never had them before so I never really paid attention to them til now!! Now I check every puppy over very carefully....LOL!!! My Bella had both rear dews and I removed them myself since I was there when she was 3 days old. I removed the whole litters dews for her since I didn't want them on Bella!!

I remove them myself. I take cuticle scissors

and have them sterile. Cut the dewclaw up at the base making sure to press inward (curve side inward so the curve can get closer in) to be sure to get the whole joint. Then i take quickstop and dab the area...that is all there is to it. You want to do this at age 24 to 48 hours old. It minimizes the pain the puppy feels at that time. If you don't do it by that age then i would recommend the vet doing it during spaying and neutering as it then becomes major surgery.

dachshundsr4me wrote:I remove them myself. I take cuticle scissors

and have them sterile. Cut the dewclaw up at the base making sure to press inward (curve side inward so the curve can get closer in) to be sure to get the whole joint. Then i take quickstop and dab the area...that is all there is to it. You want to do this at age 24 to 48 hours old. It minimizes the pain the puppy feels at that time. If you don't do it by that age then i would recommend the vet doing it during spaying and neutering as it then becomes major surgery.

We do them the same way(When we do them)At times I will dab a little neosporin and put a band-aid til it closes,so urine/poopie doesn't get into the tiny cut.(You'd be amazed how much another puppy can dribble when mommas cleaning them up!)

I'm thinking one of you guys needs to make a video ... I still need to make a Patella video

I'm with the others, it's quite easy to do yourself, if you can stomach it.

My vet only charges 5.00 per pup, so sometimes I just take them in so i don't have to listen to the squealers

If my vet was expensive, i'd just do it myself I'm just very fortunate that he is extremely reasonable.

runarabbit wrote:I'm thinking one of you guys needs to make a video ... I still need to make a Patella video

I'm with the others, it's quite easy to do yourself, if you can stomach it.

My vet only charges 5.00 per pup, so sometimes I just take them in so i don't have to listen to the squealers

If my vet was expensive, i'd just do it myself I'm just very fortunate that he is extremely reasonable.

some you tube videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO8dX6gJE7o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUk_Qx3dUrg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGbimn0PD3Q

I've watched a couple of the videos...LOL I'm just nervous I'll cut them too far back, or not far back enough

Ask your vet if he wouldn't mind letting you watch him so you can learn how Then let him assist you as you do your own. The first time is always nerve racking. I'd tell you it gets easier, but for me, I know I can do it, but I just don't like doing my own babies It's easier for me to work on someone else's dogs if that makes any since.