Talk:Dewclaw

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MY LAB HAS HIS AND DOING FINE, IF NOT BROKE DONT FIX!!

Shouldn't this be a biology article? It's definitely not just dogs; I'm staring at my cat's dewclaw right now.

Stop staring--don't you know that's rude? :-) Sure, the intro paragraph states that it occurs on mammals, but dogs is all the info that's been added. Additional categories would be good to add, but it's nice to also have it in the dog category so that it shows up in the appropriate category list. Elf | Talk 19:12, 25 Apr 2005 (UTC)


Contents

[edit] POV

Latest edits are quite anti-dewclaw-removal; I have tried to rewrite so that article is more NPOV. I'd say, based on those edits, that this person has never been around active dogs who have had repeated problems with tearing and breaking of the dewclaw, often leading to the decision to remove them rather than keeping the dog in continuous pain. It's not something that happens in most dogs, but it most certainly does happen. Elf | Talk 04:26, 13 July 2005 (UTC)

[edit] lacking dewclaws

Don't some dogs ie. Rhodesian Ridgebacks, altogether lack dewclaws?

Some dogs are born w/out dewclaws. Might apply in general to certain breeds but I don't know for sure offhand which. Elf | Talk 19:02, 29 March 2006 (UTC)

The AKC web site indicates for Ridgebacks that "Dewclaws may be removed" and Ridgeback breeder web sites tout that their puppies have had their dewclaws removed. This would indicate to me that they are born with dewclaws. Most dogs are born without rear dewclaws, however rear dewclaws are an acceptable characteristic in the Great Pyrenees. When a dewclaw is removed just after birth there is often little to no visible trace of a dewclaw which may lead someone to believe that it was born without. My Labrador Retriever had no sign of a front dewclaw but I know that the breeder had removed them at birth. --mtnkjn 20:05, 5 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Rear vs. Front dewclaws in dogs

This article makes no distinction between front and rear dewclaws. Rear dewclaws appear occasionally in many breeds and are an accepted characteristic in breeds such as the Great Pyrenees. The article states that "dewclaws are a weak digit, barely attached to the leg" which in my experience is more true of rear dewclaws than front. The front dewclaws of my dogs contain a completely formed bone and are a very "strong" digit. My dogs obviously use this digit/claw as can be seen by the wear. On the other hand, the 6 month old mix breed that I rescued when she was 3 months old had her rear dewclaws removed yesterday while she was being spayed. Her rear dewclaws contained no bone and were dangling only by a thin piece of flesh and skin since birth. My dogs accompany me on backpacking trips in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The jagged rocks on the trails would easily rip a dewclaw like hers while we were miles/days from the nearest vet. I would question the competence of anyone that recommended that I not have her rear dewclaws removed. Perhaps if a dog only walks on carpet, lawn, and city sidewalks this would be good advice, but very bad advice for my circumstances and for active field hunting dogs. --mtnkjn 16:38, 5 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Stub cat.

Should this article (which is a stub) be labeled as a carnivora stub? It's currently labeled as a mammal stub, and it's mostly about dogs. 128.139.226.37 09:20, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Inside or outside of foot?

The current photos and text don't explain whether this claw is on the inside of the foot - comparable to human thumbs, or the outside.

It's the inside. A dewclaw is a hallux and therefore the first digit. The only example I can think of of a halluxiform digit on the outside is on some lizards (notably the american godzilla)

  • It was purely artistic license on the part of Patrick Tatopoulos,it should be noted that the dewclaw is not entirely vestigal,it is used in the mating act.Sochwa 23:44, 20 June 2007 (UTC)