How To Cut Your Dog’s Dewclaws

This time we are going to talk about your dog’s dewclaws and how to take care of them or cut them. In case you haven’t noticed, the dewclaw is a nail that is located on the side of the back legs of dogs, near the ankle of the animal. The function of this nail is not known for sure, but the truth is that you have to take care of it.

There are those who affirm that the best thing is to amputate, but the truth is that the operation can be a painful process for our pet, that if it does not present problems, it is better not to amputate. So we want to give you some tips on how to cut your dog’s dewclaws and also their care.

What is a spur

As we have said before, a spur is a nail that grows on the side of your dog’s hind legs. Not all dog breeds have it, so it is very important that you inform yourself of your pet’s anatomy.

In principle, it is enough that you trim the spur periodically, just like you do with your dog’s nails. If you look at the spur, there are dogs that grow in a curled shape, so it is very easy for it to incarnate in the skin and become infected.

That is why it is extremely important that this does not happen and the only way is to cut it. Although there are dogs that are bothered by the spur and cannot even walk well, in these cases veterinarians advise amputation. But if your pet’s spur does not present any problem, it is better to keep it.

Time to cut your dog’s dewclaws!

First of all, you need good special pliers for this process to cut these types of nails. It is very important that your dog is calm and so are you, because if you are not going to transmit your nervousness.

Choose a quiet place where your pet feels relaxed, if you do not feel capable of doing it yourself, you can ask for help from someone who is also trusted by your dog.

Place your dog on his side and while you must pet him and speak affectionately, tell him that nothing is wrong. Get as far as possible lying on your dog and caress his paws. With pliers in hand, you should grab your pet’s paw and lift it slightly. Then separate the spur from the leg a little and with the pliers trim the tip of the spur.

But remember that you only have to cut the tip and not the inner part of the nail, since in that part there are blood vessels that if you cut you can cause bleeding in their legs.

One step that you cannot miss when trimming your dog’s dewclaws is to reward him once the process has finished. This way it will behave better the next times you have to cut your dog’s dewclaws.

If you do not feel capable enough or hesitate to do it well, it is preferable that you choose to have a professional do it for you, which happens that perhaps your dog will get more nervous and the process will be even more difficult for him.

What to do if your dog bleeds?

If by mistake you manage to cut the skin of your dog’s paw, it is very important that you do not get upset or nervous, since it will be the whole process. Immediately rub the area with styptic powder or another product to stop the bleeding. With a sterile gauze, squeeze the area where it is bleeding and immediately afterwards apply a bandage to prevent your pet from licking the wound.

But if you see that the bleeding does not stop, you should take your dog to the vet. There they will check the spur and trim it if necessary. The most common is that they give an analgesic to the wound and your dog will be given an antibiotic so that the affected area does not become infected.

Don’t worry about the spur because it will grow back, although sometimes they tend to come out weaker and are more likely to break.