yulia
New member
To all breeders out there: please please please do not remove your pups' dew claws! Not only it is painful, traumatic, can cause infection and completely unnecessary, but it is connected to arthritis later in life. Please read this article by Chris Zink, DVM, PhD.
With A Flick of the Wrist by Chris Zink, DVM, PhD http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/documents/dewclaws-injury.pdf
Quote from the article: "In the last several years, while doing sports-medicine consultations for performance dogs across Canada and the United States, I have seen many canine athletes with carpal arthritis. Interestingly, this condition is much more common in dogs that have had their front dewclaws removed...The dewclaws have the important function of reducing the torque that is applied to the front legs, especially when dogs are turning at a canter (the main gait used in agility)."
With A Flick of the Wrist by Chris Zink, DVM, PhD http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/documents/dewclaws-injury.pdf
Quote from the article: "In the last several years, while doing sports-medicine consultations for performance dogs across Canada and the United States, I have seen many canine athletes with carpal arthritis. Interestingly, this condition is much more common in dogs that have had their front dewclaws removed...The dewclaws have the important function of reducing the torque that is applied to the front legs, especially when dogs are turning at a canter (the main gait used in agility)."