Hi All

I have just noticed one of my litter of 4 weeks has 6 toes on both his back feet instead of 4. He is booked in to be checked at the vets tommorrow, but i was just wondering if anyone has come across this before and what to expect tommorrow. I am hoping that maybe they could be removed, but i thought this may unbalance him, but they look quite awkward so i assume they cannot be left as they will be continually catching on things. Any ideas???

Brinny

6 plus a dew claw, it is not that unusual in man and there is at least one breed that has 6 toes all round. Would be suprised if the vet will remove unless they are placed so they will interfer with his normal life.

Hi Jackie

No it is six in total and all the others have 4 each, it is just that they appear to be quite high round the side of his feet on the insides of his legs making them look a bit webbed almost, he seems fine and is walking aswell as the others, but the very outer 2 are really loose on closer inspection, Do you think these could be dew claws then? Sorry i am being really thick but i have never been 100% what dew claws are, and why would only 1 pup have them out of 8?

Brinny

What breed? Sounds like a double dew claw which is common on the french pastoral breeds (PMD, Briard, Pyrenean Sheepdog etc) but can occasionally crop up in other breeds especially those where there may have been interbreeding with these in the past!

They are English springer spaniels. Can these be removed at 4 weeks??

Not without a general no! Did you not get them docked?

Jesse

As Jesse says - not without a general anaesthetic at that age - dew claws can only be removed in the first few days without. Not sure that a vet would operate on such a young pup unless there was some immediate risk to it. It is the sort of thing that might be done later if the dog is having anaesthetic for some other reason.

You'll not get these extra claws/dew claws removed until the dog is probably about 6 months old. A pup I bred was born with 1 back dew claw and although it was removed at a few days old, it grew back! His owners were advised by their vet to wait until he was 6 months old for removal.