How do you remove puppies dew claws, i have never done them before, but they really get in my othe dogs way and they occasionally pull out their whole nail! ouch!!

Someone has told me to get a curved pair of scissors from the chemist, like the ones you do toe nails with, then slide them underneath the dew claw and snip. Then put some vaseline on the wound. I don't quite understand how to do it though and im so scared im going to do something wrong and i really don't want to hurt them trying. My vets will not remove them. 

Please help!

I stopped doing my dogs dew claws years ago (r I should say my vet from doing them).  My breed actually use theirs to turn around quickly etc. and I've never had any lose them not in my SWD's nor my Pom's.

Pups make less noise having their tails docked than they do having their dew claws removed.  Also I wdn't do them on pups over 3 days of age, though there again I definitely wouldn't do them myself full stop!

i certainly wouldnt advocate doing your own until you had seem it done PROPERLY and decided you are confident to do it yourself. Also after 3 days old its a no-no.

How old are the puppies?

My vet showed me how to remove them but it's the sort of thing that can only be demonstrated, not described.

Dew claws can only be removed by a vet when the pups are under 4 days old (I think) or if older only the vet can do it under anasethtic (sp!) NEVER try to do it yourself that would be soooo painful for the pup.  One of mine has dew claws, I just keep them well trimmed and have no problems with them at all, in fact he uses them whilst eating bones and climbing fences

Actually anybody can remove dewclaws, ClaireyS, not just vets.

Nor did I hear a peep out of the 4 of mine I did in April.

Get them done by a vet if your going to get them done.

They aren't even a day old yet. I really want them done, but my vet will not do it, they are anti docking and anti dew claw removal. I had a look at them, but i wouldn't even know how far to go with them and what angle to cut them etc. Should i leave them?

If you've never even seen it done before, don't attempt it. It's all too easy to leave a piece of bone that will grow and cause problems in the future. The blade of the clippers must be flat against the pup's leg to remove the entire toe flush with the leg - and vaseline's no good as a styptic. Between three and five days is the best age to take them off - too young and the pups aren't yet strong enough; too old and they're tougher and it's a more difficult job.

As I say - not something to do if you've not been shown previously. Have you asked around other vets' practices in your area?

If you really want them done, contact the CDB (Council for Docked Breeds) - they have a list of vets in different areas who dock - and I think it's a logical conclusion that if they dock, they also remove dew claws.  Have a look at www.cdb.org  There's no time to lose though - and tomorrow is Sunday - so call them first thing on Monday and explain the situation.

Are these rear dew claws, if they are just the normal front ones leave them alone, millions of dogs live perfectly happily with theirs.  they are never removed in my breed.

Now rear ones are another matter, and often do cause problems.  they are usually very loosely attached and not as difficult to remove as front ones which really are well attached like a thumb.

If these are rear ones then I would ring he breed club and ask an experienced breeder near you for help.

I've never had any of my RR pups dew claws removed.  They use them to hang on to bones.  I just keep them trimmed when I do their other nails.  Never had a problem with them (famous last words!)

the vet who just did my litter told me only a vet can remove dew claws as it involves making a 'cavity'. my pups scream when they are done and i would never do it myself! plus they can bleed. i suppose once vets stop docking, dew claws will stay from then on.

You dont have to be a vet to remove dew claws, odd as that may seem!

I really wouldn't do it yourself.   Our vet don't remove dew claws so I had to phone round several vets last year to find one who did (and has to be done before they are 4 days old).  Unless you know what you're doing, I imagine it can be very painful for the pups and you can make a real mess of it.

>and has to be done before they are 4 days old

It's legal as long as it's done before the eyes are open (if being done without anaesthetic). 3-5 days is ideal. Once the eyes are open an anaesthetic is required.

I think i will just leave them alone.

I would if i was you. Although it looks neater and is less likely to catch. If they are not done properly they grow back and you could end up with one on and one off. I had mine done relluctantly and it was absolutely awfull. They were done properly yet they screamed. I decided never again they stay on next time. Hopefully once the docking is sorted perhaps that will stop with it too. I dread to think what they go through when people who don't know what they are doing and decide to have a go.

I have a HPR traditional docked breed and they are dew clawed at the same time in my last litter one of the claws grew back on the bitch puppy i kept, she had to have it removed under GA at 16 weeks of age it was horrendous the claw was huge and she had to have her foot bandaged and wrar a plastic cllar for 10 days (not much fun with a young pup) my point being I have seen them removed numerous times and i have beeen shown how to do it but i still wouldnt do it myself if you get it wrong the claw will grow back and deformed and you are then looking at full blown sugery to correct it.