# Do Wolve Die From This? (Ingrown Dew Claws) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 31, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-wolve-die-from-this-ingrown-dew-claws/601398 "2011-10-31T17:34:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-wolve-die-from-this-ingrown-dew-claws/601398/1 "2011-10-31T17:34:20Z")
“Kino” a stary dog we have been fostering has rather large dew claws. His previous owner never trimmed them-when we got him, we had to cut them immediately, as they were almost growing in to the pads. Which made me wonder-do wolves in the wild have this condition? Dew claws seem to serve no puprose-amny people have their vet surgically remove them. I have seen neglected dogs with the claws growing into the pads-which will cause infection and (eventual) death. Or do they just get torn off in the wild? ---
**Author:** ![toodlepip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/97f17d/32.png) [@toodlepip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toodlepip)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-wolve-die-from-this-ingrown-dew-claws/601398/2 "2011-11-01T00:55:34Z")
I have no experience working with wolves, but although I don’t exactly keep a record of statistics, I trim a lot of dog’s dew claws. Ingrown dew claws are vastly more common in smaller breeds whose claws are very curved in shape. And it’s not just the dew claws, I’ve seen dogs with every single claw cutting into the bottom of its corresponding toe pad. Longer- and straighter-legged breeds tend to have straighter claws which don’t curve enough to reach the toe pad no matter how overgrown they get. In other words, the dog breeds most similar to wolves in body shape are also the breeds that are unlikely to have ingrown dew claws. I would also expect that wolves would use their dew claws enough to wear them down. Wolves usually have no rear dew claws, which in dogs are often curlier than those on the front legs. ---
**Author:** ![Chesanine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Chesanine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chesanine)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-wolve-die-from-this-ingrown-dew-claws/601398/3 "2012-08-19T05:33:12Z")
With the experience I have with Hybrids and a handful of Timber and Red Wolves…thus far I’ve seen the dew claws are worn down from usage. Wolves in the wild will, at times, bury their kill and save them for later, and the females on some occasions have to dig themselves new dens to rear her pups. Because regular dogs are “domesticated” they have no real use for their dew claws, hence the reason they are typically removed when they are young. Hope this helps! ---
**Author:** ![qualityleashdog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/9f8e36/32.png) [@qualityleashdog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qualityleashdog)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-wolve-die-from-this-ingrown-dew-claws/601398/4 "2012-08-20T03:39:46Z")
I see quite a few ‘farm’ or ‘outside’ dogs every year that have ingrown (or close to it) dewclaws. These are the people that only have the nails trimmed once or twice per year. I’m not able to get traditional nail trimmers over that nail, but I do keep side cutters (diagonal pliers) on hand to cut the nail, and then pull it out. Then it’s followed up with bacitracin, mycatracin or neosporin, with advice to the client to followup with the ointment for several days, with a visit to the vet if complications arise. Usually complications never arise. All the dewclaws on my puppies are amputated, at home, at 72 hours, with nothing more fancy than a pair of surgical scissors. Just a snip behind the base of the toe. (Don’t take that as advice, but it really isn’t complicated). Any later than that, and a vet does have to do the procedure. Dew claws are worthless and are a hindrance to domestic dogs. I advise their removal if you are able to catch them when they are puppies, but on adult dogs, I’d just do the maintenance. Sadly, I have no experience with wolves and their dewclaws. ---
**Author:** ![ArmenE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ArmenE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArmenE)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-wolve-die-from-this-ingrown-dew-claws/601398/5 "2012-08-20T04:27:12Z")
Wolves don’t have dew claws, is my understanding. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-wolve-die-from-this-ingrown-dew-claws/601398/6 "2012-08-20T04:48:43Z")
I watched a collie bite off a dewclaw that was annoying her. She nibbled it with her incisors and with a yank pulled it off. There was some blood but she didn’t care. Being a dog I think she thought the blood made her look cool. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-wolve-die-from-this-ingrown-dew-claws/601398/7 "2012-08-20T06:58:13Z")
> [@ArmenE](#): > > Wolves don’t have dew claws, is my understanding. I was ready to call bullshit, and such illustrious sources like Yahoo Answers and Wiki Answers thought so. But maybe they’re not supposed to, although some might, if you can trust BBC. These with dewclaws may be hybridized with domestic dogs, maybe: [BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Claws reveal wolf survival threat](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3602741.stm) ---
**Author:** ![ArmenE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ArmenE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArmenE)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-wolve-die-from-this-ingrown-dew-claws/601398/8 "2012-08-30T05:44:17Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > I was ready to call bullshit, and such illustrious sources like Yahoo Answers and Wiki Answers thought so. But maybe they’re not supposed to, although some might, if you can trust BBC. These with dewclaws may be hybridized with domestic dogs, maybe: [BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Claws reveal wolf survival threat](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3602741.stm) That was my source too. ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-wolve-die-from-this-ingrown-dew-claws/601398/9 "2012-08-30T11:46:52Z")
I will argue that dew claws are somewhat useful to a domestic dog. Mine seem to use them like thumbs when they are chewing on something. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-wolve-die-from-this-ingrown-dew-claws/601398/10 "2012-08-30T11:50:39Z")
Quote: Dew claws are worthless and are a hindrance to domestic dogs. I advise their removal if you are able to catch them when they are puppies, but on adult dogs, I’d just do the maintenance. Sadly, I have no experience with wolves and their dewclaws. Ulp…that is what they are saying about foreskins!:D:eek:😕 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-wolve-die-from-this-ingrown-dew-claws/601398/11 "2012-08-30T12:14:47Z")
It takes a lot to kill an organism. The other day I found a dead squirrel in our yard. Curious as to whether one of our dogs was responsible, I took a look. Spoiler for the squeamish: [spoiler] The squirrel had some sort of horrible malocclusion which caused its incisors to not wear appropriately. The animal looked like a monstrosity, with upper incisors curling down and penetrating the neck. A lower incisor was proptosing an eye. Yet the animal lived, ate, etc until things got unworkable.[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![toodlepip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/97f17d/32.png) [@toodlepip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toodlepip)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-wolve-die-from-this-ingrown-dew-claws/601398/12 "2012-09-03T23:58:39Z")
> [@ArmenE](#): > > Wolves don’t have dew claws, is my understanding. They don’t have dew claws on their hindlegs. The do have them on their front legs, and those are useful. Hind leg dew claws serve no purpose whatsoever.