# Dog with torn dew claw **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 29, 2012, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-with-torn-dew-claw/611092 "2012-01-29T17:08:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2012, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-with-torn-dew-claw/611092/1 "2012-01-29T17:08:07Z")
Somehow my dog managed to partially tear off her dew claw. It hasn’t bled, and it doesn’t seem to be mostly torn off, but it is certainly damaged. And she is spending most of her time licking the spot. Is this something that will heal by itself, or should I take her to the vet? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2012, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-with-torn-dew-claw/611092/2 "2012-01-29T17:15:37Z")
Veterinary advice, like medical advice, is better suited to IMHO than GQ. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![LurkerInNJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2012, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-with-torn-dew-claw/611092/3 "2012-01-29T17:23:00Z")
Vet. They can snip it off. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2012, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-with-torn-dew-claw/611092/4 "2012-01-29T17:31:42Z")
Ditto vet. If she keeps licking it, she could end up with a [lick granuloma](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lick_granuloma), which won’t help matters. You could wrap it in vetwrap or ace bandage, if she’ll tolerate it and leave it on, until tomorrow rather than go to the vet ER. But really, best to get it seen to sooner rather than later. If the dewclaw isn’t functional or firmly attached, rather just attached by a bit of skin, it won’t be a big deal for them to remove it. ---
**Author:** ![florez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9e5f3/32.png) [@florez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/florez)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2012, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-with-torn-dew-claw/611092/5 "2012-01-29T19:03:44Z")
I heard that a dew claw can also be attached to a tendon, so I would go with vet. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2012, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-with-torn-dew-claw/611092/6 "2012-01-29T20:38:02Z")
I have JRTs and we had them removed two days after birth, easier than waiting for each one to be injured. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2012, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-with-torn-dew-claw/611092/7 "2012-01-29T20:46:56Z")
Torn dew claws aren’t a given, mind you - Briards (French herding dogs) have a minimum of two dewclaws on each hind leg, anything less is a “disqualification.” > **[Briard Dog Breed Information](https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/briard/)** > > Right breed for you? Briard information including personality, history, grooming, pictures, videos, and the AKC breed standard. Dogs with very tightly-attached and functional dewclaws are less prone to having them torn or injured, mind you, especially if active, like a typical JRT. Most of the dogs in my life have had dew claws (and that’s a lot of active dogs!) and only one ever tore one. On a Sunday, of course. I took him to the ER vet and because it wasn’t tightly attached with muscle or tendon, they gave him a local, snipped it off and he was pretty much back to normal by the next day. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2012, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-with-torn-dew-claw/611092/8 "2012-01-29T22:39:28Z")
The vet can remove the dew claw. No more trouble.