I had the dogs in their carrier for their trip to Ed's for the weekend. I've used it countless times...it's not a hard plastic one, it's softer and collapsible. Anyway, as I was carrying them inside, Tango started to yelp! Several times, loudly!! Freaked me out, and as soon as I got in I immediately got them both out of the carrier, and there was blood! More freakout. He has all 4 dewclaws, and it turns out he ripped one of them clean off!!! I guess he must have somehow hooked one somewhere on the inside of the carrier. I have NO CLUE how that happened, or where it happened. I've examined the thing minutely and I just can't find anywhere he could have caught it. But he's so tiny (under 4 pounds) and his claws are too so I guess it's impossible for me to find anything that isn't very obvious. Poor thing He seemed fine though, the bleeding stopped almost right away after I put a little pressure on it. The area didn't seem tender either. I called Paige immediately...she's an ex vet tech. She asked me some questions, and told me to keep an eye out for infection, and for him licking it obsessively which would prevent healing. Talk of an e-collar if he didn't leave it alone. But he did, and it's healed up just fine. Right after the bleeding stopped. This is what I found when I took the white soft fluffy pad out of the carrier to wash the blood off of it. Jeez This ever happened to anyone else? Curious if the nail will eventually grow back, or if it's now gone from that dewclaw permanently? I wouldn't actually mind that...it's been a pain with him having all 4 dewclaws. I checked out getting them removed a long time ago, but unlike some dewclaws which are just flaps of skin attached to the leg, his have gristle and bone attaching them, so it would be like a little mini amputation of each one. Uh...no. No thanks.
Many many years ago our German Shepard got his hung in part of the chain link fence out back and when he pulled his paw loose the dew claw came out. Vet said the same thing Paige told you and no it doesn't grow back, it has been heard of but that is only when the whole claw didn't come out. I have read that breeders will have them removed when the pups are less than a week old just for future safety reasons.
Ouchies! I don't remember how it happened, but my cat ripped one of his claws apart a few years ago, and I had to take him to the vet and have them fix it. They cut the claw pretty far back, but it actually wound up growing back.
So far, I'm not seeing any new growth. I belong to a Chihuahua forum, and asked around there. The experienced were mixed...some grew back, some didn't. So, we'll see. Honestly it's easier for me if it doesn't. With all four dewclaws (Jazz doesn't have any) they curve...well you can see in the pic how much they curve, which makes keeping them trimmed REALLY hard. My babies are with one of my best friends for the week while I'm in Florida. Vee and I were roommates for a few years a few years back, and she loves my dogs like her own!
