Can You Declaw A Dog? [Here’s Why It’s Not A Good Idea]

Can you declaw a dog? Technically, yes, dog declawing is a procedure that can be performed. However, declawing dogs is incredibly painful, intrusive, and unnecessary and it should only be done for certain medical reasons. The process of declawing has even been outlawed in Germany and other European countries since it is considered animal cruelty.

Declawing cats used to be a more common practice. However, I’ve learned that in recent years, an increasing number of veterinarians have stopped cat owners from wanting this procedure for their furry friends. Research has shown that declawing a cat is like cutting off your fingers to the first knuckle, making it a painful and unnecessary procedure—the same idea applies to dogs. However, some pet owners continue the practice because it keeps their cats from scratching people and clawing up the furniture. I know from personal experience that dogs can scratch up the furniture just as much as cats— and their claws can be dangerous if they get aggressive.

Dewclaws are another story— although there’s a reason why dogs have dewclaws, many veterinarians will remove your dog’s dewclaws if there is a medical reason for doing so. Some breeders don’t recommend dewclaw removal because they believe that it affects the quality of the breed. Ultimately, removing the dewclaws is a personal decision that could help or hinder your dog based on their size, activity level, and their breed.

Declawing your dog is a controversial process, but it’s necessary for rare situations. Throughout this article, I will explain everything you need to know about declawing dogs and why it usually isn’t a good idea to do so.

Why is it Bad to Declaw A Dog?

There’s a reason why declawing dogs is practically unheard of. Wanting to declaw cats is harmful enough, but some veterinarians try to remove as little bone as possible. Dogs and cats have paws that might look similar, but while cats can go through the process with only a little bone being removed, dogs have to have a lot of bone removed for the procedure to work properly.

Unlike human fingernails, dog nails are attached directly to the bone. As a result, cutting off a little bit of bone won’t stop your dog’s nails from growing back. If you don’t cut off enough bone, the nails will grow back. Once you remove your dog’s claws, they’ll have trouble standing up straight for a while since their claws normally help them to support their body weight. They’ll also have trouble digging holes, scratching, and engaging in normal activities as well as protecting themselves if another animal attacks.

For these reasons and more, it’s nearly impossible to find a vet who will remove your dog’s claws. However, there are a few rare exceptions where declawing your dog could save their life. This includes situations where your dog has nail diseases such as claw fold disease, nail infections, or if the nails are cancerous. If your dog is a dogfighter, they may obtain serious nail injuries, which could lead to your dog having possibly fatal infections. Even if declawing your dog could save your dog’s life, this process should only be done as the last resort.

When Should You Declaw Your Dog?

In rare cases, your dog could develop a nail infection that doesn’t respond to regular treatment from antibiotics and medications. If your vet can’t treat the infection, a nail condition could be fatal. If no other treatments work, your vet might recommend declawing your dog as a last resort. By removing their nails and the section of bone that helps the claws to grow back, you could eliminate the infection in your dog’s paws and save your dog’s life. However, this should always be a last resort since the procedure can be incredibly painful and the recovery process may take a long time.

What Happens During the Declawing Process?

When you take your dog to the vet for declawing, the vet will put your dog under anesthesia. The vet will cut away at the skin to expose the bone, then cut off the nail and bone with a guillotine-style clipper before stitching up the incision. Some vets keep your dog at their clinic for several days to make sure they don’t develop an infection or suffer from unnecessary pain. When you take your dog home, they might be in pain for several days or even weeks. Your vet can give you pain medication, but there’s not much you can do for your dog besides trying to limit their activity and performing regular bandage changes.

What About DewClaws?

If your dog works, hunts, or plays outside often, you might want to remove its dewclaws. Dewclaws are extra claws positioned above your dog’s paw. They usually appear on a dog’s front legs but some dogs also have rear dewclaws. Dewclaws serve to provide extra traction and help stabilize a dog’s feet when they are moving at high speeds. Some dewclaws are attached to the bone while others are attached to a flap of skin and connective tissue. Some breeds even have double dewclaws on each foot in order to provide extra stability. These dewclaws are less essential than your dog’s regular claws, meaning that you can remove them without ruining your dog’s quality of life.

However, that doesn’t mean you should take your dog to the vet to remove their dewclaws. If it’s not causing an issue, there’s no reason to put your dog through unnecessary surgery. Some guardians get their dogs’ dewclaws removed because their dogs might have dewclaw injuries from running around outside. Dewclaw injuries can also result from high amounts of activity when working or playing on rough terrain. While running around, your dog may get their front or rear dewclaws partially torn off. In this case, it is a good idea to remove their dewclaws in order to prevent any chances for an infection to occur. Others get the dewclaws or double dewclaws removed because it’s a traditional process for certain dog breeds. Regardless of your reasoning, make sure to seek veterinary advice before going ahead with the process in order to make sure it would benefit your furry friend.

What Are Some Declawing Alternatives?

If your dog is tearing up your furniture, your clothes, or your hardwood floors, you have a few options that don’t involve major surgery. Here are a few ways you could reduce the damage that your dog wreaks around your house.

Clipping Your Dog’s Nails

When your dog won’t stop clawing everything, try trimming their nails. Trimming your dog’s nails can be a challenging process— most dogs don’t like being held down and dealing with new experiences. It’s not necessarily painful if you know what you’re doing, but you might need a partner to hold your dog down while you clip their nails.

To use dog nail clippers, hold the paw with your thumb on one side and the rest of your fingers on the other side. When you look at the nail, you should look for the pink section that is usually located in the middle of the nail. This is a set of nerve endings and blood vessels called the “quick.” If you cut the quick, you’ll likely have to take measures to stop your dog’s nail from bleeding. Cutting the quick is painful, which might make your dog afraid of nail trimmings. If you do cut the quick, try to have a styptic pencil on hand in order to accelerate the clotting process.

When you trim their nails, find the quick and cut just beyond it at a 90-degree angle in order to avoid tissue damage. It’s also important to cut your dog’s nails carefully so you don’t create any sharp edges. Afterward, give your pet a dog treat and lots of affection to reward them for being good. Giving your dog positive reinforcement could make it much easier to cut their nails in the future. Try to cut your dog’s nails a tiny bit semi-frequently rather than waiting a long time and clipping off a lot of nails, since this makes it less likely that you will cut them quickly or make their nails too sharp.

If you’re not comfortable clipping your dog’s nails or your attempts at nail trimming don’t go well, most groomers offer nail clipping services. Your vet might also clip their nails when you take them in for a regular checkup.

Grinding Your Dog’s Nails

Grinding or filing your dog’s nails might make your dog more comfortable. With a dog-friendly nail file or dog nail grinder, you can grind down their nails so they’re short, smooth, and curled instead of long and sharp. You could even use a rotary grinder if you keep it at the slowest speed. This process is more time-consuming so dogs that are impatient or hyper may not like it, but some dogs find it less stressful. It also makes it less likely that their nails will snag your clothes or scratch your hardwood floors. In the end, give your dog a treat and affection if they are patient during the process.

Giving Your Dogs Booties

Although dog boots are typically used to protect your dog’s feet from rough terrain and weather, they can also make it virtually impossible for them to claw the furniture. Dog booties also have a number of practical uses for active dogs who spend a lot of time running, hiking, and hunting with their guardians. Each brand is different, but they might offer extra traction, weather protection, ventilation, and other features so it’s important to see which brand works with your pet’s needs. Your dog can wear booties indoors or outdoors.

You could also get your dog paw pads to wear inside in order to prevent them from tearing up your home. Paw pads are better for some dogs than others, so you would have to test them out with your dog to see if they work with your furry friend’s needs. A set of paw pads usually lasts 1 to 2 months, and you can choose from a variety of colors.

Conclusion

In most cases, declawing a dog or cat is one of the worst things that a guardian could do to their pet (1). However, your vet might declaw your dog if they’re suffering from a severe nail infection or disease that won’t clear up with any other treatments. You might get your dog’s dewclaws removed if they keep getting injured when your dog plays outside in their wireless dog fence. Ultimately, trimming or grinding your dog’s nails is the best option— it’ll reduce the amount of clawing and tearing without causing any permanent damage or causing your furry friend to go through unnecessary pain.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is declawing painful for dogs?

Dogs can experience pain for days or weeks after their declawing procedure. Your vet could prescribe pain medication to make your dog more comfortable. To manage the pain, your vet might recommend reducing your dog’s activity levels until you notice that they start to feel better.

Can you remove a dog’s dewclaws?

Your veterinarian could remove your dog’s dewclaws, but it is generally unnecessary unless you have an adequate reason for doing so. Dewclaw removal is more common because they are less essential for your dog to live a happy and healthy life and it might prevent future injuries.

Why do you declaw a dog?

You might get your dog declawed if they suffer from nail infections that threaten their health. Otherwise, there’s no reason to declaw a dog. Most veterinarians won’t do it unless they have a medical reason to do so.

Do vets still declaw?

Although rare, some veterinarians still practice declawing cats. Declawing dogs, however, is not commonly done unless an existing serious paw or nail condition requires it. Dewclaws are the part some vets take away if they cause more injuries to the dog.