Dewclaw Day

The puppies had their dewclaws removed today. Sometimes this can make for a fussy day but these guys took it all in stride. Dewclaws are vestigial 5th toes on the sides of the leg. Most sammie puppies have them, some pups are born with dewclaws on both front and rear legs, these girls had them only on the front paws.

The biggest reason for removing dewclaws is one of safety. Some dewclaws grow small and close to the leg and don't present a problem... others grow bigger and looser. The loose type dewclaws can easily become caught on things and get torn off. Removing them at birth is an easy and relatively painless process, removing or fixing a torn dewclaw in an adult dog requires surgery and anethesia, along with it's associated risks. Most breeders choose to remove them shortly after birth.

To remove them, my vet clamped them with a hemostat, scraped them off with a scalpel blade, then cauterized with a styptic pen. Over in seconds. After we got home each little girl got a dropperful of Rescue Remedy and went right to sleep for several hours. See, little Black isn't bothered by it a bit...



New Stuff

I added a couple new things to the page the last few days...just want to point them out to those interested... The puppies pedigree is now posted on the sidebar to the right. And there is a growth chart at the very bottom of the page, again with a link on the right sidebar. I simply can't believe how fast these guys are growing! Red has gained 11 ouunces in 4 days!!!

I think Aliy has taken to her motherhood role quite well...