A dew claw is the fifth claw on the inside of each front leg. It is
usually a bit further up on the leg than the other claws. Liken it to
a thumb. Some breeds of cats and dogs also have them on the rear feet;
for other breeds rear dew claws may occur on rare occassions and are
usually removed to prevent injury because they normally have little
tissue connecting them. There are lots of pictures on the net, just do
a google search. Dogs walk on their fingers and their wrist is the
pastern.
There is a bit of controversy about removing dew claws. Some folks say
that dogs drop low on their pasterns when they run and may actually use
the dew claw for traction esp. on sharp turns. My dogs use them to
clean their faces and ears and to stabilize bones. My cat uses them to
fight and play; she can fillet you with those things!
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