Everything you said makes perfect sense except that the dew claw that is most commonly removed is the dew claw on the front paw, in the same position as the thumb. The rear dew claws still crop up from time to time in cavaliers, but they are not very common. It is the appendage that is present on the front foot on the same side of the forearm as the radius bone on the human arm....the same position as the thumb. Myra Savant
>From: Alida Margolin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel List ><[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: [CKCS-L] skip unless you want to read about dew claw / opposable > thumb / big toe >Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2002 20:08:14 -0500 > >Hi Myra, > >The dew claw is not the equal of an opposable thumb, which is defined by >its >function. The function is different. The only animals (in addition to >humans) that have an actual opposable thumb are the primates; the function >has been to enable "single-handed" grasping/holding, and its evolution was >invaluable in the development and use of primitive tools. > >The dew claw is more analogous to the "big toe." In many if not most >people >(I doubt most of us know a lot of other primates personally), the big toe >can be moved more independently than the other 4 toes. Its function >relates >to balance and (barefooted) traction. I think you're a nurse? Working >these days with a geriatric population? Then you've probably seen people >who lost toes (or worse) to diabetes. You've also probably observed that >most people don't think of toes as all that important, until someone they >know loses one or more. From what I've seen, with regard to the big toe in >particular, its loss (amputation) can have an unexpectedly debilitative >effect on an adult's former ability to walk normally, and often >necessitates >a stint of physical rehab. This is certainly not the case for dogs, >because >(1) dew claws are almost always amputated in infancy, and if this were the >case for a human there would be compensation when learning to walk; and (2) >the location of the dew claw isn't the same as the big toe, so the dew >claw's value for traction is generally seen in more "extreme" activities, >not everyday walking/running. That's why I said this is an analogy, not a >*literal* comparison or equivalent. > >For what it's worth ... :) >Alida > ><< Since we are kind of/sort of on the subject of dewclaws again, I would >like >to ask a question of those of you who said that you believe that dogs use >their dew claws to assist in climbing, etc. Are you saying that canines >have an opposable thumb, because of course that is what the dew claw would >be. It would be the equal to a thumb. Myra Savant >> > >========================================================= >"Magic Commands": >to stop receiving mail for awhile, click here and send the email: >mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20NOMAIL >to start it up gain click here: >mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20MAIL > > E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] for assistance. >Search the Archives... http://apple.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ckcs-l.html > >All e-mail sent through CKCS-L is Copyright 2002 by its original author. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp. ========================================================= "Magic Commands": to stop receiving mail for awhile, click here and send the email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20NOMAIL to start it up gain click here: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20MAIL E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] for assistance. Search the Archives... http://apple.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ckcs-l.html All e-mail sent through CKCS-L is Copyright 2002 by its original author.
