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My dog has onychodystrophy. Is claw removal needed for diagnosis?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | spayed | 12 years and 3 months old | 29 lbs

My dog is presenting with symptoms of Onychodystrophy in all of her claws. The vet has suggested removing a claw and then testing it for cause- is this the right course of treatment?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on June 26th, 2017

Yes, this is the correct course of treatment. The claw bed is needed in a biopsy to confirm a diagnosis of onychodystrophy, and a claw has to be amputated in order to get the claw bed for biopsy. I recommend following your vet's plan.

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