Is my 7-month-old puppy too old for dew claw removal surgery?

Question

Hello. I wanted to know until what age are you able to remove a puppy's dew claws? Our Boxer girl is almost 6 Months old. We were planning to do it in May..she would be 7 Months old by then. Would we still be able to go to the vet and get it done? Or would that be too late?

Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS · Accepted Answer

It will be up to the vet to decide if they are willing to remove her dew claws. That's because it's considered a cosmetic surgery and not necessary, and there are vets who will not do it due to ethical reasons. Keep in mind as well that at her age, she will have to be fully anesthetized to have this done, and because at her age it's basically a fully grown toe, it will be an amputation procedure. Dogs do fine without having their dew claws removed, and it's something that isn't necessary. If dew claws are removed, it's best to be done when the puppy is three to five days old because at that point, the dew claw is more like fingernails, they are easily removed, and stitches aren't required. If she hasn't been spayed yet, you can ask your vet to remove the dew claws at the same time so she only has to be anesthetized once. You will have to speak to your vet to see if they will be willing to remove them or not.

Is my 7-month-old puppy too old for dew claw removal surgery?

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