Ouch! Just the thought of it makes us squirm. We’re speaking, of course, about tail docking and dew claw removal. Maybe you didn’t realize that toy poodles are born with tails and thumbs. So where did your toy poodle’s tail and thumbs go?
With luck, these appendages were removed surgically and under sanitary conditions at a veterinarian’s office when your toy poodle - like the puppies in the photo above - was less than three days old. Some breeders, trying to save money, perform these procedures themselves, typically using such decidedly nonsurgical implements as dog nail clippers.
When we bred toy poodles, tail docking and dew claw removal were always performed by our veterinarian. He would insist that the pups be no more than three days old because the nerve supply (and, thus, pain receptors) had not fully developed down into the tail. After three days of age, anesthesia would have been required which would complicate the procedure unnecessarily and put the pups at risk.
Our vet would suture the tails and paws after the procedures were performed. By suturing the tips of the tails, our puppies’ tails would be covered with hair after healing. The stitches tied the skin together for quicker healing and also reduced the chance of infection.
One way to tell if your dog’s tail was docked without suturing the skin over the wound is to see if the tip of your toy poodle’s tail is covered with hair - or merely scar tissue or hairless skin.
Why Dock Tails and Remove Thumbs?
Docked tails and dew claws are artifacts from the days when standard poodles were water retrievers. The thinking was that removal of the tail and thumbs prevented these anatomical appendages from getting caught and injured in brambles and thorny bushes. The “tradition” continued, even though the need for it did not. Today at U.S. dog shows you will still see poodles of all three varieties (toy, miniature, and standard) with docked tails. If you could look closely, you would see that they are thumb-challenged, too.
By the way, other breeds, including Labrador retrievers, also have dew claws removed.
I have read that in Europe, procedures such as tail docking and dew claw removal are considered inhumane and are banned. Although the thought of tail docking and dew claw removal still makes us squeamish, the procedures can be done under safe and sanitary conditions, with no apparent long-term psychological trauma to our pets.
Until next time,
Mr. Dibs
