THE LIMBS AND TAIL 349 



and St. Bernards, a great deal of trouble is experienced, and 

 all methods adopted to preserve the tail are unavailing, 

 amputation at the root having to be resorted to before 

 healing can be effected. 



Amputation of Dew-claws. 



In some dogs the dew-claws are continually becoming 

 injured, and require to be amputated. Sometimes the nail 

 has no bony attachment, being united to the limb merely by 

 a piece of skin. 



Operation. — After shaving off the hair and thoroughly 

 cleansing the part with antiseptics, the claw, if only attached 

 by skin, is snipped off with a strong pair of scissors, and the 

 edges of the skin united by sutures. When there is a 

 distinct bony union, the skin is drawn down towards the nail 

 and incised by a circular sweep ; it is then pushed back, and 

 the protruding bone removed as high up as possible. The 

 skin is sutured and the wound treated antiseptically. 



In the majority of cases a local anaesthetic is all that 

 is necessary, and for securing on the operating-table the 

 abdominal position (Fig. 14) is the most convenient. 



By the Kennel Club rules the removal of dew-claws is 

 permissible in any breed, and does not constitute ' faking.' 



Overgrown or Ingrowing" Nails. 



In dogs that have insufficient exercise it is common to 

 find the nails very long, the animal suffering a good deal of 

 pain, and becoming lame, and even deformed, in consequence. 

 The dew-claws in particular, if neglected, grow to consider- 

 able length, and often curl round so that the points become 

 embedded in the flesh. 



Operation. — By merely cutting a portion off they are 

 shortened with instruments similar in pattern to bone forceps 

 or wire nippers (Fig. 232). The instruments should always 

 be applied in a vertical direction, not transversely, as there 



