Fwd: DIGIT I AS DEW-CLAW..

[Dinogeorge@aol.com]

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Forwarded message:
Subj:    Re: DIGIT I AS DEW-CLAW..
Date:    95-11-27 11:56:33 EST
>From:    Dinogeorge
To:      dwn194@soton.ac.uk

In a message dated 95-11-27 05:43:56 EST, you write:

> But in
>canids, it seems damn useless.. is anybody aware of any uses it might have?
>So,
>in ways, it might be analogous to the theropodan hallux.. might... might.
>
>

In the canid that owns our house and takes me for walks twice a day, I have
yet to observe any purpose for the dew claw whatsoever, except on occasion to
be a source of minor irritation when it becomes injured/scraped up after she
chases squirrels, etc. Pet shops sometimes recommend having the dew claws
removed for this reason.