Five toes on hind legs

[Julie Stårvik]

Marvel has got five toes on his hind legs, after looking at lots of pictures I can't find any other dog who has got the same thing.

Are they normalle removed when breeders remove the dew claws (our breeder leaves them on which I like)? Or does just very few dogs get born with five toes on the hind legs?
It's not just a tiny dew claw, it's a proper big toe and then with a small dew claw attached to it.

Has this fifth toe ever been used for something further back in history, or is it just something that pops out once in a while? Just interested to know! :)

Here's an example:

[Lee May]

Hi Julie I think it is a throw back from the forming dogs, which one or ones, very good question. I have seen BB with 5th toe on pad which is some cut off. Could it be a genetic mutation, hidden gene we just don't know yet. It is very good size on your boy, it does look like it belongs. Does he move it like other toes? it looks nice and strong.

[Julie Stårvik]

It's not very agile, not like the other toes (but far from stiff!), but I think he uses if for situations like sharp turns when running or if he's dragging himself up somewhere and uses them to hold on for more grip.

A bit on the side but maybe related to the topic, here's an article about dew claws and injuries in dogs:
http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/documents/dewclaws-injury.pdf
http://www.secrethavenkennel.com/resources/DewClawExplanation.pdf

[Marco]

Hello Julie are you talking 5 toes, and a dew claw?  5 toes, and no dew claw?  4 toes, and a dew claw?

[Julie Stårvik]

Five toes and then the dew claw is attached to the fifth toe :) .

Here's a better picture (we are working on that long nail):

[Marco]

Sorry should have read your post all the way, when busy at work I tend to do that some. :) 

[Lee May]

Oh great Shot Julie. He has six altogether. Very interesting. On both rear legs. It's a double dew claw. haven't seen that before. learn something new every day.

[Julie Stårvik]

The tiny dew claw is completely lose and just hangs off the skin like other dew claws although it looks quite thick and strong. I guess if those two were removed when he was born they could be clipped off, but the other big ones, the "fifth toe" has got bone, tendons and muscles in it so it could never just be clipped off without surgery (I believe).

[Marco]

Not able to see the picture here at work but is it two rear dew claws?  If so that is a standard for the Great Pyrenees, also found on Saint Bernards, Kuvasz, and others.  They say it helps give better footing when working in rough country, climbing and fighting.  Example below

[Roland L]

It's a left over gene from the New Guinea Tree Climbing dog. LOL!

[Lisa Tiro]

My sister had a Great Pyrenees Mountain Dog and he had that extra toe. That is quite funny. My dog only has dew claws on the front legs, not the rear. It must be a birth defect, no?

[Jennifer]

Hi Julie,

Just keep an eye on it as he grows.  We had our Saint's hanging dew claws removed because the nail started to naturally grow into the small hanging pad, which we are told is very common with these type dew claws.  Talk to your vet, because like yous said there is no bone, so it is a very simple procedure to have them removed :) 

[mk]

Never seen that before....Very interesting, although I've never owned GPs or Saints...Let us know how it goes....