Glossary
Dew Claw of Dog Paw

hover over shaded words to reveal more

Dewclaw
Vestigial and rudimentary digit of the foot.
Some digitigrade animals, including dogs and cats, have dewclaws located on the medial (inner) side of the foot, (usually) too high up to make contact with the ground or to register in tracks.
The dewclaw is identified by the Roman numeral I, other toes by numbers II to V.
Dew claws usually consist of just two phalanges, other toes consist of three phalanges. If dewclaws are present on hind feet, they often lack phalanges.