Cloven paw

A cloven paw is a congenital anomaly (birth defect) that affects some animals such as dogs. The condition occurs when the animal's paws do not separate properly during development.[1][2]

Cloven paw (conjoined paw pad) - Rear leg.
"Conjoined paw" redirects here. For other uses, see Conjoined paw (disambiguation).

Cloven paw (conjoined paw pad) in dogs

Though more common in the front paws, any of the paws can be affected and whilst usually cause the animal no discomfort, there have been cases where the condition has caused issues but is easily resolved with a small operation to separate the pads.[3]

Paw development

During the third stage of development (weeks 5-6) in the mother dog's womb, the fetus starts to rapidly grow and features like the feet and nails are developed, if here is any defect within the development at this stage, it can cause the paw pads to only partially separate resulting in the "cloven" look, this is usually seen in heavily inbred dogs.[4]

References
  1. "Conjoined Paw Pads: Should You be Concerned? - Dog Care Tips and Information". dailydogdrama.com. June 14, 2022.
  2. "Conjoined Paw Pads - Gundog Training Forum". www.gundogtrainingforum.co.uk.
  3. "The two center toe pads on BOTH of our puppy's front feet are fused/connected. (she is a female Akita) There is no". Just Answer. August 10, 2009. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  4. "How Do Dog Fetuses Form?". wagwalking.com.


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