Any idea why my dog's dew claws are "peeling"?

It’s fairly normal for dewclaw nails to peel. Since they don’t touch the ground and get worn down like the rest of the claws, the layers tend to build up more than normal (it’s just layers of keratin like our own nails). You don’t need to do anything for it, but do be sure to trim the nails regularly – in severe cases, we’ve actually seen the nail grow all the way around and into the pad.

Thank you, that’s interesting. I just looked again, though, and it seems like the quick is exposed on one side. That has to be painful, right?

(I had never seen/heard the term “dewclaw” before this post, so thank you for allowing me to learn something new today!)

^ Anytime. I am pretty wisdomous, you know. ~

(Cats have dew claws also, and like dogs, only on their front paws.)

It is possible for them to crack or split. Does he/she lick at it? If not, it’s probably not bothering him. But if in doubt, you can cut it back to just before the quick so it doesn’t get snagged or jarred on things (for badly ripped claws, we actually sedate the dog and either clip the nail above the quick or rip the whole thing off, otherwise it just keeps getting re-injured and causing pain. As you might guess, that’s rather more involved and isn’t necessary of the nail is not causing a problem.).

^ Thanks, again! No, she doesn’t seem bothered at all. Doesn’t mind me inspecting it, either. I’ll just keep an eye on her, and watch the claws in case they get any worse. I will also try to trim them, cutting off slivers of claw so as not to bother the quick. Black claws, annoyingly.