#dew claw

Hello! Why do wolves/dogs have dew claws & how do they not get overgrown on wild wolves? it doesn't seem like they touch the ground very much to get worn down...

Thoughts on dewclaw removal?

Okay making a quick post about this because I'm really worried about my dog. Today she was very excited because the doorbell rang and ran around the house freaking out. In the process her dew claw ripped off. There is still about 1/5th of the actual nail intact, but her quick is exposed. She doesn't seem too bothered by it other than obsessively wanting to lick it and by that I mean she isn't limping or crying. I bandaged it up pretty tight but loose enough not to cause circulation to be cut off, and put a sock over the bandage so that's the first thing she chews at rather than the bandage. I also am making her wear a cone to further prevent her from messing with it. All I'm currently worried about is her somehow pulling it off over night and making it worse along with having to take her to the vet. I would like to leave that as a last resort, because I am flat broke, and the last time I took her, they charged me $200 for some skin treatment because her skin got irritated over the summer, and that was with the Banfield Wellness plan. She's not on the wellness plan anymore because I only had her on it for a year to cover her spaying, so I can only imagine how much more a vet bill would be for something that is more serious than the skin irritation she had. This post is mostly just for venting about it, but if anyone has experience with this type of injury, any advice would be greatly appreciated.