My old bitch had her first toe ,on her front right foot amputated back to the first digit.this is like having the toenail bed taken out,so the dog still has a pad. She had this done when she was about 3 years old. Her turning ability wasn't really affected, but if she is run hard on hard ground she is still a touch lame the day later. I used Gilbert's at Keswick he really knows his stuff and is reasonably priced too! Best of luck because there is nothing worse than a lame running dog!