Pros Of Laser Declawing
Before you decide whether laser declawing is right for your feline, it is a good concept for you to weigh out the advantages and disadvantages. This will help you to make an informed decision regarding your feline. First, we will take a look at the advantages that come along with choosing this type of declawing procedure over among the more conventional approaches.
It would seem, in the beginning, glance, that laser declawing would be the very best alternative among all of the various approaches. Just because there are ample benefits does not mean that you should make your choice just yet. You also have to consider the disadvantages that might be associated with it.
The Process Of Declawing Your Cat Pros And Cons
Your housecat may be a much smaller and potentially lazier version of the lions that roam the Savanna, but they still have an obvious feature in common: razor-sharp claws. Not only do these retractable body parts naturally grow to piercing tips, your cat likely shreds and scratches to remove dull cuticle layers to make them even sharper. While this is a perfectly natural behavior to their feline brain, its the source of a great deal of human exasperation as couches, rugs, walls, and doorframes become shredded over time. Even with appropriate scratching posts and climbing trees at their disposal, some cats will continue to habitually scratch their environment. This is typically when the question of should we declaw our cat? arises.
No Claws, No Scratching
Potential Declawing Complications
When performing the procedure, a licensed pet salon like Wags and Whiskers generally only removes the front paw claws. Back paws are usually left intact for grip, defense, and overall pet health. While declawing will eliminate the need to trim or file a cats front-paw claws, theyll still need the same care on their back paws throughout their life. Just like occasional brushing, nail trimming whether its front, back, or both is an important part of pet maintenance for feline happiness.
At What Age Can A Cat Be Declawed
Vets will tell you that the ideal time to declaw a cat is between 3-6 months of age, and they often suggest that you do it at the same time that your cat is spayed or neutered.
Young, immature cats will
- Experience less pain
- Have a lower risk of complications
Of course, there are many people who will tell you that the ideal time to declaw a cat is Never! Well get to that more in a moment.
Why Is Declawing So Controversial
Many experts say studies suggest that declawed cats are more likely to have health problems, such as back pain, or behavioural problems, such as aggression.
“Some studies suggest cats who have been declawed have a higher percentage of cortisol , which is often associated with pain,” says Steve Dale, an animal behaviour consultant and pet journalist in Chicago.
Meanwhile, a study that scanned declawed cat paws found that “very few people actually do it properly – the procedure tends to leave bone fragments,” says Prof Gunn-Moore, adding that this could leave cats stepping on tiny fragments of bone when they walk.
Dr Endersby says that cats can continue to feel pain after the declawing procedure. “Part of its weight is borne on its toes – so after the declawing process their gait changes as they put their weight through their paws.”
However, Dr Drew Weigner, a vet in Atlanta who works on a foundation that funds feline medical research, cautions that “behavioural studies are notoriously difficult to accomplish successfully”.
Many vets, he argues, simply consider the procedure unethical now because it’s an unnecessary procedure.
Pros & Cons Of Declawing Cats
You love your cats cuddles, how cute she looks perched on top of the mantel, and the sounds of her purr.
What you dont love is how she is shredding your curtains, couch, and love seat.
Its natural for cats to scratch, but its also natural for you to not want everything you own to get destroyed. And no, unfortunately the solution is not as easy as, Go buy a couple scratching posts and sprinkle catnip on them.
So is declawing something you should consider?And if so, when?And if not, what other options work?
Lets find out.
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Are There Medical Reasons To Declaw A Cat
Yes. If, for example, your cat has an infected paw that is not improving despite using the prescribed medicine, declawing would be the best option. Some medical reasons will only require a claw or two removed, depending on what took place.
For cat owners with cats that constantly scratch them to the point that they have to seek medical attention, declawing is your long-lost solution. It should not get to the point whereby you are getting stitches; if you dont seek help soon, things will get out of hand. You can also seek de
Why Would I Declaw My Cat
Most of the reasons people express when wondering, Can you declaw a cat in Florida? are related to simple convenience for the owner. Cats can be destructive. They can do damage to furniture. But the first option to fixing this behavior should not be removing their claws.
There are a few rare medical reasons that could lead to declawing your cat. If the cats claw has a tumor or has been damaged, for example, the procedure may be necessary in order to keep the pet healthy. In other cases, owners who have compromised immune systems or who use blood thinners could have adverse effects from the bacteria that can live on a cats claws.
Protecting Furniture From Cat Scratching Damage
So if declawing is inhumane, how can you protect your belongings from cat claw damage? Luckily, there are several things you can do to ensure that your cat’s claws can exist in harmony with your furniture and other household items. These include:
Providing enough cat scratching surfaces that have the qualities that are important to cats is one of the most important and effective ways for you to minimize cat scratching damage to your home. A cat that has access to scratching posts that meet their needs for marking territory, stretching muscles, and relieving stress will almost always choose to use them rather than the less attractive options of furniture and carpet.
Training your cat to use a scratching post involves making the post as attractive as possible for scratching while simultaneously rendering undesirable any unacceptable surfaces that he may be using. You can learn exactly how to do both things in the article “How to Train Your Cat or Kitten to Use a Scratching Post.”
Is A Tendonectomy Better Than Declawing
According to , a tendonectomy is when a small portion of the tendon in each of a cats toes is surgically removed to prevent the cat from extending the claws. Thus, the cat is no longer capable of scratching.
Even though it less painful than declawing, it can lead to many complications later on.
A tendonectomy is NOT recommended by the American Veterinary Medical Association . It is also illegal in many countries.
Should You Declaw Your Cat
There are people on both sides of the declawing debate, so in order to determine whether you want your cat declawed, it is important to have the facts. During declawing, only the part of the toe that retracts over the claw, and only the part of the bone associated with the claw are removed. Cats’ toes are very different from those on humans or dogs, and the part of the toe that is removed is not used by the cat for walking or touching. It is only used for scratching. Cats’ claws can be powerful and used to catch prey and defend themselves. House cats generally do not need to do these things, but can easily scratch and damage carpets and furniture.
Reasons Why You Should Never Declaw Your Cats
Declawing is a painful and permanently crippling procedure that involves removing a cats digits down to the first knuckle. The following are eight reasons why you should never declaw your feline friend:
Ouch!
Cats scratch to exercise and enjoy themselves, maintain the condition of their nails, and stretch their muscles.
While we hope that your cat remains safely indoors at all times, if he or she were ever to get outside without claws, your cat would be far more vulnerable to predators and abusers.
Many people think that declawed cats are safer around babies, but in fact, the lack of claws makes many cats feel so insecure that they tend to bite more often as a means of self-protection.
Cats are in pain when they awake from the surgery, and the pain continues afterward. Nails can grow back inside the paw, causing extreme pain that you cant see.
Without claws, even house-trained cats might start doing their business outside the litterbox in an attempt to mark their territory.
Our toes are crucial to our balance, and its no different for cats! Because of impaired balance after the procedure, declawed cats have to relearn how to walk, much as a person would after losing his or her toes.
Nearly two dozen countriesincluding Australia, England, and Japanban or severely restrict declawing surgeries. And many veterinarians in the United States refuse to perform the procedure.
Does Declawing A Cat Affect Its Personality
Numerous studies that have researched a potential correlation between cat declawing and personality changes strongly indicate that none exists. Please remember that it may take your cat a little time to feel comfortable walking on surgically sensitive paws, which could indeed affect his or her personality traits and behaviors during the recovery period. Therefore, it is always important to be nurturing and supportive during the recovery process, in order to help facilitate a speedy recovery.
What Is Declawing And Why Do People Do It
Dr. Jo Myers, D.V.M., at , has a background in emergency room care and a special interest in pet behavior. Myers explains that declawing refers to the surgical amputation of all 10 of the front toes at the last joint. It would be equivalent to cutting off the tips of your fingers at the knuckle just below the fingernail, she says. She notes that theres generally no reason to declaw the back paws since they dont significantly contribute to property damage or injury.
According to Myers, the declawing amputation is performed under general anesthesia. Cats also need postoperative pain management. But even with proper care, the surgery doesnt have an easy or simple recovery. This traumatic amputation requires significant healing. It can take anywhere from weeks to months for a cat to fully recover from being declawed. In some cases, a cat carries permanent pain or injury as a result of the declaw. Larger, older cats experience significantly more trauma during the procedure, and healing time is much longer, says Myers.
Declawing In Cats: Why It Is Unacceptable
09th September 2019
Declawing has been back in the news again, with New York becoming the first US state to ban cat declawing. International Cat Care already has a clear view of declawing and considers it to be an act of mutilation and to be unethical for anything other than genuine therapeutic medical reasons. We have recently published an article in our nursing journal Feline Focus, written by veterinary technician Jenny Stanslaki from the USA, which looks in-depth at declawing and what it can mean for the cats involved. Here we summarise the article and why declawing remains unacceptable and unethical.
Scratching is part of a cats normal territorial behaviour and is important in maintaining claw condition. In many places in the world, declawing is seen by some as a simple solution to the problem of destructive scratching . But declawing is the amputation of toes, removal of which can lead to long-term pain and behavioural changes suggestive of reduced welfare. In many countries, it is considered unethical to declaw cats for anything other than a medical condition such as infection or cancer.
International Cat Care is clear that declawing should not take place for anything other than genuine therapeutic medical reasons.
Recognising pain in cats
Cats manifest pain in a wide variety of forms, including, but not limited to, inappropriate elimination, flinching, increased body tension, excessive licking or chewing of fur.
Key point
Useful links:
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They use chair legs as scratching posts and shred drapes and tablecloths into rags. Declawing a cat means amputating the final bone from each toe, using declawed cats continue to perform scratching behaviors, but they no longer cause damage. A few slice human sinew. Declawing a cat can make the cat aggressive as the cat’s means of defense has been removed. Every cat’s reaction to getting declawed is different. Declawing can cause lasting problems for your cat physically. They cannot defend themselves and are at much greater how do cats act after being declawed. Declawing is actually an amputation of the last joint of your cat’s toes. Declawing cats is an emotionally charged and hotly debated topic.both the american veterinary medical association and the academy of feline medicine stress q: Occasionally declawing surgeries are done poorly and declawed cats, when they do play, typically grip with their full legs rather than their paws. Declawing a cat using one of the two common conventional methods usually costs between $100 and $250, depending on the veterinarian and which procedure is used. The image below shows how the claws of a cat are about to inflict damage. If the surgery is performed a variety of alternatives exist to manage natural scratching behavior and to prevent injury from cat scratches.
It’ll Be Walking On The Floor Not To Mention The Litter Box
Declawing is actually an amputation of the last joint of your cat’s toes. Although there’s some variation depending on your kitty’s unique situation, the average cost to declaw a cat is between about $600 to $1,800. The real answer is convenience. Learn more about cat toe amputations. A cat’s personality will often change and they will become it is the front claws that do the damage when a cat is clawing at furniture. Every cat’s reaction to getting declawed is different. Toys like those big stuffed kickers, larger stuffed animals. Does declawing hurt the cat? Though the cost of declawing a cat may be less than replacing your couch, many vets suggest first trying to train cats to claw only designated scratching posts. Cost is just one consideration when you’re thinking of having your cat declawed. Some cats will show little to no behavior change, while. Englar is of the opinion that if an owner must declaw her cat, it should be done when the cat is very young or the owner risks behavioral changes. Do not declaw your cat!
Declawing is actually an amputation of the last joint of your cat’s toes. Declawing a cat means amputating the final bone from each toe, using declawed cats continue to perform scratching behaviors, but they no longer cause damage. How is a cat declawed? Find out how much you can expect to pay and why the cost can be so high. Now that your cat is declawed, it will not be able to scratch your furniture , which is a good thing.
Schedule An Appointment To Discuss Options With Your Veterinarian
At Metropolitan Veterinary Center, our veterinary team has provided education and insight to help many concerned and caring cat owners decide if declawing a cat is the right decision to make. If you are looking into cat declawing surgery, or have any questions about declawing cats, please contact us to schedule an appointment with a member of our veterinary team today.
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Declawing Is Always Risky
In general, a feline declaw has more potential for postoperative complications than other elective procedures. This is mostly due to the fact that the patient has 10 separate incisions that they are bearing weight on immediately after surgery.
However, use of the surgical laser and closely adhering to the above medication protocols and postoperative care instructions greatly reduces the chance for issues such as excessive pain/lameness and infection.
If you are thinking of declawing your cat, the professionals at Arnold Pet Station can help you navigate the decision. Contact us to set up a consultation.
Dr. Lindsay Laird
What Is The Position Of Veterinarians On Declawing
Even in the veterinary medicine community, the subject of declawing is hotly debated. There are some countries where veterinarians cannot perform the procedure because it has been made illegal. In others, they consider it a last resort option when all other interventions in preventing scratching have been exhausted.
Generally, veterinarians would only concede declawing under special circumstances where the alternative is the animals death or abandonment. Severe, irreparable damage to the claw or tumor growth in that area would necessitate the procedure. If the risk of bacterial infection through scratching is a matter of life-and-death for its owner, as in the case of those who are immunocompromised, on blood thinners, or elderly, some veterinarians may agree to declaw the cat.
There are many ways to perform an onychectomy. Some veterinarians use surgical equipment, some use lasers. Some prefer to remove the entire distal phalanx to ensure that the nail no longer grows and avoid repeat procedures, while others try to remove as little as possible in an attempt to preserve as much of the cats original paw as they can. Regardless of technique, all vets have the responsibility to manage post-operative pain in their patients.
Veterinarians understand animal welfare concerns and attempt to minimize the trauma associated with declawing.
Declawing The Procedure And Controversy
The procedure involves surgically removing last bone in the cats paws, that constitute to the claws. In general, declawing includes the vet to remove the front bones of the cat. Before decide to declaw your cat, make sure that you have a conversation with your pet about the procedure. It is not just the removal of the nail, but the amputation of the bone from which the nail grows. Thus it makes impossible for your cat to ever grow a nail from the inside of its paw. To put it into perspective, a declaw is similar to human amputation. It is also important to take notice of the rules and regulations of where you live, and whether that location allows such surgery. The main reason why this procedure is controversial is because this surgery may be brutal and even inhumaneothers may even call it as animal abuse. They also do not like the fact that the surgery is responsible for pain in cats. On the flip side, if it did not exist, many cats would be homeless or still in the shelter because there is big demand of declawed cats.
So Is It Legal To Declaw A Cat In Florida
Right now, the answer is yes, but many vets and animal experts feel that should be a last resort if you have a cat with scratching problems. Trimming your cats nails weekly can help the issue. Soft claws can be utilized as well. But if you want to prevent your cat from scratching furniture, you may want to invest in covers. Some owners spray the cats target with synthetic pheromones to repel the cat.
Ask your experienced veterinarian for advice on how to keep your kitty from scratching where they should not. For cats, scratching is a natural part of their behavior, and we shouldnt, as humans, seek to bring them pain for our own convenience.
Recovery Health And Behavioral Effects
Onychectomy is an orthopedic surgery involving 1 separate phalangeal amputations, which requires general anesthesia and multi-modal pain management before, during, and after surgery.
A 2018 study by Martell-Moran, et al found, in a study of 274 cats, that “declawing cats increases the risk of unwanted behaviors and may increase risk for developing back pain. Evidence of inadequate surgical technique was common in the study population. Among declawed cats, retained P3 fragments further increased the risk of developing back pain and adverse behaviors. The use of optimal surgical technique does not eliminate the risk of adverse behavior subsequent to onychectomy.” The study found that inappropriate toileting, biting, aggression and overgrooming occurred significantly more often in the declawed cats than the non-declawed cats . A declawed cat was also almost 3 times more likely to be diagnosed with back pain than a non-declawed cat .
In a survey of 276 cat owners, 34% reported post-surgical discomfort in their cats while 78% reported primarily tenderness. Recovery time took from three days to two weeks. Increased biting strength or frequency was reported in 4% of cats, but overall, 96% of owners were satisfied with the surgery. Some other studies found lameness after onychectomy lasting >3 days,>1 week, 8 days,> 12 days, 180 days, and 96 months.
Patronek, Glickman and Beck found no association between the declaw status of cats and the frequency of inappropriate elimination .
How To Care For Your Newly Declawed Cat
The recovery period of your cat right after it undergoes surgery is the most sensitive time. Thus, you must prevent your cat from going outside of the house. Only allow the cat outside if you think it is safe, otherwise it is inadvisable, even by a vet. Cats that have a declaw surgery or onychectomy transition into indoor cats and do not fare well in outdoor locations. This is mostly because they do not have the claws to defend against any outside forces. However, their natural instinct to claw remains intact. Fleeing from danger by climbing will also be a problem for your cat because of the lack of claws, making them even more vulnerable to dangers. Hence, keep your cat in the cozy and safe environment of your living room after they arrive from the veterinarian office.
What You Can Do Instead
- Trim your cats nails regularly. When the cat is relaxed and unafraid, gently press on his or her toes until the claws extend. Use a pair of nail clippers, and cut only the tip of the nail, taking care not to damage the vein, or quick. The nail hook is what tears upholstery, so removing it virtually eliminates the potential for damage.
- Buy multiple scratching posts. Ideally, you should have two or more scratching posts in your home. Make sure that theyre sturdy and tall enough to allow your cat to stretch . Soft, fluffy carpeted posts wont fulfill your cats clawing needs, so look for rougher posts.
- Teach your cat where to scratch and where not to scratch. Encourage your cat to use the scratching posts by sprinkling catnip on the posts once a week. Discourage your cat from scratching furniture by using a loud, firm voice whenever he or she starts to scratchcats dont like loud noises! Never use physical force. Instead, you might try using a squirt gun full of lukewarm water directed at your cats back.