Declawing
DECLAWING AND ITS ALTERNATIVES
WHAT DECLAWING IS
Declawing, or onychectomy, is an amputation of the toe at the last joint. This removes the claw and the bone from which it originates. On a human hand this would be an amputation at the knuckle just above the nail. It is not just removal of the claw as many people think.
THE PROCEDURE
Some veterinarians administer injectable antibiotics, narcotic pain medication and sedatives. The cat is anesthetized or chemically restrained, the paws are prepared by cleaning, disinfection and sometimes clipping the hair. Using one of a variety of techniques the toes are amputated at the last joint. The incision site is either left open, sutured or glued closed. Usually bandages are applied from toe to mid foreleg and left in place for one to three days. When the bandages are removed cats are sent home with instructions to use some form of litter box filler that won't stick to the incisions such as shredded newspaper.
THE CASE FOR DECLAWING
Some cats are destructive of furniture and carpeting, attack other cats in the house, attack the owner or children or inadvertently snag their claws on the owner or children. People who are immunocompromised (are HIV positive or undergoing chemotherapy) are sometimes worried about infections caused by cat scratches.
THE CASE AGAINST DECLAWING
Declawing can be painful, disfiguring, cause lameness and psychological trauma. There is no agreement among veterinarians and some would characterize the procedure as merely "uncomfortable". Inability to defend oneself from cats dogs and an inability to climb trees have been cited as reasons not to declaw outdoor cats. Possible surgical complications include: inadvertent removal of part of a digital pad, incomplete removal of the nailbed and partial regrowth of the nail, infection, rare anesthetic complications and prolonged healing time in older cats. Additionally some people feel that declawing is a surgery of convenience for the owner on the order of ear cropping and tail docking.
ALTERNATIVES TO DECLAWING
Behavioral modification - my personal favorite. If the cat stops clawing inappropriately then one has a cure. The drawback is that it requires some concentrated vigilance and action on the part of the owner. Initial attempts often fail and require persistance, inventiveness and willingness to try a number of different techniques. These techniques range from covering items in foil, using a squirt bottle, verbal admonishment and showing the legal scratching surface to smacking the offender when caught in the act. Frequently cats stop doing things if they know they make you angry which requires some display of anger even if it is just yelling. Crude but sometimes effective and certainly cheap.
Soft Paws - This product consists of blunt plastic sheaths which are "Superglued" onto the nail. They need to be replaced as they fall off.
Nail Clipping - This is the lowest tech treatment of the problem. It does however require people to learn to do it themselves or bring cats to the veterinarian or groomer to have it done. It is not difficult if the cat is reasonable. Cats may however continue to claw and can still do some damage.
Tendonotomy - Not new but lately an increasingly used surgical technique. It is reputed to be more humane than declawing and nearly as effective. This surgery consists of severing the deep digital flexor tendon through a small incision on the underside of each toe. The feet are otherwise left intact. Severance of this tendon means the cat can no longer voluntarilyextrude the claw. The feet are generally not bandaged and cats go home thatday or the following day. Tendonotomized cats need to have their nails clipped every two to four months or they can become overgrown and inadvertently snag on carpeting etc. If this solution does not work to the owner's satisfaction the cat can be declawed at a later time.
DISCUSS THE ABOVE
Discuss the above with your veterinarian. If they disagree with me that will be par for the course. Three veterinarians will give you four opinions of anything. The Ethics of Declawing is discussed elsewhere at this site.
© Copyright 1999, Matthew J. Ehrenberg
Top
WHAT DECLAWING IS
Declawing, or onychectomy, is an amputation of the toe at the last joint. This removes the claw and the bone from which it originates. On a human hand this would be an amputation at the knuckle just above the nail. It is not just removal of the claw as many people think.
THE PROCEDURE
Some veterinarians administer injectable antibiotics, narcotic pain medication and sedatives. The cat is anesthetized or chemically restrained, the paws are prepared by cleaning, disinfection and sometimes clipping the hair. Using one of a variety of techniques the toes are amputated at the last joint. The incision site is either left open, sutured or glued closed. Usually bandages are applied from toe to mid foreleg and left in place for one to three days. When the bandages are removed cats are sent home with instructions to use some form of litter box filler that won't stick to the incisions such as shredded newspaper.
THE CASE FOR DECLAWING
Some cats are destructive of furniture and carpeting, attack other cats in the house, attack the owner or children or inadvertently snag their claws on the owner or children. People who are immunocompromised (are HIV positive or undergoing chemotherapy) are sometimes worried about infections caused by cat scratches.
THE CASE AGAINST DECLAWING
Declawing can be painful, disfiguring, cause lameness and psychological trauma. There is no agreement among veterinarians and some would characterize the procedure as merely "uncomfortable". Inability to defend oneself from cats dogs and an inability to climb trees have been cited as reasons not to declaw outdoor cats. Possible surgical complications include: inadvertent removal of part of a digital pad, incomplete removal of the nailbed and partial regrowth of the nail, infection, rare anesthetic complications and prolonged healing time in older cats. Additionally some people feel that declawing is a surgery of convenience for the owner on the order of ear cropping and tail docking.
ALTERNATIVES TO DECLAWING
Behavioral modification - my personal favorite. If the cat stops clawing inappropriately then one has a cure. The drawback is that it requires some concentrated vigilance and action on the part of the owner. Initial attempts often fail and require persistance, inventiveness and willingness to try a number of different techniques. These techniques range from covering items in foil, using a squirt bottle, verbal admonishment and showing the legal scratching surface to smacking the offender when caught in the act. Frequently cats stop doing things if they know they make you angry which requires some display of anger even if it is just yelling. Crude but sometimes effective and certainly cheap.
Soft Paws - This product consists of blunt plastic sheaths which are "Superglued" onto the nail. They need to be replaced as they fall off.
Nail Clipping - This is the lowest tech treatment of the problem. It does however require people to learn to do it themselves or bring cats to the veterinarian or groomer to have it done. It is not difficult if the cat is reasonable. Cats may however continue to claw and can still do some damage.
Tendonotomy - Not new but lately an increasingly used surgical technique. It is reputed to be more humane than declawing and nearly as effective. This surgery consists of severing the deep digital flexor tendon through a small incision on the underside of each toe. The feet are otherwise left intact. Severance of this tendon means the cat can no longer voluntarilyextrude the claw. The feet are generally not bandaged and cats go home thatday or the following day. Tendonotomized cats need to have their nails clipped every two to four months or they can become overgrown and inadvertently snag on carpeting etc. If this solution does not work to the owner's satisfaction the cat can be declawed at a later time.
DISCUSS THE ABOVE
Discuss the above with your veterinarian. If they disagree with me that will be par for the course. Three veterinarians will give you four opinions of anything. The Ethics of Declawing is discussed elsewhere at this site.
© Copyright 1999, Matthew J. Ehrenberg