Paws down, cat declawing is one of the most sensitive, emotionally charged and controversial topics associated with cat ownership. Once considered a \u201cquick fix\u201d for destructive scratching \u2014 even though performing the elective surgical procedure made some veterinarians uncomfortable \u2014 many veterinarians now view declawing as a procedure of last resort. This shift in perspective reflects changes in veterinarians\u2019 and cat owners\u2019 ethics, greater understanding of animal pain, and increased knowledge of cat behavior.<\/p>\n
Cat owners seeking hard facts about declawing \u2014 the technical term is onychectomy<\/em> \u2014 will find a lot of conflicting information. News stories about cities, states and countries banning onychectomy and how humane groups and some veterinary associations oppose routine declawing can add to owner confusion. Here, we\u2019ll provide a simple overview about declawing cats. For a full peer-reviewed summary of the veterinary literature, please check out this paper from the American Veterinary Medical Association\u2019s Animal Welfare Division.<\/p>\n While our nail matrix and nail bed are attached to the soft tissues of fingers, cats\u2019 claws are attached to the last bone in their toes. Declawing is the surgical amputation of all or part of a cat\u2019s toe bones, called phalanges, in addition to the attached claws. If the base of the claw, or ungual crest, isn\u2019t removed, the claw may regrow \u2014 usually in an abnormal way that causes pain and discomfort.<\/p>\n Typically, only the front feet are declawed, although you may occasionally find a cat with all four paws declawed. When you consider that a cat has five toes on each front paw (at least normally), declawing is similar to performing 10 separate amputations. That\u2019s major surgery.<\/p>\n One of the most common reasons given by pet owners for having their cat declawed is to protect furniture and other belongings from destructive scratching. In these cases, declawing is an elective procedure that isn\u2019t medically necessary.<\/p>\n Declawing may also be done to protect other members of the family, including people, other cats and even some dogs. Some people have suggested declawing a cat as an acceptable way to prevent the spread of diseases to people with impaired immune systems, although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention doesn\u2019t advise declawing cats owned by HIV-infected people. Rather than declawing, research suggests that good hygiene and parasite control provides better protection from zoonotic (spread from pet to owner) diseases.<\/p>\n Onychectomy may be medically appropriate \u2014 even vital \u2014 to a cat\u2019s health at times. A tumor, chronic infection or irreparable damage to the claw are all cases in which declawing may be considered medically necessary.<\/p>\n Finally, some veterinarians will consider declawing a cat if an owner has tried everything<\/em> to redirect the destructive scratching habits of a cat and is considering surrendering, abandoning or euthanizing the pet.<\/p>\n Any surgical procedure involves some degree of pain and inherent risks and complications. Onychectomy is no different, although, since it\u2019s a multiple amputation, veterinary pain management specialists can make the case that it would lead to severe pain. Appropriate pain management before and after declawing is more than important; it\u2019s required.<\/p>\n Infection is a possibility after declawing, just as it is after any surgery. Veterinarians and veterinary technicians use aseptic surgical techniques (sterile scalpels, gown, gloves and mask) to perform the procedure. However, prepping the surgical sites \u2014 each front paw and each of five claws per paw \u2014 may be done slightly differently than other surgical sites. The paws and toes are cleaned with surgical scrub, but they\u2019re not often shaved to remove the fur. When the onychectomy is finished, the cat\u2019s paws are bandaged and the kitty spends the night in the veterinary hospital. Keep in mind, too, that cat\u2019s walk on their toes. Once the bandages are removed from the paws, a cat will walk on its surgical sites, which makes them vulnerable to contamination.<\/p>\n The risks and complications associated with declawing increase with a cat\u2019s age, which is why most veterinarians perform the surgery (if they will do it) when kittens are young, often in conjunction with neutering or spaying. Short-term complications of declaw surgery include acute (sudden) pain, bleeding (hemorrhage), swelling, infection and nerve trauma. Long-term complications can include lameness, chronically draining wounds, bone chips or fragments left behind that lead to claw regrowth, abnormal stance, behavioral problems and chronic nerve pain.<\/p>\n There are alternatives to declawing. If you\u2019re considering the procedure for your kitten, please talk with your veterinarian and learn as much about it as you can. Only you, in consultation with your veterinarian, should decide what\u2019s best for your cat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Paws down, cat declawing is one of the most sensitive, emotionally charged and controversial topics associated with cat ownership. Once considered a \u201cquick fix\u201d for destructive scratching \u2014 even though performing the elective surgical procedure made some veterinarians uncomfortable \u2014 many veterinarians now view declawing as a procedure of last resort. This shift in perspective […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5034,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"Cat Declawing: Learning the Risks & Alternatives","_seopress_titles_desc":"Read on as we explore the controversial topic of cat declawing, including ethical concerns, potential health risks and humane alternatives. Learn more!","_seopress_robots_index":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[28,289],"tags":[100,189,128,11,644],"class_list":["post-3121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-vet","tag-cat","tag-declaw","tag-diamond-pet","tag-health","tag-vet"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3121"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3121\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5034"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}More invasive than a manicure<\/h2>\n
Why cats may be declawed<\/h3>\n
Concerns about cat welfare and potential complications<\/h3>\n