Declaw -
This term refers to the surgical removal of the nail from a cat's paws.
This is one surgery that
generates much debate, among veterinarians and cat-owners. Many who are against this surgery think
that it is cruel to remove a cat's claws. In reality, it is simply a
surgical procedure which can make your cat a better pet.
What are the benefits to having my
cat declawed?
Declawing is a relatively simple
surgical procedure, much like cosmetic surgery. Only the front paws are
done, and when your cat comes home, he or she will not have any nails on
the front paws. This will prevent scratching (a natural
territory-marking behavior) of furniture, curtains, etc., but your cat will be
able to do everything else he did before the surgery. The fact is, declawing has saved many cats' lives. Many owners who would
otherwise have gotten rid of their cats because of destructive behavior,
have been able to have a healthy, happy pet for many years after the cat
was declawed. We feel that having this surgery performed is a much
better option than giving your pet to an animal shelter or rescue
organization because he or she is just doing what comes naturally.
In reality, most of the pets given up to shelters are never adopted and
are soon euthanized.
Will
my cat's behavior change after this surgery? Will he be able to defend
himself?
In almost every case
the cat can do everything normally. After a short stay in the
hospital, and a few days of taking it easy at home, your cat should be
100% back to normal. Although we recommend you keep your cat
indoors, if he or she does go outside, you might be surprised to see him
climbing trees, catching mice and otherwise acting like a cat. Since
they don't have front claws, they may be at some disadvantage if they get
in a fight with another animal, but they usually do fine with just the
rear claws. Of course, we see many outdoor cats (with claws)
who have been injured in fights, so it's probably better to keep your
kitty inside anyway!
Is
it painful for the cat?
Like any surgical
procedure, there will be some discomfort for the patient. We
administer pain medication at the time of surgery, and as necessary while
the cat is in the hospital to keep him or her comfortable. In most
cases this is sufficient, but for some cats we will send home pain
medication
for you to give for a few days.
What
do I need to do when the cat comes home?
All declawing patients
stay for 2 days in the hospital with us. The day of the surgery we put a
pressure bandage on the paws and use a surgical glue to ensure proper
healing. Then your cat will have the whole day to
rest. The second day we remove the bandages in the morning and
check the paws to make sure everything is ok. Your cat will rest and
have some food and water, and we monitor him throughout the morning to make
sure there are no complications. If everything is ok, your cat will
go home later that afternoon or evening.
When you get him or her home you will
need to use some newspaper shreds or an alternative to clay litter (like
Yesterday's News) in the litter box in place of regular
litter for about a week. This is to prevent the cat from grinding
its paws in the dust and dirt and opening the wounds, which will help prevent
infection. There are no sutures to worry about, and after a week you
can go back to your regular litter.
When
do we perform this surgery?
We perform surgeries
Tuesday
through Thursday only. SURGERY IS DONE BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. For all surgeries we need to have your pet in
the office at 7:30 a.m. Please allow about 10 minutes to complete the
surgery authorization form and stay with your pet if needed until we begin
the procedure. If these hours don't fit with
your schedule, we can often make other arrangements.
On the day of
surgery, we will perform the
procedure in the morning and your pet will be fully awake and ready to go home the
next day. Please
call our office to schedule an appointment or contact
us if you have any other questions.
