“The NYSVMS is the acknowledged and respected voice for the profession, concerned with upholding ethical and proper standards in the treatment of all animals. The NYSVMS acts in the best interest of our members, animals, animal owners and society as a whole”-NYSVMS statement in their 2015 Legislative Agenda Newsletter
Photo on instagram posted by a veterinary professional
Pro-declaw veterinarians just keep putting out bad advice. This week we have a veterinarian in Missouri who advised a woman to declaw her 12 yr old cat for her baby on the way. [button href=”http://www.phillyvoice.com/katies-baby-preparing-my-fur-baby-my-infant/” color=”green” newwindow=”yes”] PhillyVoice 12 yr old declaw story[/button]
Now we have this retired (thankfully) New York veterinarian who likes to promote declawing and help his friends in the NYSVMS get the Cat Protection Bill in NY stopped, by getting this kind of unethical and appalling information published in newspapers. Evidently he thinks if he keeps getting this information published, people might believe it.
He is one of Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine’s finest (class of 61) and says, “Cornell has been our life.”
In fact Cornell is so proud of him that they gave him the 2000, “Salmon Award for Distinguished Alumni Service”, which honors Cornell Veterinary College DVM graduates who have distinguished themselves in service to the profession, their communities or to the College.
In case you don’t know about where Cornell stands on the bill in NY to ban declawing, here is the full story in honor of Rhoda A Hogan whose story you will find hard to believe. [button href=”https://citythekitty.org/a-true-hero/” color=”green” newwindow=”yes”] Rhoda A Hogan’s $125,000 bequest to Cornell[/button]
Here is his appalling letter to the editor in the Times Union on May 16, 2016 [button href=”http://blog.timesunion.com/opinion/declawing-smart-for-cats-owners/35267/” color=”red” newwindow=”yes”] Times Union Story[/button]
As a longtime owner of cats, and as a retired veterinarian who practiced in the area for 37 years, I’d like to share my opinion on declawing cats.
When clients asked about declawing a kitten or older cat, it was easy for me to support the procedure.
I had performed emergency surgery on a 6-month-old puppy with a penetrating laceration and collapsed cornea. The friendly puppy had approached an older cat and got far more than a pawshake. Another client had a cornea severely scratched by her cat. Sleeping on her lap, the cat had been startled when she sneezed.
Further, some people are very susceptible to “cat scratch fever.” I also know what an older cat did to my living room furniture before I declawed the cat’s front feet.
Removing claws from the front feet of cats helps prevent problems such as these without significantly inconveniencing felines. Cats minus these claws do not have to be kept inside. They will continue to climb trees, hunt and do battle with other cats to control their territory. As a rule, they can maintain their usual dominance over dogs, but front claws will not protect a feline cornered by an aggressive canine.
I encourage kitten owners to schedule front-claw removal when the animals are spayed or neutered. And I recommend the same procedure, which is done under general anesthesia, for older cats if they are creating problems. Young cats usually recover in two or three days. Recovery is a little longer for cats more than 2 years old. Interested cat owners should talk with their veterinarians.
Declawing cats can enhance the relationship between cats and their people.
Robert E. Lynk,
DVM
Delmar
Please write and send in rebuttal letters to the TU at tuletters@timesunion.com. This is a paper right out of Albany, NY aka the STATE CAPITAL, so it is IMPERATIVE that we get the word out there.
And evidently Mr Lynk is so proud of declawing even though he doesn’t do it anymore (thankfully), he keeps trying to get his opinion published in newspapers. Here is his similar letter to the editor in the New York Bethlehem Spotlight newspaper in 2004.
And he’s also still a member of the NYSVMS so maybe he’s trying to help his pro-declaw vet friends at Cornell, and the current President of the NYSVMS Dr Susan Wylegala and the 2015 President of the NYSVMS, Dr Dean Snyder, convince the NY lawmakers that they should be able to keep mutilating paws.
(Cornell is not supporting the bill in NY to ban declawing)
Both of those NYSVMS Presidents are actively working to kill our Cat Protection Bill in NY that is GOOD for cats but bad for their pocketbooks. And at the practice of this 2016 President of the NYSVMS, they ask you if you want “two paws or four paws, laser or traditional” when you ask for a price of declaws. No mention of humane alternatives or counseling. For $1005.74 she will neuter/laser declaw your 5 month old kitten on all four paws. And they tell you in about 2 weeks your kitty will be back to normal. They tell you they like to combine the declaws with the neuter because your kitty is only sedated once.
This is from their May 25, 2015 eNews where they are also celebrating their accomplishment of STOPPING the declawing bill last year. [button href=”https://citythekitty.org/nysvms-declares-war-innocent-cats/” color=”green” newwindow=”yes”] NYSVMS Declares War On Innocent Cats[/button]
Dear parents, please don’t let your kids grow up to be these kind of doctors of veterinary medicine.
[button href=”https://citythekitty.org/wp-admin/post.php?post=2964&action=edit” color=”red” newwindow=”yes”] How the NYSVMS is trying to kill the Cat Protection Bill[/button]
Please remember to share these posts since we need more people to see how so many pro-declaw veterinarians are deceiving cat owners. This is a big opportunity to use our passion to respectfully educate everyone how the choice of declawing is the wrong for ANY situation. REMEMBER TO NOT THREATEN ANYONE. IT’S WRONG TO DO THAT AND IF YOU DO THEN THEY CAN TWIST THINGS AROUND AND PLAY THE VICTIM. THE ONLY VICTIMS ARE ALL THE CATS THAT ARE BEING DECLAWED. WE MUST BE THE BETTER PEOPLE IN THESE SITUATIONS. PLEASE.
Here’s another unethical vet who is promoting the declawing of little kittens on her fb page today and wants her followers to believe that declawing little kittens is ok. 