March 14, 2017
Good news! There is a bill to ban declawing that was just introduced in West Virginia.
Unfortunately there are many pro-declaw vets in that state who don’t want declawing banned. They make good money from amputating cat’s toe bones and claws so they want to protect the welfare of their pocketbooks.
Some of these vets even go to great lengths to lie to the public and their clients about declawing like this in a weekly column by two West Virginia vets, Gary McCutcheon and Jennifer Canfield from All Pets Animal Clinic. [button href=”http://www.theet.com/points-for-pets/article_926bb2d8-445a-575a-9d08-24bdf466ba8b.html” newwindow=”yes”] Points for Pets Column[/button]
My research team looked into how this veterinary practice addresses declawing. They called the practice posing as first time cat owners who wanted a price for a neuter/spay-declaw. This is what they found.
According to employees at All Pets Animal Clinic, these vets declaw cats with a guillotine style nail trimmer to “cut off the bone tip”, they say. This is the old school way that crushes the tissue, tendons, nerves, and often bone.
When the cat owners asked the employees if there are any long term negative consequences to declawing, they say no and said, “after 10 days, they are back to their normal self.”
They say it is cheaper to do the declaw with the neuter. A front declaw is $162 and a neuter/declaw is $180. They say that they do several declaws a month.
They tell you will need to use Purina’s Yesterday’s News cat litter for two weeks after their declaws.
Please sign my petition to Purina so that we can inspire them to help us end declawing with some of the money they are making from it from the sales of Yesterday’s News cat litter. [button href=”http://bit.ly/PurinaPetition” newwindow=”yes”] My Petition to Purina[/button]
Here is the full text of the question and answer.
Q: I’ve been hearing a lot of rumors and concern recently about the declawing of cats. My mother recently adopted a young cat, and she very much wants to take care of her properly. She has atrial fibrillation and is on a blood thinning medication. Consequently, she very much needs to have her little cat declawed to help prevent a situation that could be harmful if she was to be scratched. Is it going to be possible to have this surgery done because I realize some people want to make it illegal?
A: I’m sorry to hear your mother has A-Fib, but I’m so glad she’s receiving treatment. Yes, declawing of cats is a very commonly performed surgery, so your mother should not have any problem finding a veterinarian who will be more than happy to help her. This surgery, like any other surgery, is performed under general anesthesia using sterile technique. And, like any other surgery, post-op pain control is addressed, and recovery times are very similar to every other routine procedure.
You are right when you state there are those who would like to make declawing illegal. Many of those opinions have been formed by misinformation and what I call “internet-hype.” When performed properly, the declaw procedure results in no harmful side effects. In our experience, the cats have no higher incidence of any behavioral problems, which is in direct contrast to some of the fabrications that are now circulating. Please consult with your veterinarian to receive specific information concerning this procedure.
Here are the studies and facts about declawing that will show you the truth. The “misinformation” and alternative facts that are being spread are by these pro-declaw vets who say there are no harmful side effects and that this inhumane procedure is ok. It’s not and here are some of the many facts to back it up.
[button href=”https://citythekitty.org/njvmas-lies-deceit-in-their-declawing-testimony/” newwindow=”yes”] The truth about declawing[/button]
[button href=”https://citythekitty.org/painful-truth-declawing/” newwindow=”yes”] The Painful Truth About Declawing[/button]