How Can A Feline Expert Know Less Than a Four Year Old Child?
Gary D. Norsworthy has been a veterinarian for 48 years, 23 in a feline-only practice.
He owns Alamo Feline Health Center in San Antonio, Texas, and says he’s an expert in feline medicine.
The investigation began when a cat person, looking for a no-declaw vet practice, thought Dr Norsworthy was the natural choice. After all, a feline expert couldn’t be pro-declaw, right?
Wrong.
By the way, Dr Norsworthy ignored City the Kitty’s request to interview him. Shocking.
Here’s what we know:
When asked by the original concerned cat person, Dr Norsworthy said that at Alamo, they are not proactively recommending declawing for all cats, but they believe that many cats would not have a good home if that wasn’t an option.
Where’s your proof, Dr. Norsworthy? We all know declawing doesn’t keep cats in their homes. Just check your local shelter. There are tons of declawed cats that have lost their homes.
He said that they declaw with a laser.
Here’s our question: Dr. Norsworthy, do you really believe that it is humane to vaporize off healthy bones or did you buy an expensive laser and now you have to mutilate cats to break even?
We found this on Amazon. It appears that he loves his laser for declawing cats and wants to share this love with his fellow vets. Link to Norsworthy Laser Declaw CD
He avoided talking to us, so we don’t know what his answer would have been.
He said if they don’t do the declaws, cat owners will have it done elsewhere.
He said many of his competing colleagues do not use a laser so they want cat owners to have that option.
Dr. Norsworthy, what about the poor cats?
And, again, did you invest in a very expensive laser and therefore want to use it? Alas, we will never know. You chose not to answer us.
He said that they demand that declawed cats always stay indoors.
Unfortunately, he doesn’t demand that people provide scratching posts or pads or learn to trim nails or train their cats instead. He also doesn’t demand that people not declaw their cats.
That wouldn’t make any money.
No, Dr Norsworthy didn’t have time to get back to us. Hmmm.
Was he too busy burning off healthy cat toes?
We specifically wanted to know this: Why is Dr Norsworthy, a supposed well known feline expert, still performing this inhumane and cruel amputation procedure when anyone, even a four-year-old child, knows it’s wrong?
Gary D. Norsworthy says he’s a feline expert and the author of 7 feline textbooks. He is a board-certified feline specialist (one of only two in South Texas) and an Adjunct Professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University and the Western University of Health Sciences.
Despite all of this, Dr Norsworthy is clearly not keeping up with the literature, so we emailed him a recent peer-reviewed paper about how bad declawing is and its long-term detrimental consequences.
Now, we wait and see.
Can we teach an old feline medical expert that he’s been wrong for 23 years? Can we inspire him to rewrite the book on declawing and admit that it has no benefit to cats?
In an ideal world, yes.
Now that we know better, we do better.
Dr Norsworthy, the cats are counting on you.
Sources:
Alamo Feline Health Center has this declawing info on their website. Alamo Feline Health Center declawing
Dr Norsworthy wrote a story about lasers and declawing in Veterinary Practice News in 2012. Here’s an excerpt from it.
“I have used a CO2 laser for about 10 years. My initial interest in this tool was for declawing cats. I was told that using it would result in less bleeding and less pain. The difference between declawing with it and with a scalpel is not great in kittens, because they heal so rapidly; but the difference is obvious in adult cats, especially overweight ones.
Consequently, we abandoned other methods and made CO2 declawing our only option to clients.” Dr Gary Norsworthy
Link to story. Laser Story
Our researchers made a short phone call and asked how much Alamo charges for a declaw, if they do them regularly, and if declawing is ok long term for a cat.
Employee was asked about a price of a declaw and employee replied, “Did you want to do 2 feet or four feet?”
A neuter/ 4 paw declaw is $673.
A 2 paw declaw is $500.90.
If the cat is over 12 lbs then it’s $639.35.
A 4 paw declaw is $577.80.
Employee said that they have 3 vets who do the declaws and that “We do them daily.”
The employee was asked why a 2 paw declaw for a heavier cat is more than a 4 paw and employee said older cats are more challenging and need an extra day in the hospital (3 days instead of 2).
Employee was asked if there are any long-term issues or complications from a declaw and employee said no, most cats do fine.
Employee was asked if it’s ok to declaw a cat at any age and employee said yes.
We found 5 no declaw veterinary practices in the San Antonio, TX area.
My Pet’s Vet. https://www.mypetsvetgroup.com/locations/san-antonio/
Amigo Animal Hospital.
Blue Cross Vet Clinic.
Ace Veterinary Clinic.
VCA Mission Animal Hospital.
Please take your pets to a no-declaw vet practice so that you know you can trust that you are getting the best care from veterinarians who truly care about the welfare of all animals.
Here’s a short survey of declawing vet practices in the San Antonio, TX.
St Francis Assisi Veterinary Medical Center. San Antonio, TX. This is a National Veterinary Associates Practice.
A neuter/declaw is $615 and the employee said that Dr Bob Bauml does the declaws and he does them regularly.
Marbach Road Animal Hospital.
Researcher asked for the price of a neuter/declaw and employee asked, “Did you want the front only or all four?”
The employee said that they use a laser and it’s better because it cauterizes and seals while it burns and it’s not as painful and more humane.
Great Northwest Animal Hospital.
They said a scalpel declaw is $500 and you need an exam first.
Alamo Ranch Animal Hospital.
The employee said Dr Gaines does the declaws. A declaw is $340-$480. Employee was asked if declawing is ok for a cat long term and they said yes, there are no problems.
Covenant Care Animal Hospital.
Employee said that they have some vets who won’t do declaws because it’s not deemed medically necessary. They said that they do have a few vets who will do them.
Town and Country Veterinary Hospital
Employee said a neuter/declaw is around $750. They said that Dr Michel Bunning is the only vet who does the declaws and they like to do them when the cat is a baby around 8 weeks. When asked if declawing is ok for a cat the employee said that it’s a matter of preference and it’s a gray area in veterinary medicine.