Story published on May 21, 2021
How can we improve mental well-being in the veterinary profession, especially related to moral distress and ethical trauma?
Ban and end declawing.
As you will see below, declawing causes moral distress and negatively affects the mental health and well-being of many veterinary professionals.
Here is a disturbing and sick letter that a pro-declaw American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) veterinarian sent to the AAFP and also to ethical and humane veterinary practices that have stopped doing this inhumane and harmful procedure.
The researcher said they were concerned about reading things online about how declawing is bad so they asked the employee if their vets are skilled at them and is is ok long term for a cat. The employee at this AAFP CAT FRIENDLY practice said, “We do declaws at least a couple a week.” They said that the younger the cat the better and it’s best to do the declaw when they are a kitten.
The researcher asked why their declaw procedure is “humane.” The employee said because, “We do it the correct way, the way it is supposed to be done.” They use a scalpel to do the declaws.
Maybe all of you can help me inspire St Hubert’s to support this important cat protection bill (without any bad amendments), the way that North Shore Animal League did for the bill in NY, without any amendments:
Please let St Hubert’s know how much you appreciate all they’ve done to re-home so many cats and kittens, as well as TNR programs for community cats, and we know that they are against cat declawing (it’s in their Positions Statement) … so why won’t they support the anti-declaw bill that was passed by the NJ State Full Assembly?
This AAHA and AAFP Cat Friendly practice’s long time vet tech tells a first time cat owner that the only time you would do all four paw declaw is, “if your cat has a skin condition or it’s one of those cats that doesn’t have fur.”
She said, “Declawing is very looked down upon from a lot of different organizations.” She said, “Basically you are removing the top digit like removing the top tip on your finger tips and there are a lot of nerves there.” She said there is a chance of things being, “bumped the wrong way or in recovery a little open but about 95% of cats we declaw we don’t have issues.” She said that when the cats are older and heavier is when there are issues with a declaw.
Story published in 2017. Here is a sad story about a cat owner that was deceived by her declawing AVMA veterinarian at a cat clinic
This vet, Dr Donald St Ledger, a 40 yr American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) member vet, who went to University of Illinois has been and is STILL declawing cats of any age on 2 and 4 paws and NOT USING ANY PAIN MEDS at Albion Veterinary Clinic in Illinois.
I believe that you could be a leader here if you wanted to. One day, declawing will be illegal in NYS and you’ll probably share in the celebration saying that Cornell has always been against declawing.
But really, have you?
A supporter sent me this picture that a kinkajou owner posted on facebook. The owner said in a comment that she had her kinkajou 4 paw declawed because, “the declawing allows us to give them (she had another kinkajou named Mazy declawed) more freedom in the home. She said that her mom is on blood thinners and the kinkajou would “inadvertently” claw her. She said that her mom would , “help me bathe her, clip her nails or even play with her and she’d get cut up and bleed.”
This owner also said, “only his nails were lasered off. His toes are intact,” in a comment on facebook.
Ohio State Vets ensure their own job security by declawing kittens and cats, thus creating a lifetime of serious and costly medical problems for their patients.
I’m really struggling … I really hate my home life now. My cat is ruined and now it’s making my life miserable.
Out of kindness and compassion, I had adopted this botched declaw older cat from the shelter. He had been given up for urinating outside the box and had been at the shelter for a long time. He was in pain. I felt bad for him and no one wanted to help him.
So I adopted him and gave him a loving home.
But frankly I keep regretting saving him. He relapses and urinates everywhere, all over my stuff.