Story published in April 2021

UPDATED IN September 2024.

National Veterinary Associates (NVA) is the largest private owner of freestanding veterinary hospitals in the United States.

NVA is owned by JAB Holdings, a company that is owned by the Reimann family.  NVA has over 1100 vet practices and pet resorts in America.

NVA says this on their website. “Integrity-We earn trust by doing the right thing.”

NVA says this on their facebook page. “Our mission is to improve the comfort and well-being of animals by providing progressive and compassionate care.”

Many NVA Practices declaw cats. Some of them do not declaw cats. Why are their standards of care so different in NVA practices when it comes to declawing?  Here’s our 2022 story about NVA and their Medical Advisory Board declawing vet. http://citythekitty.org/did-the-declawing-veterinarian-on-nvas-medical-advisory-board-make-nvas-declawing-policy/

NVA has also teamed up with Dr Marty Becker’s Fear Free Pets.

NVA says on their website, “We’re committed to progressive and compassionate care, narrowing the health gap with wellness plans, veterinary dentistry and fear-free healthcare experiences for patients and their families.”

Here’s the link to this page-

NVA How We Lead

Below is the timeline of what NVA communicated to us starting in March of 2022 about how NVA is going to supposedly end declawing in their clinics.

As of September 2024 many NVA clinics are regularly declawing cats.

UPDATE September 2024 and November 2023.

Many NVA clinics are still declawing cats on 2 and 4 paws with spay/neuter procedures, according to the employees who work there. 

UPDATE MARCH 2023.

On March 16, 2023 we received this note from Laura Koester of NVA.  This was another attempt to deceive the public into thinking that NVA banned declawing in all their clinics which is NOT true.

“ I am pleased to share that this Friday, we will be posting to our website that in alignment with NVA’s mission to improve the comfort and well-being of pets by providing progressive and compassionate care, NVA does not support the elective declawing of cats.  Instead, NVA encourages pet parent education and non-surgical alternatives as outlined by the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP).

 Once the post is up, we will send you a link.”

Here’s the link. https://www.nva.com/newsroom/elective-declawing

We asked NVA about this and told them that many of their clinics are still declawing cats and how they actually told their vets they can declaw cats if they feel it will benefit the cat. Just because NVA said that they do not support elective declawing doesn’t mean that all their declawing vets have to stop performing this animal cruelty.

NVA’s media contact, Laura Koester wrote us back and said, “Traditionally NVA does not post our policies online.  However, I am pleased in the case of
declawing, we are making a rare exception, which shows our commitment to not supporting elective declawing.  By posting online, we share our
beliefs with our industry partners,  candidates for open roles, including DVM roles, and our community. We have also directly emailed all our
hospitals to reiterate this stance.

Also, if anyone has a question about a specific hospital, we work with that hospital.  And we find pointing to one person and generalizing to an entire organization is not productive.”

WHAT? Pointing to one person and generalizing to an entire organization is not productive??

Many NVA clinics are STILL declawing cats so clearly NVA failed miserably to get the message out that it is not allowed in their vet clinics.

NVA still allows declawing in March 2023. 

The problem with this is they did that because we contacted the organizations that work with the Reimann family’s foundation like HateAid.org and they asked why the Reimanns are still allowing this animal cruelty in their vet clinics. This organization, HateAid.org, was made to believe that NVA no longer allows declawing in their clinics but this isn’t true.

In MARCH 2023 we looked in to how many NVA clinics address declawing and found many that are STILL offering declawing.

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UPDATE November 28, 2022.

NVA finally got back with us and said, “We are proud to share NVA has adopted a stance very similar to the German law you originally cited when you reached out to NVA earlier this year. We do not support elective declawing and it should not be performed. We communicated this to our hospitals and will continue to reiterate it across the organization.”

We asked them if we can announce to our followers that NVA has officially banned declawing in their clinics and if they will give us an official statement on why they banned it.

They replied back and said, “As I emailed yesterday, we do not support elective declawing and it should not be performed. We have communicated this to all our hospitals. We do not post our policies publicly.”

Unfortunately many of their practices are still offering declawing as of Nov. 26, 2022. Some say that you have to meet with a doctor to discuss other options and to see if the declaw is necessary and it’s between you and the doctor if a declaw should be performed. Others say they need to take a look at the cat to see what’s going on and others say that you need to discuss things with the doctor and they will do it if it’s best for the pet and if it needs the declaw.

Also, why wouldn’t NVA be proud about this decision and announce it like all the other big veterinary organizations did when they banned it.

————————————————————————-

————————————AUGUST 1, 2022

We informed them of an NVA declawing clinic. They sent us this email.

“Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

We have communicated to all our hospitals that NVA does not support declawing and are in the process of following up with our hospitals. We will follow-up directly with Governor’s Avenue Animal Hospital.

Amy

Amy Reilly

Senior Director, Communications”

————————————————

JULY 2022. 

NVA sent out a “Feline Declaw information & Resource Guide” to their practices that says, “In alignment with our mission to improve the comfort and well-being of patients by providing progressive veterinary care guidance, the Medical Advisory Board does not support declawing of cats. The procedure should not be performed unless within the context of a valid veterinary client-patient relationship, the veterinarian has determined it to be required for the benefit of the patient.”

THEY DID NOT SAY THAT IT SHOULD ONLY BE PERFORMED FOR A MEDICAL REASON FOR THE CAT!

Did National Veterinary Associates (NVA) Let The Only Declawing Veterinarian on their Medical Advisory Board Write Their Official Declawing Position that was sent to all their clinics in July 2022?  NVA is the biggest veterinary group company in America. Here’s our 2021 story about NVA and declawing. https://citythekitty.org/nvas-mission-is-to-improve-the-comfort-well-being-of-animals-why-are-many-nva-practices-declawing-cats/

Isn’t this a conflict of interest if a veterinarian is making money from declawing and is on NVA’s Medical Advisory Board and was part of making NVA’s declawing policy?

Four months after NVA sent their Feline Declaw Info and Resource Guide to their practices that said declawing should not be performed unless it benefits the cat, this NVA Medical Advisory Board veterinarian’s practice in Crest Hill, Illinois is still providing declawing services and she is one of two vets at the practice who performs declaws according to two employees who work there.

Yet NVA told us that they told their practices that they do not support declawing and it should not be performed.

This Medical Advisory Board member vet who actually helped make NVA’s declawing policy is violating their rule that declawing shouldn’t be performed.  Did NVA really tell all their vet clinics that declawing shouldn’t be performed or did they lie to us?

NVA’s Medical Advisory Board consists of 8 veterinarians.

Since their Medical Advisory Board set this declawing policy, we wanted to see how the practices of these Medical Advisory Board veterinarians address declawing. In April of 2021 and December of 2022 our researchers made a short phone call to ask for the cost of a neuter/spay/declaw, if they do them regularly, and if declawing is ok long term for a cat.

We have withheld the names of employees for fear that they might suffer a backlash for their honest answers.

1)  Dr. Brandy Saubert, DVM, Managing Veterinarian at Crest Hill Animal Hospital in Crest Hill, Illinois.

December 2022. The employee said that they only do the two paw declaw and it costs $460.  They said that you can do a neuter/declaw together the day of the appointment and you can just drop the cat off in the morning for the procedures. When asked if the cats are ok long term from a declaw they said yes and asked if their doctors do declaws regularly the employee said yes.

Another employee only a couple of their vets do declaws and they are Dr Brandy Saubert and Dr Katie Aksami. When asked if they do the declaw procedures regularly the employee said yes. They said a spay $342 and front declaw is $461. They said that you can make an appointment drop the cat off first thing in the morning between 7-8 am. The employee said, “We use the laser for the declaw procedure so it’s a lot easier on the kitty.”  They said it’s quicker healing and they are moving around real quick.

2) Ilan Cohen, DVM, Managing Veterinarian at St. George Hunt Memorial Veterinary Hospital in Wayne, PA.  

December 2022. They do not declaw cats. They said that a declaw is not good for a cat and the doctors don’t like to do them.

3) Bruce Coston, DVM. NVA website profile says he, “joined a practice in Waynesboro, Virginia, where he practiced a few years before founding Seven Bends Veterinary Hospital.” (Woodstock, VA.)

December 2022. They said they don’t declaw cats and said it’s cruel. They said that the state of Virginia is trying to outlaw declawing.

(In April 2021, according to an employee, they provided declawing services.)

4) John Paulson, DVM, Managing Vet at Shoreline Central Animal Hospital in Shoreline, WA.

December 2022. Employee said that they don’t do declaws unless it is medically necessary for the cat.

In April 2021 an employee said they do not declaw cats because they believe it is a cruel procedure and said that there is new evidence that it is detrimental to a cat’s health. They recommended scratching posts and nail trims instead.

5) Jenni Mitchell, DVM, Managing Veterinarian at Thiensville-Mequon Small Animal Clinic in Thiensville, WI.

December 2022. They said that they do not declaw cats and that it is very invasive, not appreciated by the cats, it’s bad for them, it’s like if they are cutting off the tips of our fingers, and it’s very painful for cats.

(In April of 2021, this practice was still declawing cats according to an employee. )

6) Kimberly Greene, DVM, Managing Veterinarian at Animal Oasis Veterinary Hospital.

December 2022. They do not do declaws because their doctors don’t believe in it.

7) Dr. Kellie Lindquist, DVM, Managing Veterinarian at Alaska Veterinary Clinic, Anchorage, AK.

December 2022. They said they don’t declaw cats and according to the AVMA it is considered inhumane to declaw cats so as a participating clinic under that, they don’t perform declaws.

8) Dr. Sandra Faeh is the Managing Veterinarian at Elmhurst Animal Care Center in the Chicago suburb of Elmhurst, Illinois. Dr. Faeh has been serving as the AVMA’s President-Elect for 2023-24 and AVMA President for the 2024-2025 term. She is the Chief Veterinary Officer for the National Veterinary Association in Wayne, IL. Dr. Faeh also served as the ISVMA Board of Director’s President in 2016-2017.

December 2022. The employee said that they do not declaw cats because NVA and AVMA don’t recommend it anymore and they said standby not needing to do that to cats and there are other alternatives.

————————————June 15, 2022

We received this email, “

Appreciate you checking in.  We’ve been working through our process and are still on pace to no longer offer elective cat declawing.

All our best,

Amy

Amy Reilly

Senior Director, Communications

www.NVA.com“

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UPDATE APRIL 6, 2022!

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Please send the owners of NVA a polite note and ask them why they haven’t banned declawing when their mission is to improve the comfort & well-being of animals.

Email- [email protected]

Call NVA- 805 777 7722 and ask them why they are still allowing declawing in their clinics.

https://www.nva.com/contact-us

JAB Holdings is owned by the Reimann family. 

The Reimann family’s Reimann Family Foundation foundation was created after this German family found that some of their ancestors profited from the horrors of the Nazi regime. 

The Reimann family is donating millions to charities after learning about their ancestors’ enthusiastic support of Adolf Hitler and use of forced laborers during the World War II.

The Reimann family is also donating $30 million dollars a year to their Alfred Landecker foundation to help protect minorities and combat antisemitism.

It says this on their foundation’s home page. “We believe that all people have the right to live without fear, persecution, and suffering.” 

Cats are facing tremendous fear, inhumane treatment & suffering in many National Veterinary Associates (NVA) clinics from being declawed.

Please take 60 seconds and sign our petition to NVA, the Reimann family, and JAB Holdings. NVA Petition

We reached out to JAB Holding Company, the company that owns NVA, in March 2021 and haven’t heard back from them.

We reached out to the PR firm that represents them, Abernathy MacGregor, on April 2, 2021. No reply yet.

We reached out to NVA in Feb. 2020 and they told our Exec. Director they escalated this issue and sent it to their CMO. We never heard back from them.

We reached out to the Reimann family, their foundation, and JAB Holding Company in March 2022 and are waiting to hear back.

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On March 31, 2022, the NVA communications ladies wanted to talk to our President. When our President asked if NVA is considering banning declawing, one of them said, “What’s happening is we are taking it seriously and are engaging with our veterinary community to review elective declawing and so we are hoping you can give us a little patience while we work through our organization.”

They said that some doctors have said that there are situations where declawing is medically necessary or that the cat’s life would be saved.

They said, “We didn’t want you to think we called to say please stop your efforts, we understand what you are doing, this is a passion and you’ve dedicated your life to it.”

They said they are trying to help their veterinarians pull the education together to look at this issue and really explore it.

First thing first.

NVA has known about this declawing issue for years. Their veterinary leaders know about all the literature.

NVA has made a choice to let their veterinarians do what they want as far as declawing or not declawing.

NVA does not want to tell their vets that they cannot declaw cats.

NVA veterinarians get a basic salary and then if they bring in more than a certain percentage in revenue, they are paid a percentage, around 20%, for the revenue they make over that amount.
NVA veterinarians are paid on production which means the more declaws they do, the more money they can make.
Declawing is a good money making procedure in many NVA clinics.

In other words, NVA’s declawing veterinarians have no incentive to not declaw cats.

They are profiting from it.

They have a financial incentive to do a declaw instead of talking the cat owner out of it by educating them about how bad it is for a cat and about the easy, humane alternatives.

We wanted to see how NVA, Compassion First, and PetWell practices address declawing so our researchers made a short phone call to some of them and asked how much they charge for a declaw, if they do them regularly, and if declawing is ok long term for a cat.

We have withheld the names of employees for fear that they might suffer a backlash for their honest answers.

2021.

These were the veterinarians on NVA’s Medical Advisory Board in 2021.

1)  John Paulson, DVM, Managing Vet at Shoreline Central Animal Hospital in Shoreline, WA.

Employee said they do not declaw cats because they believe it is a cruel procedure and said that there is new evidence that it is detrimental to a cat’s health. They recommended scratching posts and nail trims instead.

2) Ilan Cohen, DVM, Managing Veterinarian at St. George Hunt Memorial Veterinary Hospital in Wayne, PA.  

Employee said they do not declaw cats and don’t recommend it and say it is a procedure that removes the 3rd knuckle.

3) Bruce Coston, DVM. NVA Mentor & Medical Advisory Board Member.

NVA website profile says he, “joined a practice in Waynesboro, Virginia, where he practiced a few years before founding Seven Bends Veterinary Hospital.” (Woodstock, VA.)

Employee said that they have 4 vets who do declaws. When asked if declawing is ok for a cat long term, the employee said yes and that the cats usually heal pretty well.

4) Dr. Brandy Saubert, DVM, Managing Veterinarian at Crest Hill Animal Hospital in Crest Hill, Illinois.

Crest Hill Animal Hospital recently took down this declawing info from their website.

5) Jenni Mitchell, DVM, Managing Veterinarian at Thiensville-Mequon Small Animal Clinic in Thiensville, WI.

This practice has Fear Free Certified Professionals (manager and two vet techs), is an AAHA hospital, and AAFP member.

Employee asked, “Just the fronts?” They said that Dr Mitchell does the declaws and she’s done a lot of them in the past.

The employee said that you have to make an exam first and the doctor will tell you about the procedure and how it is cutting off the first joint on a cat’s paw.

They do 2 and 4 paw declaws. A 4 paw declaw and spay is around $747-$869. They use a scalpel for the declaws. Employee was asked if declawing is ok for a cat long term and they said yes.

This is on their facebook page, “We are devoted to improving the comfort and well-being of our patients with high quality of care.” Their facebook page also says that the provide compassionate veterinary care and are committed to a pet’s well-being, with an emphasis on preventative medicine and client education.

6) Kimberly Greene, DVM, Managing Veterinarian at Animal Oasis Veterinary Hospital.

Their website says, “Keeping pets healthy since 2009.”

We do not know if they still declaw cats but here’s a declawing yelp review from 2014. ——

7) Dr. Kellie Lindquist, DVM, Managing Veterinarian at Alaska Veterinary Clinic, Anchorage, AK.

Employee said that they do not declaw cats and when asked if it’s bad for a cat, they said yes and that it’s very painful.

In 2021, we looked into many other NVA Practices and how they address declawing.

8) Animal Medical Center of Gahanna, Ohio

September 2024. 

The employee said a declaw is around $300-$400. Researcher asked if a declaw is ok long term for a cat and the employee said it’s really hard to say. Researcher asked if they do declaws regularly and the employee said yes, if clients choose to do it.  They said that any of their doctors can do the declaw and they use a laser which they said was better.

March 2023. Employee said that a neuter/declaw is around $1100. They require a pre-surgical exam first where the vet will discuss the procedure and risks of having it done and if you decide you want it done then they can schedule the procedures after that. They said that they have multiple vets who can do the declaw. Researcher asked if they do declaws regularly and if the cats are ok after the declaw long term and the employee said yes to both.

 November 2022.

Employee said that a spay/declaw is $854 but you can buy the Wellness Plan for a 1 year contract and also get 10% off the declaw.

2021.  They said that a laser declaw is from $730-$770.

They said that all their vets perform declaws and they perform them regularly. When asked if a declaw is ok for a cat long term the employee said yes, and that they typically don’t recommend it but will do them.

9 ) The Ridge Animal Hospital in Farmsville, VA

(Declawing was banned in Virginia on July 1, 2024 unless a cat owner has a note from their doctor saying that declawing is medically necessary for the owner.)

March 2023. The employee said a front declaw is from $450-$500 and the doctor has to talk to you first about the declaw and the decision is between the cat owner and doctor if the declaw will be performed. They said that they like to try other options and a declaw is a last resort.

Link to declawing info. NVA’s Ridge Animal Hospital’s declawing info

2021. They said that a 2 paw declaw is $400. The employee said that they generally just do the front paw declaws. They said that they have a note at the front desk that says front and back declaw is $500-$550 but they need a medical reason to also declaw the back paws.

They said that all their vets do declaws and they do them regularly. When asked if a declaw is ok for a cat long term, they said, “yes, yes.”

10) Animal Hospital of Woodstock, IL.  This is also an AAHA Accredited Animal Hospital.

Here’s a post on this NVA Practice’s facebook page from March 19, 2020.

This declawing propaganda information page was recently deleted from this NVA vet practice’s website.

 11) GlenPark Animal Hospital in Muskegon, MI   

Here are a few of their facebook posts.

September 2024.

Researcher asked for the cost of a  neuter/declaw and the employee asked, “Are you wanting all four or just the front?”

Employee said that a 2 paw declaw/neuter is around $385 and a four paw declaw/neuter is around $485.

The researcher asked if the cats are ok long term after a declaw and they said yes, “they heal up pretty good.” They said they have a doctor that’s been doing declaws for 30 years and she has done quite a few within the last 30 years.

Feb. 2023. Researcher asked for the cost of a declaw and the employee asked if you want a 2 paw or a 4 paw declaw.   A spay/4 paw declaw is $415. Researcher asked if the cats are ok long term after the declaw and the employee said yes.

October 2022. Employee said that the cost of a neuter declaw is $305 and just said that the cat needs an exam to be up to date on vaccines.

Jan. 2022. Employee asked, “Are you doing a full declaw or just the front?”  They said a neuter/2 paw declaw is $285. 20 and a neuter/4 paw declaw is $344.  When asked if a cat will be ok long term from a declaw they said, “yes.” 

They said that Dr Houser and Dr Graham do their declaws regularly.

12) South Suburban Animal Hospital, Perrysburg, OH.

September 2024.

The employee said that they can’t give a cost for a neuter/declaw and you have to make an exam appointment. They said that some of their doctors don’t like to do declaws and other do them if the owner is older and they have fragile skin or things like that.

They said that Dr Amanda Henderson and Dr Sarah Anderson do their declaws.  They both require a consultation first before the procedures. They said it’s totally up to the doctor if they feel comfortable with doing the declaw after the exam. 

Feb. 2023. The employee said that they have to get the declaw approved first. They only have two doctors who do the declaw and they only do the front declaws. They said a neuter/declaw is almost $1000. They said they normally don’t do the declaw but it’s up to a doctor and they will call you to tell you if they allow it.

The researcher asked, “When do they normally allow it?”  The employee said, “They allow it all the time but there’s only a couple doctors who do it and we only do the front claws.”  They said they have to schedule an appointment to see if the cat is healthy and then they can schedule the surgery.  Then the employee stated some conflicting information and said, “We normally don’t ok declaws. It has to be passed to a doctor.”

The researcher said to the employee that they just said that they allow declaw all the time. The employee said, “It has to be okayed by a doctor.”

The researcher said, “But they allow them all the time” and the employee did not give a response to that comment.

2021. Employee said they have one doctor who does the declaws and they are a routine and typical surgery. When asked if declawing is bad for a cat long term the employee said that they have seen some cats who are uncomfortable and some can get arthritis.

13) Ehrlich Animal Hospital and Arthritis Therapy Center, Tampa, FL.

September 2024.

The employee said that a neuter/2 paw declaw is $795.50 and a 4 paw declaw is $989. They said that their owner, Dr Farid Saleh, is the vet who does their declaws. https://www.ehrlichanimalhospital.com/staff/dr-farid-saleh

Researcher asked if they do declaws often and the employee said, “Oh yes.”

Their voice recording says “We strive to keep all pets happy and healthy” and it says they’ve launched their new app, “Happy Healthy Pets App.”

Researcher asked if the cats are ok after a declaw and the employee said normally they are fine but every animal is different.

They said that Dr Saleh does the declaw with a laser and you need to have a consult exam first. Researcher asked if he does declaws regularly and they employee said, “he does.”

Researcher asked if they see declawed cats in their Arthritis Therapy Center and the employee said they can’t say for sure and am not aware of it and most they have heard of are fine but that’s a question for Dr Saleh.

March 2023. A spay/2 paw declaw is around $800 and a spay/4 paw declaw is around $960. They said all their vets do the declaws and they use a laser. Researcher asked if they do declaws regularly and if the cats are ok long term from the declaw and the employee said yes to both.

2021. Employee asked, “4 paw or 2 paw?”

A 4 paw declaw is $800. When asked if declawing is ok long term for a cat, the employee said yes.

14) Clarke Animal Hospital in Spring Lake, Michigan.

March 2023. Employee said that they don’t declaw because NVA doesn’t want them to do them anymore. They said that you need to see one of their doctors to see the needs as to why they are doing the declaw because they don’t do them very often.

They said if the doctor feels a declaw is medically necessary for the cat they will refer you out to another clinic but if it’s not medically necessary they will not refer you out.

2021. They said that a 2 paw declaw is around $1000 and Dr Harden and Dr Thayer perform them. When asked if a declaw is ok for a cat long term they said yes.

———————

15) St Francis Assisi Veterinary Medical Center. San Antonio, TX.

March 2023. They said their doctors chose to not declaw because it is illegal in some states and is a cruel procedure because it involves removing an entire bone from their paws and it can cause some pretty lasting pain afterwards. They talked about the humane alternatives like nail trims, Soft Paws, etc.

2021. A neuter/declaw is $615 and the employee said that Dr Bob Bauml does the declaws and he does them regularly.

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14) North Paw Animal Hospital, Durham, NC.

Feb. 2023. They said that they don’t declaw cats and it’s been phased out and can be pretty risky for the cat, there can be complications, and when cats are declawed and get out it’s really dangerous for them. They said you can do some research about it.

2021. They don’t declaw and said it’s like cutting off a cat’s knuckles.

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15) Lake Chatuge Animal Hospital, Young Harris, GA

September 2024. The employee said that they do not do declaws anymore and said it is kind of inhumane for cats and it cuts their toes off so it’s pretty rough on them.

Feb. 2023. Employee said before they can do a declaw the doctor is going to want to see the cat and a declaw is around $250- $400.

They said that anytime they do surgery they need to see the patient first to see if they are healthy and current on vaccines.  Researcher asked if the cat’s healthy enough for the declaw procedure then will they do it. Employee said that’s up to the doctor’s discretion as to if they will do the spay and declaw together. Researcher asked if they do the spay/declaws there and the employee said they have a surgeon on staff. Researcher asked if they do declaws regularly and the employee said that they could schedule an appointment and talk to the doctor about that.

2021. A declaw is $703. They use a laser and they said the nail is less likely to grow back. They said that Dr Marshall does the declaws regularly. When asked if declawing is ok for a cat long term the employee said that it causes arthritis and the cats might avoid the litter box.

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16) Northgate Small Animal Hospital, Collinsville, IL.

Feb. 2023. They said they do not declaw cats anymore.

2021. Employee said that Dr Kennedy and Dr Stahlheber do the declaws regularly. A neuter/declaw is $572.

Employee said that Dr Kennedy declawed their cat the day before and he’s still sore.  Employee said that you can save money on the procedures if you get the Paw Plan.

————————

17) Skyview Veterinary Hospital, Billings, MT.   They have 4 vet hospitals and all of them are NVA practices.

Update Oct. 2022.

Friendship Veterinary Center, Laural, MT. 

March 2023. Employee said that a declaw is $233 and a neuter is $240 and their vet doesn’t do the 4 paw declaw. They said that Dr Ken Podkonjak does their declaws.

Researcher asked if he does declaws regularly and the employee said, “Yea, fairly regularly.”

Researcher asked if the cats are ok long term and the employee said yes.

2021. Employee said that a neuter/declaw is $420 and Dr Ken does their declaws. When asked if a declaw is ok for a cat long term, they said yes.

Skyview Veterinary Hospital said that their doctor does not consider declawing to be ethical and they do not offer declaws, but that you can go to their other clinic, Moore Lane Veterinary Hospital and get it done if the cat is younger than 1 year old.

Moore Lane Veterinary Hospital. The employee said that they only have one vet , Dr McLane, who will do a declaw but you need to get a consultation appointment with him first so he can meet the cat and go over everything before he does a declaw.

Shiloh Veterinary Hospital-  They do not offer declaws and say it is taking off the first knuckle in a cat’s paw. They refer you to the Animal Clinic of Billings for a declaw. (More about Animal Clinic of Billings below.)

————-

Animal Clinic of Billings-(Not an NVA clinic.) The employee said that a neuter/declaw is $689.60. They said that they personally would use Dr Bobbi Jo Massic but that all their vets can do declaws.

When asked if the cats are ok long term after a declaw the employee said, “We like them when they are younger than older to be real honest they recover from the declaw.”

They said that it is the hardest part for the cat because it is an amputation. They said that Dr Bobbi Jo uses a blade and “disarticulates it between the joints” and doesn’t use a guillotine or a cutting instrument and just dissects them out.  They stay for 2 nights to make sure there is no bleeding.

The employee was asked if declawing is ok for a cat long term and she said, “Yes, I’ve had mine done.”  They said that there are people who believe it is inhumane to take away their claws and it’s all a matter of preference and your beliefs and what makes the kitty work for you. They don’t recommend declawing an indoor/outdoor cat but it’s ok for a totally indoor cat. The employee said that she declawed her indoor cats and has a father who is on coumadin and her cats are declawed on all four paws. She said that her cats made her dad go to the ER for bleeding.

She said it’s a matter of humane treatment for cats and they do a surgical disarticulation just as if you were amputating a diseased leg. The cat has pain management and antibiotics to recover and the cats need to stay an indoor cat. When asked if they way they do the declaw is humane and the cats will be ok long term, she said yes and said that’s her belief because she has had no problems post declaw for her cats.

She said it’s up to you believe and what you think is humane.

She said you can look up the procedure online and make your choice from there. She said that she believes in declawing a cat to give it a home.

April 2021. Skyview Veterinary Hospital- Employee said that Dr Okeefe does declaws and they do them regularly. They said that there are only a couple of clinics in town that do declaws. A neuter/declaw is $413.36 and they use a laser.  They said that they use pain meds and the cats do really really well.

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18) East Brook Animal Hospital, Mansfield, CT.

2021. They don’t declaw. Employee said that their doctors elect to not do them and it is not necessary.

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19) Animal Care Clinic West and Metro Cat Hospital, Des Moines, Iowa   AAHA & Cat Friendly Gold Practice

March 2023. They said they don’t declaw anymore because they are a Fear Free Clinic and that declawing can cause behavioral issues and said that studies show that it can affect how they walk and it’s like amputating our fingers at the last knuckle.

2021. Employee said that they use a laser for declaws and all the cats do fine. They said if the cats are young enough, they bounce back pretty quickly.

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20) Twin Maples Veterinary Hospital, West Carrolton City, OH.

Feb. 2023. They said that they don’t declaw cats anymore.

2021. A spay/laser declaw starts at $372. They said that they have 7 vets who do declaws regularly. When asked if declawing is ok for a cat long term the employee said yes.

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21) North Florida Animal Hospital, Tallahassee, FL.   This is also an AAHA Accredited Animal Hospital.

Feb. 2023. Employee said that they don’t declaw because it is illegal in Florida and goes against animal cruelty laws.

2021. Employee asked, “Did you want the front two?”  A two paw declaw is $1300 and a 4 paw declaw is $1600.  The cat has to stay 5 nights and they do not use a laser for the declaw.

When asked if declawing is ok for a cat long term they said yes, the ones they’ve declawed do great and the owners are happy with them. They said that they have 10 vets and they all do the declaws. The employee said, “we did one on Friday” to show that they do them regularly. 

22) Bradford Park Veterinary Hospital, Springfield, MO.

March 2023. The employee said that right now they are not scheduling declaws because it’s under review, then they checked with a manager and said that they no longer declaw cats because their parent company, NVA, no longer endorses declawing.

They referred the researcher to another vet clinic that declaw cats, Nixa Animal Hospital.  This hospital said that you have to make an appointment with their vet Dr Molly Ramsey who will go over the cons of declaws and they weren’t sure if she will do the declaw after that.

2021. Employee said it’s $600 of you want the front declaw and $750 for the all four paw declaw. When asked if declawing is ok for a cat long term they said, yes and there’s a better chance of getting out the nail bed of a laser is used. They said they see quite a few cats for declaws.

25) Governor’s Avenue Animal Hospital, Dover, DE.

Feb. 2023.  They said that you have to see a doctor and examine the cat to see if the cat’s ok before the declaw. They said that not every vet does a declaw and they have to examine the cat and from there they could something booked. They said that if the cat’s healthy enough then they could do the declaw.

2021. A spay/declaw is $621. They said if you do the spay with the declaw you will save money.  Employee was asked if declawing is ok for a cat long term and they said, yes, there’s no issue.

26) Appalachian Veterinary Hospital, Newport, TN.

March 2023. They don’t declaw cats.

2021. The employee said that a two paw declaw is $234, all their vets do declaws regularly, and when asked if declawing is ok long term for a cat they said the cats generally do fine once they recover.

According to a post on PetWell Partner’s facebook page on Oct 28, 2020, PetWell Partners joined NVA. NVA acquires PetWell

PetWell Partners has 47  animal hospitals across the U.S.

They said their partnership will mark a step forward for the veterinary community as they accelerate their mission to deliver the highest-quality care and service to pets and their families. They said together they share a strong commitment and dedication to ensuring that their veterinary teams have all the resources necessary to do what they do best: ensuring the health and well-being of animals.

On Oct 24, 2018 PetWell Partners received the first ever AAHA Practice Network Accreditation from the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) which means they made the commitment to have all the PetWell practices within the network become accredited.

We wanted to look into how PetWell Practices address declawing.

Here’s what we found.

27) 303 Animal Clinic, Grand Prairie, TX

Dec. 2022. They said that they don’t declaw cats anymore.

 2021. Employee asked, “Is it for the front paws or all 4?”

A neuter/4 paw declaw is $585. The employee was asked if declawing is ok for a cat long term and they said as long as their are an indoor cat. They said they don’t recommend declawing if the cat is going to be outdoors. They said that both their vets, Dr Wicker and Dr Toberman do declaws.

28) Houston Cat Hospital, Houston, TX.

Feb. 2023. Researcher asked for the cost of a a neuter/declaw/microchip and employee said, “just the front paw?” The employee said they don’t do all four paw declaws and the cost for a neuter/declaw is around $1175. The employee said that Dr Katrina Luu their medical director or Dr  Lisa Box do the declaws. The employee recommended their medical director, Dr Katrina Luu for the declaw.

Researcher asked if they do declaws regularly and the employee said, “We don’t do them regularly but when we do we do it after the exam and she has the knowledge to do it.”

You make an appointment and they check to see if the cat is healthy enough for the procedures.

Researcher asked if the cats are ok long term from the declaw and the employee said that sometimes there can be problems with their bones and when they get old and a doctor can go over that with you. They said the cat will stay with them for 72 hours.

2021. Employee said that they have a package for a neuter/declaw. They said that a 4 paw declaw/neuter is $1391. They said that all their vets do declaws regularly.

29) Pet Medical Center of Katy, TX.

2023. They said that they do not declaw cats anymore.

2021. The employee said that a neuter/declaw is $700 and they do it the “old fashioned way.”  When asked if they use a laser for the declaws they referred our researcher to their sister practice, Houston Cat Hospital, and said that they use a laser and that it helps with quicker healing.

30) McDowell Mountain Animal Hospital, Scottsdale, AZ.

2021. Employee asked, “Were you wanting to do all four or two?” A 2 paw declaw is $699.84. They said that it’s most common to do a 2 paw and you have to have an exam with one of their vets to discuss a 4 paw declaw since it could be life changing for the cat.

31) Bellaire Richmond Pet Hospital, Houston, TX.

2023. They said they don’t declaw cats anymore.

2021. Employee asked, “Are you planning on all four or just the front?” A declaw is $960. 

The employee was asked if declawing is ok for a cat long term and they said yes, they are fine.

32) Manvel Animal Clinic, Manvel, TX.

2023. February. The employee said they only do the front paw declaws. They said the declaw is expensive, around $600. They said that all their vets do declaws. Researcher asked if the cats are ok after the declaw and the employee said that the doctors prefer people to try Soft Paws and other things first and declawing is the last option. They said that they don’t do declaws very often but their doctors are experienced in them because they have done them plenty of times before.

2021. The employee said that a neuter/2 paw declaw is around $600. They don’t do 4 paw declaws.

The employee was asked if declawing is ok for a cat long term and they said yes, .  They said the cat won’t feel great for the first few days but won’t be limping for the rest of their lives.

33) Family Pet Hospital, Edmond, OK.

2023. They said that they don’t declaw cats anymore.

2021. The employee said that a declaw is $350 and a neuter/declaw is around $600-$650.  The employee was asked if declawing is ok for a cat long term and they said yes. They said that Dr Bray has done declaws for years, she does them regularly,  and the cats have no problems.

34) Southwest Animal Clinic, Bellaire, TX.

Employee said that Dr Silberman usually does the declaws but not that often.

We found that some of the PetWell/AAHA practices do not declaw cats.  Here they are.

35) Kaaws Spay Neuter Wellness in Aldine, TX.

36) Valwood Animal Hospital, Farmers Branch, TX.

37) Mira Lagos Animal Clinic, Mansfield, TX.  Employee said that they don’t declaw and their vet has never declawed cats.

38) Wylie Veterinary Hospital, Wylie, TX.  Employee said their doctors choose to not declaw since it is not a medically necessary procedure.

NVA also purchased COMPASSION FIRST VET HOSPITALS .   Compassion-First is headquartered in Tinton Falls, NJ and owns 43 specialty and emergency vet hospitals in 12 states. 

Because most of these practices are emergency and specialty vet hospitals and don’t perform declawing, we only found one Compassion First declawing vet practices and that is Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in Tinton Falls, NJ. 

39) Red Bank had laser declawing listed on their website but removed it in March 2021. Red Bank