Purdue’s AAHA Accredited Animal Hospital Profits from Declawing Cats
Purdue Veterinary Wellness Clinic says they do “pain free declaws” with their CO2 laser. How can burning off a cat’s toe bones and claws with a super heated laser be pain free? How is declawing “feline friendly” handling?
New Jersey Veterinarian Says Declawing Is Malpractice
The veterinary professional organizations have not recognized onychectomy for what it really is: malpractice.
For a veterinarian to harm an animal and with no physical benefit to that animal is
tantamount to malpractice. Despite cautions to their members for decades, professional
veterinary associations have not effectively reined in their veterinarians from performing routine
onychectomy.
One Giant Step For Catkind That All Veterinary Practices Should Take
We used to believe that declawing cats saved their lives. We feared that cats with claws would be turned in to the shelters in record numbers, and that we were doing a good thing by making cats more likely to stay in their homes.
As it turns out, the numbers do not bear this out. When areas have stopped declawing, the number of surrendered cats actually dropped. This left us with a question. We know that even under the best of circumstances, a declaw is a major and painful surgery, (and no less so when it is performed with a laser, by the way.) It is an amputation of the end of the cat’s “finger,” not just the removal of the claw itself. And even when performed perfectly, can have life-long complications.
So we wondered, if we weren’t saving cats, and this procedure can be painful to cats, why were we doing this? Although we know furniture destruction can be a problem, it can almost always be prevented with the right techniques. Besides, when it comes down to it, as veterinarians, our main concern is the cats, not the couches. We have to do what is best for our patients.
Dixie, The 4 Paw Declawed Cat That Was Saved From Being Euthanized
Here is an update about Dixie the kitty who was relinquished by her owners to Tails Humane Society because of behavioral issues from her four paw declaw and was to be euthanized yesterday. Good news!!! She has a second chance in life!
Tails Humane Society said that Dixie is not going to be euthanized! She has to recover from a bad upper respiratory infection and needs dental work before she can be taken out of this shelter.
There are two rescues who want to get her out of the shelter and into a good home.
Amputating 10 Cat Toes Is No More Painful Than A Neuter – NJVMA SpokesVet
When cats start walking on their balls then we will start believing the NJVMA’s spokesvet Dr Yurkus and his animal hospital that declawing isn’t more painful than neutering.
Meanwhile, the American Association of Feline Practitioners’ policy on declawing states:
“Physically, regardless of the method used, onychectomy causes a higher level of pain than spays and neuters. Patients may experience both adaptive and maladaptive pain; in addition to inflammatory pain, there is the potential to develop long-term neuropathic or central pain if the pain is inadequately managed during the perioperative and healing periods.” [AAFP Policy Statement on Declawing, 2007.]
Declawed vs Normal Cats: Observable Anatomical Changes
Declawing changes the conformation and weight-bearing characteristics of a cat’s paws. This paper graphically shows these physical changes.
Kids Know Right From Wrong
I received a note from a young person the other day.
It started with, “My mom got my cat declawed today and I feel sick.”
My heart dropped as I kept reading the sad note.
Certificate of Bravery for Being Declawed
It’s also sad to me to know how uneducated and lied to some people of the world are because the vets don’t tell them what declawing really is or no one else ever did.
You shouldn’t even be allowed to call yourself a vet if you do this to cats.
You’re supposed to love, protect, and heal these animals, and if you go into the vet field with the mindset that this is okay, you do not belong in it.
NJVMA Spokesvet Dr Mike Yurkus Defends Cat Declawing With Big Fat Lies To Legislators
Dr Mike Yurkus, NJVMA board member, said, “It is incorrect that the last bone of the finger is removed. It is the nail bed. The claw bed is removed and the tendons are detached. Bone is not removed. We do not cut bone.”
FACT- Declawing is always the amputation of the last bone that the cat’s claw is attached to. Many of the New Jersey veterinarians, including one of the NJVMA board members practice Oradell Animal Hospital, in my study, uses the old school clipper method, which often cuts just part of the bone off and the cats are left with painful bone chips in their paws.
Love All Cats And Don’t Declaw Them
Dr Mike Yurkus statement in the NJVMA Testimony at Assembly Committee Hearing 11/14/2016, “The discomfort level is no more than in a neuter than it is in the declaws that are done properly.”