“They Don’t Act Like Anything Has Happened”

In June 2017 this veterinary practice posted this photo of two kittens with bloody paws, who were just declawed and said on the caption, “When the two siblings were “fixed” and declawed the day before, but they don’t act like anything has happened…”

URGENT! How Can We Save These 14 Kittens From Being 4 Paw Declawed

Last night I received many notes from concerned people who were outraged about this animal hospital in Pacific, Missouri that was going to 4 paw declaw these 14 kittens that they rescued.

The veterinary professionals at this hospital deserve the accolades for helping with saving the lives of kittens and cats that they rescue, but then they turn around do a mutilating and inhumane procedure to the cats that will harm their health and well-being for a lifetime.

Declawing Veterinarians Can’t Be Trusted

She wrote, “I am in the medical field and smart enough to know surgery vs not. My cats, none of them have a knuckle or any amputation removed. Have you seen a human who had to have a toe nail removed? When it’s done it’s permanent. Apparently you need to educate yourself. ”

She went on to say, “I am educated to know what procedure I used and was anti declaw and still am however this procedure made sleep better at night. My animals were and are my babies until I had children.
My cats are not harmed for life. It’s people like you that give people like me who are educated and find other procedures, a bad name. When you hear de claw people like me, who research and find other options are thrown under the bus and our vet lied. Sorry. Some of us know the difference.”

For The First Time, All The Vet Heroes Are ALL Cat Heroes!

I’m happy to do this story about the American Humane Hero Vet Awards 2017 Contest!
For the first time, all the vet heroes are all cat heroes and none of them perform the inhumane, cruel, and unnecessary procedure of declawing.
They are true animal advocates in every way and they think of the animal’s needs first! Let’s all thank them and celebrate what they do to heal and help animals and vote for your favorite one!
I reached out to each of the finalist vets and asked them if they would give me a paragraph about their stance on declawing. All of their statements are listed in this story.

I Use My Authority To Abuse And Harm Cats

“As a veterinarian what I am not thrilled with is the legislature wanting to insert itself into my professional capacity. I am the one who is the authority, I have gone through the classes, I have had the instruction, I spent eight years of my life becoming very educated about these things. I think it comes down to being involved in the details of the procedure and knowing the situation in which you apply the procedure,” says Dr Chris Brockett, 2014 President of the NYSVMS, speaking about the anti-declawing bill in NY in this news video.

Cease and Desist Letter For Trying To Educate A Property Management Company About Declawing

” Please cease and desist calling my client. It is my understanding that you call every day. ” Wrong and a total lie! I wasn’t calling everyday. In fact, since March 20th, I tried to call once a week and then a couple times this week.
Their lawyer said in the email that I was, “harassing my client and such harassment is against the law.” He went on to tell me that if I persist in my, “telephone harassment”, then his client will “file complaints with local law enforcement, and the appropriate law enforcement agencies” where I live.
The phone messages that I left simply asked to call me back, said who I was, and that I wanted to talk about their declawing policy with the appropriate person who sets their pet policy. I never once left harassing phone messages or demanded anything.
Their lawyer also went on to say that they will, “also will file complaints with the FCC and seek to have you retrained from sending further e-mails.”

It is time to make a change

My decision to stop doing this surgery now is that other veterinarians will hopefully follow the new position statement from CVMA and stop declawing cats. As fewer and fewer veterinarians perform this procedure there is less of a concern that clients will go somewhere else and less concern that the surgery is not being done properly with the appropriate pain control.

The demand for this procedure comes from the public, and veterinarians should not be the only ones at fault . Cat owners need to stop asking us to do this procedure and we need say no and provide alternatives.

Clairabelle, the declawed kitty who is suffering from her amputations

In 2015 I adopted a 5 year old calico that was front paw declawed. She was declawed with her spay surgery.
I was told that she is a pure breed straight ear Scottish fold.
I picked her up in a freak snowstorm at 4 am because her former owner was leaving on vacation and would be dropping her at the vet for euthanasia if I couldn’t get her that morning. They said she was having cat pan issues. I was certain I could help her and I fell in love with the pictures they sent me of her. I’m happy to say that we never had any pan issues.
She is getting older and I noticed that her right leg was sensitive sometimes after she would jump down off the furniture. Lately, she is limping most of the time. I can feel a pointed piece of what I think is bone in her sore toe.
She is a love bug but when she is hurting she will gently bite my hand while I’m checking her feet. I love her dearly and I know she was destined to be my baby for the remainder of her days

I Think I Would Know If My Cats Toes Were Gone

This veterinary practice in Oklahoma uses a guillotine clipper for their declaws and says that they, “cut off the nail and nail bed then use surgical glue to close the incision.”
They charge $69 for a 2 paw declaw and $97 for a 4 paw declaw.
When a cat owner asks them if there are any negative consequences to declawing or if there will be complications they say, “typically not, we do them frequently with no problems.”

4 Myths to Debunk Before You Consider Declawing Your Cat

As one of the many veterinarians who refuses to perform declawing surgery, I feel that I’ve heard all the excuses under the sun as to why cats should be declawed. Or, at least, what people thought they knew about declawing. Many people are shocked to learn how awful declawing actually is, and wonder why it was the norm for so long.