Posts tagged "declawing"

Laser Declawing, Explained

by Kirsten Taylor (Subscribe to Kirsten Taylor's posts): Nov 18th 2009 11:00AM Filed Under: Cats, Pet Health

Declawing cats has gotten a bad rap, with a number of communities considering banning the procedure. But what about laser declawing? This method of removing cat's claws is touted by some as more humane than traditional declawing surgeries. So is it?

Not so much, said Louise Murray, the director of medicine at the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital. "The difference is that instead of using a metal surgical blade, [the vet] uses a laser to cut the tissue. It's like using a lightsaber instead of a sword," Murray told Paw Nation.

But whether it's done by laser or by scalpel, declawing is a painful procedure that removes the last joint of a cat's toes, she said. The term "declawing," makes it sound gentler than it is. "It really should be called digit amputation," she added. "There is no way to make this not be a painful surgery."

Besides the pain of the procedure itself, cats can suffer from complications long after they've healed. They may feel phantom pain in their missing toes, or develop neuromas, swelling on the nerves that were severed during the surgery. And, Murray said, declawed cats often become moody and aggressive, and can turn to biting -- either because they're experiencing pain, or feel defenseless without claws, or both.

Opponents Sharpen Claws in Fight Over San Francisco Cat-Declawing Ban

by Kirsten Taylor (Subscribe to Kirsten Taylor's posts): Sep 15th 2009 9:00AM Filed Under: Cats, Pet Health

Should declawing cats be against the law? Photo: Muffet/Flickr

Cat declawing gets a bad rap from anti-cruelty groups: "Declawing is a surgery that involves the amputation of the end of a cat's toes and causes significant pain during recovery," states the website of the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

Declawing cats can lead to chronic paw pain and other problems down the road, Louise Murray, the director of medicine at the ASPCA Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital told Paw Nation. "Many veterinarians feel that cats who have been declawed become more aggressive. This may be due to a feeling of being defenseless, or may be due to chronic pain," Murray says. "These cats tend to bite when afraid or stressed."

So you'd think that animal rights groups would all be jumping for joy that, as the San Francisco Chronicle reports, San Fran is considering a ban on onychectomy (declawing) and tendonectomy (removal of the flexor tendon). Not quite.

The law under consideration would would ban the surgery unless it was deemed medically necessary, the Chronicle reports. But the issue is more complicated than it sounds, says the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The SF/SPCA has released a statement explaining why they're opposed to the declawing ban.

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