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Declawing

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The feline declaw, also referred to as the feline onychectomy, is the removal of the claw and the most distal phalanx of each digit

Usually only done on the front paws; declawing all four paws is not recommended

Used to stop a cat from scratching owners and destroying furniture, carpeting, clothing, etc., while exercising their natural urge to scratch

Cats scratch for several reasons besides to defend themselves: to sharpen their claws, to stretch their legs, to leave their scent, and to remove the outer layer of their claws that naturally sheds off

The declaw is used either prophylactically to stop damage from occurring, or as a last resort when unwanted scratching behavior is already present

There are 3 different techniques for the feline declaw: the Rescoe nail trimmer technique, scalpel blade, and CO2 laser technique

All 3 are effective when done properly and all have pros and cons

First the paws are surgically scrubbed but not usually shaved unless longhaired

Not a sterile procedure because you cannot sterilize this area of the body

With the Rescoe and scalpel techniques, a tourniquet is placed around the patient’s leg distal to the elbow to control bleeding

During the Rescoe technique, the nail trimmer is positioned between the second and third phalanx

The claw should be pulled cranially, and as little skin as possible should be removed

A portion of the third phalanx is left behind, but the entire germinal layer is removed to prevent regrowth of the nail (very painful!)

The scalpel technique uses a no. 12

scalpel blade to excise the entire third

phalanx

Once the collateral ligaments are cut,

the nail is cut away from the underlying

tissue and digital pad

The pad is moved out of the way to

avoid inadvertent laceration

The laser technique is very similar to the blade technique except that it uses laser energy instead of a scalpel

The surgical site usually doesn’t bleed with the laser technique, so a tourniquet is not necessary

Saline-soaked sponges should be used to cover the remainder of the cat’s foot, instruments, and surgeon’s fingers to absorb extraneous laser energy and prevent iatrogenic laser burns

It is best to use instruments approved for laser surgery to prevent reflected laser beams from inappropriately penetrating objects and tissues

Everyone in the room should wear safety glasses to prevent inadvertent ocular damage

One might argue that the laser technique is the best because there isn’t as much trauma and bleeding, but always be sure your surgeon has been properly trained in this technique!

One to two sutures are often placed to

close the skin edges after the nail is

removed

Surgical glue (cyanoacrylic tissue

adhesive) is used instead in some

instances

Surgical glue should never be placed on

the exposed bone of the second

phalanx or dropped inside the wound

After surgery, the paws are bandaged snugly with strips of tape and a gauze sponge over the excised digits

Strips of tape are placed longitudinally along the leg and distally around the paw

Tape is then placed circumferentially around the paw up to the elbow

The tourniquet is removed as soon as bandaging is complete

This is a very painful procedure, and

analgesics should be administered pre-

and post-operatively

A pure opioid agonist is best for the first

24 hours after surgery

Some nonsteroidal antiinflammatory

drugs can also be used

Pain medication should be administered

for at least 4 to 5 days postoperative

The bandages are kept on for 24 hours, but no longer

After surgery, litter should consist of shredded paper or pellets to prevent accumulation of clay or sand in the surgical wounds with resultant irritation and infection

Paws should be monitored for hemorrhage, swelling, drainage, and redness

The American Veterinary Medical

Association and the American

Association of Feline Practitioners both

say about the same thing on declawing;

while it’s not considered medically

necessary for the cat, it can be

considered appropriate for cats that

otherwise would be given up or for those

whose owners are immunocomprimised

There have been many studies on

whether declawing affects a cat’s

personality, and there has been no

evidence to support that it does

Most cats don’t seem to realize they’ve

been declawed when done young

There is also no evidence to suggest that

a cat will develop problems with using

the litter box after being declawed

Complications of onychectomy can be divided into those that occur in the early postoperative period and those that occur in the late postoperative period

Early complications include loose bandages and potsoperative bleeding

Cats should be checked frequently for evidence of loose, bloody bandages or complete bandage removal and severe hemorrhage

Late complications include regrowth of

the claws, chronic lameness, or both

Claw regrowth requires reoperation and

removal of remaining germinal

epithelium

Chronic lameness without evidence of

regrowth may be seen with incomplete

removal of the phalanx or cut foot pads

Other complications include radial nerve damage secondary to tourniquet placement and skin sloughing secondary to tight, prolonged bandage placement

Just like with any surgical procedure, infection is a possibility, especially because this is not a sterile surgery

There are no medical benefits for the cat unless there is a problem with the claw/phalanx itself and it needs to be removed for any reason

Training

Soft Paws

Frequent Nail Trimming

In conclusion, declawing may seem

cruel, but if it is a choice between

declawing the cat and the cat not

having a home, it is much better to

declaw!

McCurnin, Dennis M. and Bassert, Joanna M. Clinical Textbook for Veterinary Technicians, Sixth Edition. Philidelphia, PA: Elsevier Inc, 2006.

Ecksten, Sandy. (2009). Declawing Cats Q&A: Positives, Negatives, and Alternatives. Healthy Cats Guide. February 28, 2010. http://pets.webmd.com/cats/guide/declawing-cats-positives-negatvies-alternatives?page=3.

Marvistavet. (2009, August 19). Declawing and its Alternatives. February 28, 2010. http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_declawing_ and_its_alternatives.html.