The war between the veterinary profession and the passionate welfare advocates. The declaw debate.

Magpie, the editor..

My very good friend, Karen, called me yesterday to borrow some battery juice. She has found her second calling in life as a feral cat rescue lobbyist and welfare reform advocate. She wanted my thoughts on declawing and why it is so impossible to find affordable help from the veterinary community for the multitude of rescue organizations she is trying to assist? She has spent enough time entrenched in the horror reality of cat rescue to become bitter about how my side was crippling her efforts to get where she wanted cat welfare and their critical medical needs to be.

The conversation started as they always do... We reminded each other how much we needed each other. How hard we were working, and, how the road blocks never seem to lessen, soften, widen, or cease. We always start with gratitude for our friendship and commiseration on common ground.

Karen has made numerous trips around the country visiting rescues, organizations and other role models for feral cats in the hopes she can pick up some of the tips and tools of their successes to carry back home for the benefit of New Jerseys over whelming under served misplaced community cats. She is a woman on a mission and she has gumption, intelligence, and resources. I admire and adore her.

Her dilemma du jour was causing her ulcers to erupt. She was curious and reluctantly pessimistic to see what my opinion and stance on declawing was? I could hear the trepidation and despair in her voice as she muttered, "I cannot believe this ban might actually stall in NJ? The veterinary association and even my own vet, who I have known and trusted for years, is opposed to the ban. How could anyone be opposed to this ban?" (see more on NJ's proposed ban here)

I knew that the long pause at the end of her question was laden with despair should my title provide another disappointment in the current state of animal care humanity.

Her naive misplaced assumption was that NJ Vet Association, and, her own beloved vet who are sworn to the "protection of animal health and welfare, and the prevention and relief of animal suffering" love cats. How then could they oppose banning the removal of the end of these cats fingers? Anyone with any personal investment in animal care wouldn't accept this as appropriate form of animal husbandry?

Sad truth be told, it is the well affirmed time honored tradition for all of the Vet Med associations to oppose anything that might infringe on their ability to do anything they want to. We can speak out of one smiling side of our mouth passing out cartoon books to kids about the honor and pride in being a custodian of the livestock, food supply and bed fellow, but, the other side is desperate to maintain a veil of blind trust. This includes too many horrific antiquated realities like debarking, animal testing, and almost completely unregulated (wrt compassion seeking hidden cameras) protected slaughterhouse practices which are definitely not for the feint of heart. We also vehemently rationalize pets as property for every reason, including that we euthanize when owners cannot, will not, or do not want to pay for care, services, assistance or treatment. We want to do whatever we can to earn a living without any government interference, oversight, or laws, just like every other professional organization big enough to have a bank account, a lobbyist firm and eyes to monitor every animal related rule, law or proposal.

My Wren.. My heart fills with her near me.

What is declawing? It is, in very simple terms, the amputation of the last part of the digit of the fingers/toes. It either involves removing the piece of the toe that has the nail attached to it, or, surgical alteration of the toes that paralyzes the nails ability to extend or use the nails at all. This latter method, the tendonectomy, is not recommended by the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association), versus an onychectomy (surgical removal of the end of the toe) which is neither recommended nor disallowed. The AVMA position can be found here. 

I wrote a blog on this a long time ago, What You Need To Know Before You Declaw, about my feelings on amputating toes to save furniture.

I admitted to my dear friend that of all of the amazing things I am proud of at my clinic there was one subject that caused more dissension and resistance than anything else; my declaration of prohibition of declawing. It was the first, and subsequently only, time that I refused to allow the vets to do what they want to based on what they think is best practice. I would hate to work for someone who micromanaged me, and therefore, I don't, (or at least try very hard not to), do it to others. We had varying opinions on the practice, but my heart, our practice philosophy and how we look ourselves in the mirror when these declawed cats come back to us for euthanasia (after I feel responsible in some part for their current state) left me feeling like I just had to say no, for good, and forever.

I decided that I feel obligated to be true to our motto of being a "cruelty free safe haven" and this is will remain our first obligation. I also did not want to profit on something I did not support. The ban has been in effect for one year. It has been the right decision. My conscious is clear as I help the cats in our community find a better life and a more accepting attitude for them to be who they are.

Jitterbug full on cat nap on our bed.

Let me summarize some of the reasons I hear vets still supporting declawing;

1. We can provide it safer than the back yard do-it-your-selfers. My response; I cannot answer this other than to hold up a coat hanger and remind ourselves cats wouldn't choose to have their toes cut off regardless of the degree of expertise yielding the blade.

2. We provide pain management. Me; OK, isn't that ethically responsible for everything we do?

3. We only do it if the pet has no other options to stay in the home. Me; And those peeing cats? What do we remove to save from euthanizing them? We do not lower our standards of acceptable care because others lack them to begin with.

4. We do it to protect people who have bleeding disorders. Me; There are other ways to keep nails from being so sharp, like trimming, or even use glue on nail covers.

5. Economics. No one wants to say it out loud but we vets make money on declawing cats. At my clinic it was about $500. I know of other clinics who charge upwards of $1500 to declaw.  The surgery is quick, easy and lucrative.

The nephews start to socialize the newest clinic orphans

The overwhelming reason I have clients requesting declaws is two fold;

1. The cats are clawing their owners furniture. Protect the furniture by maiming the housemate?

2. It has been a practice vets have offered for decades. In the USA it is accepted as a matter of historical precedence. We vets have failed to provide the time to educate owners on why cats use their claws, and how to curb it. We fail to provide the needed network of support to save these cats from surgery, surrender, frustration when they inevitably try to evolve from a predator who hunts, climbs, and explores to a sedentary pet with as much inconvenience as a fish. Neither party has made a strong effort to evolve into a more compassionate caretaker.

Like every unwanted behavior intuitive to a species it takes time, training, and patience, and yes, some degree of acceptance that we can live together with each others undesirable ticks and compulsions.

Cats are compulsory stubborn persnickety unyielding souls with solid reasons for doing what their ancestors have seeded as a life preserving habit. For my kitties, who are in truth the children I will never have, I see their marks on the side of my side chair (worth all of about $200) as a calling card for their staking claim to our home as theirs. Magpie greets me every morning with a long stretch of worship and begging for a hug on the back of the chair I keep in her room. These cat calling cards are touchstones of anointment scattered around our home. The key to my acceptance is that this is OUR home. We share it. Cat hair, disposable upholstery, litter box scatter, and love. There is an unwritten mutually agreed upon acceptance as to what is off limits and what is cat Parvati territory.

Jitterbug photosynthesizing

The personal side of declawing runs deep and painfully pierces my gut. These cats suffer, they are subjected to a painful unnecessary procedure. Even with providing this surgery with the highest standards of pain management, careful dissection and after care, many of these cats become less inclined to being affectionate companions as we have removed their natural tendency to feel and interact with their own environment by touching and leaving their scent behind. Cats are furry graffiti artists intent on marking their world and tagging their friends as next at bat.

Where was my friend to go take her rescue organizations rallying for a bill everyone should be agreeing upon from here? Simple; to remember that if we can find our common ground, our common purpose, we can start the discussion and make meaningful change for the betterment of cats everywhere.

My personal advice for her dilemma given the lack of compassion she sees her vet possessing: Find someone else to care for your pets after telling her why you are leaving. In the end I would guess her position is based on the reasons I list above. Support the vets who you find common ground with. Ultimately your vet needs to be someone you trust and believe in.

Oriole

Here are my tips to providing resolution to scratching and clawing;

1. Learn how to trim your pets nails. I have YouTube videos to help with this. At my clinic we offer free demonstrations with the technicians to help get our clients comfortable with restraining and trimming.

2. Offer your cats options to be the tactile I love the corrugated scratching mats. I bait them with fresh dried organic catnip weekly. They are placed all over my home. They are the disposable demolishable offerings I provide to allow them to release their inner prowess. I vacuum them weekly and replace them about every 6 months.

3. I discourage clawing the furniture by providing acceptable options in the areas they choose to scratch. I either place a blanket over the corner of the chair, or place a scratching board or mat nearby.

4. I understand and acknowledge that my cats claw in my presence for attention. It is their non-verbal way of saying "HEY! I am here! What's up with you today?" I always reply with a "Good Morning!" and pick them up for an acknowledgement cuddle. Yelling at them when they are saying 'hello', looking for loving attention does not articulate to them that I am upset they are scratching. They DO NOT correlate the scratching to my disapproving discipline. They just hear "BLAH! BLAH! BLAH! Magpie!" Which translates to "I hate you Magpie!" She has no idea what she did or why I would be harsh to her. NEVER EVER EVER YELL AT A CAT! It is counterproductive and cruel.

It is up to us, the veterinary profession, to place patient care above all else. Not our wallets, not our clients furniture, and not the rest of  the excuses to not advocate for our patients welfare. Period. My gut tells me that this won't happen. We will remain stuck in old outdated unshared beliefs and actions and further grow the divide. I also believe that the masses demanding change will call us out on our hypocrisy.

Be on the first wave of turning the tides. Build your practice on compassion. I can attest to it being the most lucrative way to grow with a direction you aren't stuck killing an angry painful cat on.

I will stand on this soapbox alone as the single vet screaming at the rest of my profession and declare that we know better. We see the best of our clients affections for their companions. I will challenge us to never place personal or financial gain above the health, wellness, happiness, and personal protection we owe our patients. They should be who we serve to protect first. It will happen. One state at a time, one vet shaming at a time, one bold outspoken animal advocate at a time chipping away on tradition, fear to embrace the true side that builds our businesses and aligns with our own experiences and sad declaw stories. We do know better. We owe our cats better. We have an opportunity to really be the trusted advocate we portray ourselves as. I don't believe that many of us really still regurgitate the empty words that "just because we have been doing it for decades" is a valid excuse to keep on putting ourselves first.

If you have a pet question that you would like to ask me please go to Pawbly.com. Pawbly is free to use and open to all pet lovers. If you want to visit me at the clinic we are open 7 days a week. Also please follow us on Facebook, my YouTube channel ad on Twitter @FreePetAdvice.

Declaw, What You Need to Know Before You Declaw Your Cat

Wednesday is my other surgery day.

I freely admit that I not only enjoy surgery but I also love the challenge that it presents and the incredible sense of satisfaction that one feels when you remove a foreign body from an animal that would have died without your surgical intervention and skill. It is both rewarding, challenging, mysterious, and it often boils down to your fingers, your mind, and the ever elusive mystery of life. I have seen miracles happen in a minute and death surround and succumb in seconds.

I also admit to having my favorite surgeries, like exploratories (OH! how I love an abdominal exploratory), and I also have my least favorites, (for instance, those cumbersome and frustrating broken femurs).

But there is one surgery that I really don't care for, and have subsequently abandoned doing; declaws.

I don't do them anymore because when it comes right down to it I don't think it is an act of kindness or compassion. I also don't believe that it is in most cases a necessary procedure.

Scratching is a normal cat action done to help keep the nails sharp, (which you need in the wild), and help shed the old nail. It is the equivalent of us filing or clipping our nails. It is a needed grooming behavior. To punish a cat because of their natural scratching action seems cruel and unkind to me.

A de-claw can be a very painful and problematic procedure that is most commonly done for the owners convenience in an effort to alter a vital part of a cats anatomy for the sake of their furniture. I have also seen many a cat be cast outside because of a behavioral problem (usually because the cat is no peeing outside of the box), so the owner puts them outside and the cat is now defenseless because we have removed their primary defense. Sometimes the behavioral problem arises after we declaw because de-clawing can be a painful procedure, and some cats respond to pain by becoming fearful and aggressive.
And sometimes the declaw exacerbates a pre-existing behavioral problem, but instead only compounds or creates another problem. Like, now we have a more aggressive angry cat and we can't put them outside because they are declawed. A cat should never be declawed to alter a negative behavior. An angry, stressed cat that is now in pain, becomes an even angrier and more stressed-out cat. If your cat has a bad behavioral problem making them angrier and adding pain to the equation is often disastrous.

A few years ago I was outside gardening when I heard my dogs barking in an unfamiliar and aggressive tone. I immediately jumped up and ran over to where they appeared to have an animal cornered. They were antagonizing some creature in the bushes and I was concerned for everyone's safety. As I yelled a correction at them and demanded that they "back down!" I saw a small orange mass of fluff barely visible in the bushes. I thought at first that it must be a baby fox, (in which case i was livid if I was going to find it injured by my dogs), but instead it was a very small, frail, emaciated orange tabby cat. He was so withered that he couldn't even mount a response to my dogs harassment. I whispered a soft "hello kitty," and he returned my inquiry with a pitiful blink. As I reached into the bush and scooped him up he relaxed and surrendered to my hands. He came willingly and readily as if I was his last punishment or his final salvation.

Upon my initial examination he was gaunt and I felt sure dying. He could barely breathe through his severe upper respiratory infection and he had no mass as I carries him in my arms. After a full blood work, radiographs, and exam it became evident to me that he was merely starving to death because he was a declawed cat trying to live in the wild.

I wish I could say that I believed every new cat owner that comes in with their new kitten and a plan to spay/neuter and de-claw is going to follow through with their promise to us that this cat will be a forever indoor only cat. But I have over the years seen the following to often to be able to justify a painful life changing cosmetic procedure on a cat who is by design and necessity, a killing carnivore.

I have seen terrible infection as the result of a declaw. Puss filled paws that are excruciating to bear weight on so the cat must sit back on their pelvis to alleviate pain.

I have also seen a tourniquet (put on to reduce bleeding) cause permanent paralysis and loss of function to the foot.

A study was done a few years ago that showed that cats are still in pain and therefore not placing full weight on their feet 6 weeks after their de-claw surgery.


We are the only civilized country in the world that still declaws.

And I have seen many many cats come in that are declawed and full of ticks, or an owner tell me that they "just go out during the day."

A de-clawed cat is almost completely powerless to fight off a predator, or run away from one. The decision to de-claw your cat should not be made until your Veterinarian has explained the entire procedure, told you about the pain and behavioral risks, and you are sure that no matter what kind of problem your cat has in the future you will protect and house them because you have chosen to remove their primary defense and survival mechanism.


If you love your cat, and if you understand and respect their unique amazing anatomy than I just don't feel that declawing is fair.

OK, soapbox aside, I like everything else in life, I do have exceptions to my own rules. I have done one de-claw on a cat owned by an elderly woman who had a bleeding disorder. This woman was unable to pick up, hold, or pet her cat without starting to bleed and once the bleeding started she had a tough time stopping her bleeding. She would also bruise very easily after every scratch.  Her cat was a very young gentle cat, but like most cats she would cling onto the arms of who ever attempted to pick her up and this would trigger the whole bleeding dilemma again. She loved her cat but she was facing having to get rid of her if we didn't de-claw. Her family was so concerned that the next scratch might land her in the hospital, that they gave her an ultimatum, either declaw or re-home.

I don't think that most people understand what a declaw surgery entails. It is essentially the amputation of the last part of every finger. So if you look at your own hand a declaw would remove the part of your finger that your finger nail grows out of. We have made some great strides in how we perform this procedure. I would strongly encourage every person interested in this procedure to sit down with your veterinarian and go over the surgery. One of my associates at our practice performs this surgery. In an effort to provide the safest, painless (it is a very painful operation), we do the following for every declaw. I encourage you to ask your Veterinarian how they perform this procedure and ask them to list all of the precautions and procedures they employ for a declaw.

Skeletal cats paw.

An x-ray showing which bones (red highlighted) of the foot are amputated in a declaw.

The post-op pieces. Every Vet is taught to count them when you are done. (So we don't forget any).

First, general anesthesia is a must.

Second, we use a laser. I don't think that any other method is as fast, provides as minimal bleeding, and is the least painful way of removing the digit.

Third, we perform a nerve block on each foot.

Fourth, every cat receives a 3 day fentanyl patch for pain, and an opioid as needed.

Fifth, we only declaw young, (6 months old), thin cats. An older cat, and/or an overweight cat, will have a much more painful experience and be far more likely to have a negative post-op behavioral component.

Sixth, we keep these guys in the hospital for three days to monitor for pain and infection.

Lastly, we use sterile aseptic technique from start to finish.

Please ask your Vet every detail about your cats declaw.

This is what a healed declawed paw looks like.

This is one surgery that you should not "call around and price shop" for. I have known many veterinarians to simply cut the toe off with nail trimmers and I have seen terrible consequences from this. This is a surgery and not a nail trim.

This is a de-claw being done at Jarrettsville, my clinic. No bleeding, very good pain control and a sterile surgery.

Using a Reston cutter for a declaw. I much prefer the laser.

Lastly, I encourage every cat owner to practice trimming nails. It can be learned and easily done by everyone on just about every cat. It like everything else just takes patience and practice.

I will go into other options for declawing later. and I will show you how to safely and easily trim your cats nails.

I have had at least 20 cats in my life, and I promise you that no one loves their home or their furniture as much as I do. But I love my cats more, and I keep their nails trimmed and their scratching posts available in every room and at all times.

I know that there are MANY Vet's out there that think that de-clawing is a perfectly acceptable procedure. I respect their position and their experience BUT I do not think that the general public is adequately enlightened on what this procedure entails and what possible complications and post-op pain their cat may encounter. Please be an advocate for your pet. No one else will have their best interest in mind as much as you do.

My not-so-little-anymore Wren. Always giving a helping hand.

Update;
August 2013. I will no longer perform de-claws. I just do not believe that they are needed, and I cannot hurt my cats. I have to uphold to a higher standard of care and compassion. I would not cut off the ends of my child's fingers no matter what they broke, damaged, or gestured. So I cannot do the same to my four legged children.

January 2016. Jarrettsville Veterinary Center stops offering or performing declaw surgery.

Here is Jackson Galaxy's thoughts., The Paw Project. The host of My Cat From Hell, on Animal Planet.

If you have a pet question that you would like to ask me please go to Pawbly.com. Pawbly is free to use and open to all pet lovers. If you want to visit me at the clinic we are open 7 days a week. Also please follow us on Facebook, my YouTube channel ad on Twitter @FreePetAdvice.

Related blogs;
The War Between The Veterinary Profession and The Animal Welfare Advocates. The Declaw debate.