Declawing a cat.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 08/20/2011

Good for her.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 08/20/2011

Julianne, I am NOT twisting your words "However, from exposure, they can become experts on certain topics." Just because she has some exposure to animals, does not make her an expert. Yes, there are some doctors vehemenantly opposed to declawing. Some doctors support it. Some doctors perform the surgery to avoid other potential possibilities.

And yes, I would like to consider all the vets that I have worked with "experts" but they would not use that word. That implies they know EVERYTHING! They consult each other about cases and treatment constantly. The people claiming to be experts about what causes arthritis in cats....well there is ALWAYS room to learn new things. Hey, here is one....vaccines don't cause Autism.....see? Everyone learned something new.

Julianne - posted on 08/20/2011

So, She also went to several different colleges and universities.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 08/20/2011

Your expert has also written articles on "cheap car insurance" and "adhd in children".

Julianne - posted on 08/20/2011

Your twisting my words around. I said she seems to know a great deal about the topic, as in pets and pet care. i really don't know either one so how am i suppose to know who is more familiar with the topic. The vets who disagree with it because they find it inhumane ARE experts.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 08/20/2011

Your "expert" sounds like she is just regurgitating information.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 08/20/2011

Julianne "The articles do not say in the paws. It says hips and legs, because they walk differently which puts a strain on their other joints."



THIS is EXACTLY why I sent her the article. But I guess your googled SPCA "expert" knows more than a Doctor that goes to conferences on a regular basis to keep up on new medical advances....right? And practices Veterinary medicine on actual animals. I mean....My Vet friend should have to write articles to receive her DVM?!? Yeah, not so much...*eye roll* back. This women is not an expert because she "writes" articles. She is just taking information that she has been given, and writing a paper on it. If she personnally was actually researching it, she would need to be a vet, performing the surgeries, studying case by case...there is a lot more than just writing and article to being an expert.

Julianne - posted on 08/20/2011

You think because some doctors do it that they like it? REALLY?......
??????????????? yea, i think doctors cut kitties paws off becuase they like it...**eye roll

Julianne - posted on 08/20/2011

The articles do not say in the paws. It says hips and legs, because they walk differently which puts a strain on their other joints.

Julianne - posted on 08/20/2011

No. I think she has a great amount of knowledge when it comes to pets because i looked her up and found out she has hundreds of articles about pet care. I read a bunch of them and she seems like she is very well educated when it comes to animals.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 08/20/2011

My Doctor friend answered me the other day....here is what she wrote.....BUT then I sent her the actual link you had up top to read, and that was yesterday. I am really waiting on her response to that (if she has time).

"Well, I go to major conferences every other year and the one I attended last year I went to a discussion on arthritis in cats. There is a lot of undiagnosed arthritis in cats, but not in the paw and none of it was attributed to declaws. I think the veterinary community would stop doing these if there was a scientific study done to show they get these major problems. Right now the biggest dilemmas are ethical, whether or not it is "right" to remove the end of the digit. The"article" u mention sounds like a propaganda letter from radical animal rights people, PETA or Sierra club or something"

~♥Little Miss - posted on 08/20/2011

You think because some doctors do it that they like it? REALLY? They are like me, they would MUCH rather have the pet declawed than abandoned or euthanized.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 08/20/2011

But, you think the OTHER women is an expert just because she agrees with them.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 08/20/2011

LOL, lets see........Working side by side many very talented doctors in rooms with client, in surgery assisting, asking every question I could ask, being the ONLY technician that was allowed to have her very own appointments with clients for simple procedure from nail trims to expressing anal glands...oh and here is the BIG one.....doing all the surgical releases after care and question and answers with the clients. Yeah.....I think I have learned quite a bit.

Julianne - posted on 08/20/2011

They have reason to oppose it, they are experts.

Julianne - posted on 08/20/2011

Depending on what you have learned, and how you apply your knowledge.
here is a list of vets who do not declaw because they think it is inhumane and do not want to hurt innocent animals.
http://www.declaw.com/veterinarians-who-...

~♥Little Miss - posted on 08/20/2011

Let me check my inbox. I haven't check since this morning...but I would like to know your answer.

Jennifer - posted on 08/20/2011

I know of a 93 year old woman who is still alive and has all her faculties about her and she has smoked every day for as long as I can remember and she doesn't have cancer.

Julianne - posted on 08/20/2011

Did you talk to your coworker about this yet? I only skimmed the posts...

~♥Little Miss - posted on 08/20/2011

Then by that logic Julianne, I would be considered an expert right? I mean I have over 10 years experience working side by side doctors, being trained DIRECTLY from them. Right?

~♥Little Miss - posted on 08/20/2011

Yup. I smoke. No gaurantee I will get cancer.

Julianne - posted on 08/20/2011

Smoking may cause cancer. Its not a definite either. People who dont smoke can get cancer too. She is partnered with the Kentucky S.N.I.P clinic. People at the SPCA are not vets either. However, from exposure, they can become experts on certain topics.

**Edited to add more..

~♥Little Miss - posted on 08/20/2011

Julianne, I do not think the author of that article was a vet. Secondly, it says "may cause arthritis" it does not say "will cause arthritis". There is not enough evdidence to say for sure it will. It just so happens some cats with declaws get arthritis...but guess what? So do cats with claws.

Rebecca - posted on 08/20/2011

I think it's disgusting, inhumane and should be banned.

Julianne - posted on 08/20/2011

http://ezinearticles.com/?Feline-Arthrit...

Julianne - posted on 08/20/2011

I have heard of people who could either 1, de-bark their dog, or 2 have it put down. In those cases. then de-barking them is obviously the best thing to do. Other than that, it is inhumane.

Jennifer - posted on 08/20/2011

I am in Michigan.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 08/20/2011

That is a shame. Where do you live?

Jennifer - posted on 08/20/2011

Marna... it's still done in some places. I was into a farm vet in my area to get some specialty dog food and a breeder was bringing hers in for debarking!

~♥Little Miss - posted on 08/20/2011

I am not so sure that is practiced any longer. I have heard of it being done, but in my time I had never seen it done. I have definitely had owners express that they would like it done, but non of our Doctors would perform the surgery.

Jennifer - posted on 08/20/2011

I know. you would think that they could. I have a chihuahua and they are known barkers. Mine is pretty quiet because I keep on top of the barking situation. She still barks at home (not when she is out with me) but it's not non stop.

Stifler's - posted on 08/20/2011

Are you serious??? Can't people like just train them to not bark all night?

Jennifer - posted on 08/19/2011

Emma- know what is worse??? The vet can "take" a dog's bark! (De-barking) They CUT it's vocal cords so it can't bark loud! Talk about inhumane!

Stifler's - posted on 08/19/2011

I;m actually in disbelief that there is such a thing as declawing a cat. Never heard of it in all my life.

Jennifer - posted on 08/19/2011

Laura- I had to declaw him because I was in a new marriage where my husband had never owned a cat. We would trim the cat's claws and he would then proceed to sharpen them on the top of the sofa immediately after trimming to get them back into shape. He never used the back of the sofa or some less noticeable place, (or even a scratching post) it was always the top and my husband was not having it. He wanted to give up on the cat unless the cat was declawed so it would stop ruining his furniture. It was hard enough to have a new marriage and adjust but to get a batch of severely abused cats and rehabilitate them and place them was almost too much for him since he had NEVER owned a cat. Declawing him gave me the chance to get him into a position so that I could place him with my sister and he would be a somewhat normal cat.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 08/19/2011

Glad to see you back Loureen ;)

Charlie - posted on 08/19/2011

Oh god that is disgusting !

Laura Zoey - posted on 08/19/2011

Jennifer, not trying to negate your story at all, but what was the reason you needed him declawed? Was he destructive?
I totally see why you would do that if he was simply unable to control himself.
I guess I retract my statement about euthanasia over declawing.
I just think now that there should be only medical reasons to declawed, like a cat who has a traumatic past or something, not 'just cuz'

Jennifer - posted on 08/19/2011

I forgot to mention that the first one we had declawed was rescued from a house where there was no electricity, no running water, Teenage boys who stuffed this cat into a duffel bag and tossed it out the second floor window attached to a bungee cord just for giggles, and that didn't have enough litter boxes or food for the cats they were housing. If we hadn't taken the cat, it would surely have died. We saved what we could. This cat was excessively timid and needed special care so he came to our house to rehab and eventually was placed with my sister, who, to this day treats him like the king of the castle and her only child.

I spent the first 24 hours with his paws wrapped around my neck and his head buried on my shoulder because he was afraid to move. It took him another two days to venture a foot away from the couch that I slept on the first night with him on my chest because he wouldn't let go. When we went to take him to the vet to have him fixed (because he was still intact and had knocked up his sister- we had to bury his babies due to deformities) he peed all over the front of me because he was terrified I was taking him back to the house we rescued him from. Declawing him so he could stay at my house so I could prepare him for a good home was the best thing that ever happened to him. There was NOTHING inhumane about it. Inhumane would have been tossing him off on someone who couldn't have handled his neurotic issues after his unbelievable torment. Knowing the cat now, you would never even know he came from such a violent house.

Jennifer - posted on 08/19/2011

Heather- "Just goes to show if people are willing to declaw or to dump an aging cat because of some inconveniences, they should never have a cat in the first place."

Just an FYI- just because someone declaws their cat does not mean they will EVER dump them due to age or illness. I rescue animals all the time and rehabilitate them and I have willfully declawed two cats. The first one I declawed because he was absolutely NOT going to stop tearing up the furniture and my husband would have made me find him a home. (He hadn't been broken in as a cat lover just yet because we had just gotten married) The second one was declawed for two reasons. The first being that the other animals in the house were at risk because the new kitty would be the only one with claws and I didn't want it scratching the cornea's of the other animals and the second is that this lovely kitty decided to scale my naked butt at 6am when I sat down to use the bathroom half awake. I would NEVER abandon any of my animals.

I had an allergy test and have found out that I have a level 6 allergy to cats which is pretty severe. Having had one most of my life, I have built up some tolerance to them but I noticed when we tried to bring in a second cat recently that I couldn't breathe so when this one dies, I will not be getting another. If I were going to dump a cat, I wouldn't be taking allergy medications and asthma medications to make sure that this one has a good home for life. This one would most certainly die if we abandoned it because it has a severe genetic heart defect and no one wants to take in a cat that will cost an arm and a leg to care for. My fur babies are my babies for their entire lives so just because someone has declawed their cat does not mean they should never have had one in the first place.

Morgan - posted on 08/19/2011

IMO its cruel id never do it to my kitty, i had some trouble with scratching when my DD started walking and invading Karmas space :) but they are great now best friends for sure

~♥Little Miss - posted on 08/19/2011

It will at least make him comfortable.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 08/19/2011

Awe poor baby. It breaks my heart when I see them slipping all over the floor. Yeah, usually when they are doing that, going for a walk is not useful. As far as pain management goes, I cannot imagine he is NOT hurting. I would guess he is having difficulty getting up, and kinda will flop down? Stairs are probably a tremendous effort? There are a few different kinds of pain management for dogs that are safe. They may want to take a blood sample first to check major organ function to make sure his body can process it properly and handle it, and then re check all his functions once he has been on it for a few weeks. If he seems like he is in pain, I would certainly look into it.

Heather - posted on 08/19/2011

Thanks for the tips Marina. He has been taking Dasquin and another joint supplement forever. I've been giving him flaxseed too. He used to be about 10 lbs overweight, but the vet said he was a good weight last time he went in. We do give healthy food scraps and I do give raw carrots and teensy bit of broccoli and cottage cheese on top of his food. Lately, he can't stay up on wood floors so we bought him some traction boots which help, but still 3/4 mile walk is too much for him and he generally is happy to just sit on his bed near the kitchen and action. :) Thinking main pain management might be needed?

Tanya - posted on 08/19/2011

I think it's horrible! I shadowed a vet once, and I loved watching everything, but that was the one thing I couldn't stomach. I thought the spaying was so cool, but as soon as the vet started declawing, I felt sick, and had to leave the room. Afterwards, the poor little kitten didn't seem to even notice the incision in her abdomen...she was just sitting there looking and sniffing at her paws! :(


I totally agree with Marina that it's better than abandonment or euthanasia, but I wish people would just learn how to DEAL with claws instead of removing them. My mother has had 7 cats over the years, and not ONE has been declawed. Some have been better about getting their claws clipped than other, but she has done it for all of them. She starts from day 1, and they only get treats when they get their nails clipped. Her last two would LINE UP for nail clipping!

And yes, she has had furniture scratched. She puts heavy duty decorative mats on the back of her couch so that they won't destroy it. She has had to replace screen doors. Her curtains have little pulls in them. But, that's owning a cat! If you want a pet that won't leave a mark on your house, then get a fish!

~♥Little Miss - posted on 08/19/2011

I am in contact with a vet friend of mine to find out how true the balance part is. i have difficulty believing that because of the anatomy of the foot. Hell, she is the expert, I will believe what she says.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 08/19/2011

Also, if your dog is overweight, that of course will make the arthritis worse, so that is another reason to keep up on light exercise, and a healthy diet. Otherwise, just love on him as much as you can, and enjoy every minute! But I am sure I don't need to tell you that.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 08/19/2011

Well, I am sorry to say it does not get easier. Pain management is available for the arthritis, but otherwise bring them in for their regular check ups and get the geriatric blood screening that is recommended to pick up on anything abnormal, keep on a good diet and no table scraps.....and believe it or not, keep em moving. Short little walks will help keep them used to movement.....but of course unless your doctor says it is better to keep him immobile....depending on the severity.

Heather - posted on 08/19/2011

Thanks about my pup. It was awful. We got her in college before we had kids. She was my baby. It was the hardest decision in my life. I don't know what I'll do when my next pup goes. He's 13, arthritic, and still the biggest sweetheart in the world.

Heather - posted on 08/19/2011

I agree. I don't think she is pain from being declawed, but I do think it's inhumane because of balance issues. She is flexible, in good shape, and agile, yet never jumps up except for low chairs. I think if I had half my toes cut off, I'd have problems with jumping up too. She also is extremely sensitive about her toes, She'll let you touch her feet, but it you touch the flopps ends where the claws would have been, then she pulls away.