DECLAWING IS NOT JUST A PERMANENT NAIL CLIPPING AT THE BASE OF THE PAW!

"DECLAWING" (onychectomy) IS TEN SEPARATE, PAINFUL AMPUTATIONS OF THE LAST DIGIT OF A CATS FINGER including bone (third phalanx), dorsal ligaments, flexor tendons, connective tissue, blood vessels, nerves, claw, and fur as this picture and diagram from the Textbook of Small Animal Surgery reveal. Because claws grow directly out of claw forming bone, "declaw" surgery has to irreversibly carve out and sever, by either a scalpel, nail trimmer, or burned off with a CO2 laser light, the third or distal phalanx to keep the claw from growing back. It's literally "de-fingering", "dis-jointing" and "dis-membering" the last digit of a cat's finger including the outmost joint bone. Pictures taken of an actual declaw surgery can be seen HERE on the stopdeclaw.com website. For more information and details read http://declawing.com/htmls/declawing.htm

POSSIBLE RISKS, CONSEQUENCES, & REALITIES OF DECLAW SURGERY:

(Even if there were no risks & consequences to surgery, a declawed cat has to walk, run, groom, play, and scrape the bottom of his litterbox everyday for the rest of his life with fingers missing their entire last joint/digit and are forever deprived of their first line of self defense & sense of security, plus the physical & emotional satisfaction of digging their claws into a nice, tall, juicy sisal scratching post and enjoying rugged, claw hold resistance scratching, stretching, & stress reducing exercise.)

*CHRONIC, INTERMITTENT, and PHANTOM PAIN:
According to this 2005 article from the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management, Dr. Gaynor, DVM states "It is becoming more and more apparent that the number of feline patients who have declaw procedures performed have subsequent chronic pain issues...within days to months to years...". 

 In "Declaw Details" by Dr. Brenda McClelland, DVM (Cat Fancy Magazine Jan 2006) it states that "Veterinarians acknowledge that declaws are very painful for cats, but a recent study showed that the pain lasts longer than originally thought. Cats declawed on one paw that appeared to walk normally were put on a gait-analysis machine. Results showed that none of the cats fully used the declawed leg 12 days after surgery."

Cats are notorious for hiding pain; they hide their pain & suffering by nature from their days in the wild when being sick or injured put them at grave risk of becoming prey to other animals. Many declawed cats silently suffer adverse effects, sometimes unnoticed by their caretakers, because the consequences can range from obvious to subtle and some may take many years to surface. And as the above mentioned article states, some declawed cats appear to look normal when they really are not.

"We may not know when some cats are suffering because of their stoic nature, and the fact that some cats in great discomfort may actually purr and seem to be half-asleep. Such self-comforting, so-called displacement behaviors are indicators of stress. Cats may learn to cope with the chronic pain of onychectomy, but the absence of overt pain does not mean they are pain-free." Dr. Michael W. Fox, D.Sc., Ph.D., B.Vet.Med., M.R.C.V.S. 

 "While the pain is obvious in large cats (tigers) because of their size, small cats will go to great lengths to conceal their discomfort", veterinarian Dr. Jennifer Conrad, The Paw Project, http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/04/prweb2291714.htm

"...in veterinary medicine, the clinical procedure (declawing) serves as a model of severe pain for testing the efficacy of analgesic drugs", Dr. Nicholas Dodman, BVMS, MRCVS, "The Cat Who Cried For Help", Bantam Books, 1997

*"Declawing cats....it's an operation that actually entails removing part of the toe or finger at the first joint. Afterward, many cats suffer chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder...", ASK DR. MICHAEL FOX, DVM, 10/22/2006 http://www.nypost.com/seven/10222006/entertainment/ask_dr__michael_fox_entertainment_.htm+++++     

*"...not all veterinarians are aware of the pain & lifelong damage that are ramifications of the procedure. Statistically, she said, 50% of cats will come out of the operation with immediate complications for 2 - 3 weeks, and 20% will have complications for the rest of their lives. 1/3 of cats that are declawed will resort to biting or not using the litterbox." Dr. Jennifer Conrad, DVM, "Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Declawing", Amy Lyons, Beverly Press, Vol 17, No. 42, Oct 18, 2007 http://www.parklabreanewsbeverlypress.com/


*BLEEDING or HEMORRHAGE For every bone and piece of skin that is cut during declaw surgery, there is a wound site & oppurtunity for bleeding and hemorrage. Read about Samson's and Monkey's nightmare declawings:"His routine de-clawing turned into a nightmare when his vet removed the stitches, Connelly reported. "The cat was squirting blood," Heise said. She watched in horror as the vet yanked out her cat's stitches. "Without gloves -- without washing his hands -- without any instruments, he took and he ripped the cat's sutures out with his fingernails...The second veterinarian saved Samson's paws and possibly his life.  According to Heise, "it was a bad situation.  The infection had spread into his blood and into his soft tissue." http://www.10tv.com/?sec=news&story=sites/10tv/content/pool/200801/1696740312.html 
"An investigator found that "on Sept. 30, 2005, you performed a declaw and neu-ter on Monkey.' Monkey was released with bleeding front paws. There were large areas of tissue missing and the pads were either cut or missing. http://www.cleveland.com/living/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/living-0/1200216641105730.xml&coll=2


*INFECTION For every bone and piece of skin that is cut during declaw surgery, there is a wound site & oppurtunity for infection to set in. The infection can start in one finger and spread throughout the paws and can lead to amputation of the entire toe, paw, or limb, like Stella, who had both of her rear paws amputated from infection after declaw surgery, STELLA's Story ^..^  or TAZZY STORY, who DIED from infection after laser declaw surgery.

Post-surgical complications include abscess formation, chronic infection (aggravated by cat litter) and chronic or intermittent lameness.
Dr. Michael W. Fox, D.Sc., Ph.D., B.Vet.Med., M.R.C.V.S.


*PAW SWELLING, LIMPING, LAMENESS, or IMPROPER GAIT after surgery from paw pain, paw tingling, numbness, sensitivity, nerve pain, radial nerve damage, scar tissue, or phantom pain (the kind that amputee victims experience). "I recently had my three kittens declawed. One them...has damage to the radial nerve. I have been told by another vet that the damage may never reverse. My vet never advised me of the posible complications. I have already spent thousnds of dollars, expect to spend alot more...It is sooooo sad to see her drag her leg..." http://www.catler.org/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?az=read_count&om=208&forum=eda


*PAINPUL REGROWTH OF CLAWS inside the paw (not seen by the visible eye) if the vet didn't sever enough of the claw forming bone off during surgery, like this (the cat walked for 10 years with a claw growing under her skin, a true testiment that cats hide pain: REGROWN CLAWS. Or regrowth of claw that can be seen if it breaks through the paw skin, like this: ABNORMAL REGROWTH. This can happen 7, 8, 10 years after the declaw surgery.


*"ARTHRITIS: Research has shown that, in the immediate post-operative period, newly declawed cats shift their body weight backward onto the large central pads of the feet, and off the sore toes. This effect was significant even when strong pain medication was given, and remained apparent for the duration of the study (up to 40 hours after the surgery). If this altered gait persists over time, it would cause stress on the leg joints and spine, and would lead to damage and arthritic changes in multiple joints."Declawing: A Rational Look, Dr. Jean Hofre, DVM  

"De-clawed cats tend to walk abnormally back on their heels rather than on their entire pads because of the chronic pain at the end of their severed fingers and toes. They often develop chronic arthritis and as the front toe pads shrink, chronic bone infections are common....The tendons that control the toe joints retract after surgery. These  joints essentially becoming “frozen.”  The toes remain fully contracted for the life of the cat. In order to keep weight off the tender amputated toes, cats shift their weight backward, the altered gait stressing the limbs and spine, which could lead to arthritis later in life." Dr. Michael Fox, http://www.twobitdog.com/DrFox/specialreport_Article.aspx?ID=46b4b2c4-93d6-4582-b4ec-7d311782aab8


*INABILITY TO DEFEND THEMSELVES without their primary means of defense against other animals and predators, their claws, INABILITY TO GRASP toys or wands without claws, plus frustration from inability to climb, scratch & stretch without obtaining a secure claw-hold, FEAR OR INSECURITY of jumping up or jumping down because of pain when landing or inability to get solid grounding. Some declawed cats will still jump but will shake its paws or limp when it lands.


*POSTURE DIFFERENCES, Declawed cats sit back on their wrists instead of their whole paw, or older declawed cats develop painful arthritis from walking on incomplete paws for years (x-rays can confirm this) & develop "chronic back and joint pain as shoulder, leg and back muscles weaken." http://maxshouse.com/facts_about_declawing.htm


*ATROPIED and ULCERATED PAW PADS : Cats are DIGITIGRADE animals, they walk on all of their digits including their claws. Paw pads are for cushioning, they should be oval and supple but can harden, & become round or misshaped/shriveled & irritated after declaw surgery. Atrophied paw pads make it painful for cats to use crystal type cat litter. The P2 bones (the middle bone of the three in a finger) may also perforate the skin above the paw pad after the last bone is removed in surgery.

*PERSONALITY CHANGE after declaw surgery including increased aggression resulting in biting & using their teeth more since their first line of defense is now gone. Plus insecurity, shyness, nervousness, stress, withdrawn, depression, and/or frustration from the trauma of the surgery and/or living without their main means of security. Because declawed cats cannot exercise in the manner a cat should (claw-hold scratching and stretching) their body may ache from atropied muscles and therefore may bite when handled due to body sensitivity. 1000's of cat guardians have reported DECLAW HORROR STORIES and more DECLAW HORROR STORIES where kitty suffered physical, emotional, and behavioral problems after declaw surgery.


*LITTER BOX PROBLEMS. A declawed cat may only want to use a smooth, soft surface to urinate (like the floor or carpet) if their declawed paws are too tender, sore, injured, uncomfortable, or deformed to rake litter. They may associate the pain they feel with using the litterbox, therefore creating a life-long aversion to litter or litterboxes. These litterbox problems can occur years down the line from phantom paw pain, ingrown claws, infection, nerve pain, arthritis, or atrophied pads. Declawed cats that can't mark with their claws, may even mark by spraying their urine instead. Read GOOD CATS WEAR BLACK by Annie Bruce, author of CAT BE GOOD and retired cat consultant, for more information about declawed paws being the #1 cause of litterbox problems for cats, and consider these statistics about declawing & litterbox problems:

 

    *"Dr. Harrison gets 3-12 calls a day about litter box problems in cats and, after ruling out medical problems, 90 percent of the cats with litter box aversion are declawed cats. “Declawing: Behavior Modification or Destructive Surgery”, Animal Issues, 1998

 *Published 2/1/03 on CourierPostOnline.com, "Eighty percent (80%) of the cats that are surrendered that are declawed are euthanized because they have a behavioral problem…. Declawed cats frequently become biters and also stop using litter boxes… One or the other…,” said William Lombardi shelter director, Gloucester County, New Jersey. 

 *"Seventy percent (70%) of cats turned in to pounds and shelters for behavioral problems are declawed." (National Survey from pounds & shelters obtained by Caddo Parrish Forgotten Felines Friends) http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/declaw.html

"Among 218 cats relinquished to a shelter, more (52.4%) declawed cats than non-declawed cats (29.1%) were reported by owners to have inappropriate elimination problems." Source: World Small Animal Veterinary Association, 2001 http://maxshouse.com/facts_about_declawing.htm 

****READ MORE about declawed paws & behavioral problems

*“Chronic physical ailments such as cystitis or skin disorders can be manifestations of a declawed cat’s frustration and stress.” "Is Declawing Cruel?" David E. Hartnett, DVM, Chronic urinary tract infections (UTI's) whose source of infection comes from infected paws or from "the accumulated stress buildup from lack of scratching may also be a contributing factor, as stress is implicated in half of all urinary tract problems". "Why Cats Need Claws", "Asthma and cystitis (inflammation of the bladder) have also been linked to the stress of declaws..." "Declaw Details", Dr. Brenda McClelland, DVM, Cat Fancy Magazine Jan 2006.

*Declawing is a medically unnecessary surgery that has absolutely NO medical benefit to the cat, unlike spaying and neutering that reduces the instances of tumors & infections in the mammary glands, ovaries, uterus, prostrate, and testicles in cats.

*Declawing cats is already illegal or considered grossly inhumane in at least 35 countries because the act of disfiguring a healthy cat paw for convenience is viewed as an form of animal cruelty. And in all of these countries, there are homes with furniture, carpet, antiques, and indoor-only cats, as well as children, elderly, immuno-compromised people, and all of the other excuses to declaw, living there too!


WHAT ABOUT LASER SURGERY?

Laser surgery is being marketed as the "better" or more "humane" way to declaw a cat, but it is not without complications & consequences and the end result is still the same - amputation of healthy cat toes - done by burning, which can result in fourth-degree burns in the bone as seen in this picture.

"Declawing, when performed by laser, is still the amputation of the last toe bone of the cat and carries with it the same long-term risks of lameness and behavioral problems as does declawing with scalpels or clippers. Studies have failed to show that laser declawing is less painful for the cat in the post-operative period." Humane Society Veterinary Medical Assoc Cosmetic & Convenience Surgeries Position Statements

"I had Roscoe and Jaspurr laser declawed about two months ago and it has been nothing but pain and suffering for them. I chose to do it with the laser because the vet said 'it was less bleeding, less painful, and less swelling.' What she did not tell me is about all the complications that go along with the surgery." Lisa Violet's Declaw Horror Stories

"Complications (bleeding, limping, swelling, infection) were generally worse in the laser onychectomy group in the first 2 days after surgery but were equivalent thereafter." My Vet Said Laser Was Better, Dr. Jennifer Conrad, DVM, The Paw Project

"...she jerked her body, meowed at me twice while looking into my eyes and then she died. Laser Surgery was not better...the decision to get her declawed is the worst decision I have never made, it took a life, my Tazzy's life. I will not be able to get past this, what I have done, the torture my baby went through. Cat Dies from Infection After Laser Declaw Surgery

"No matter how the claws are removed, a cat without claws is missing part of his toes and has to go through life without being able to perform one of the most enjoyable and beneficial parts of being a cat: scratching - with claws. The whole basis of scratching; the aspect that provides the refreshing workout and exercise, is pulling against the resistance of dug-in claws". Gary Lowenthal, author of "Why Cats Need Claws" from Is Laser Declaw Better?


IS "CAT SCRATCH FEVER" A REASON TO DECLAW?

Declawing is absolutely NOT a necessary or effective reason or prevention for "cat scratch fever", medically known as B henselae infection. According to this information from a veterinary journal, FLEA CONTROL for the cat and HAND WASHING for the human are the most effective preventions for cat scratch fever, NOT DECLAWING! 

"Performance of onychectomy (declawing) in cats has also been suggested, but this procedure has a limited value because infection can be transmitted from cat to cat by fleas. Therefore, flea control appears to be one of the major control measures to prevent infection of cats with B henselae, its spread from cat to cat, and potentially the spread from cats to humans. The most effective means of preventing B henselae infection (also know as "cat scratch disease") are commonsense precautions, hygiene, and possibly modification of behavior of the cat owners themselves. For example, it is recommended that cat owners wash their hands after handling pets and clean any cuts, bites, or scratches promptly with soap and water."(Chomel BB, Boulouis HJ, Breitschwerdt EB. Cat scratch disease and other zoonotic Bartonella infections. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2004: 224:1270-1279.)

Also, from the San Francisco SPCA Cat Behavior Department, "....A declawed cat often acts very defensive in new situations, presumably because she has an awareness that her defenses are weakened. When threatened, some resort to biting, which can be more dangerous - more dangerous than getting scratched. In one study (Department of Emergency Medicine, Darnall Army Community Hospital, Fort Hood, 76544-5063; PMID: 1823783) it was found that 15.6% of cat bites wounds became infected, whereas no cat scratches led to infection."
"The Paws And The Claws, Training your cat to scratch, how to trim their nails, and the truth about declawing" http://www.sfspca.org/news/060627_catclawclippingclinic.shtml


POSITION STATEMENTS from VETERINARY & ANIMAL WELFARE ASSOCIATIONS:

Veterinary Associations and Animal Welfare Organizations all agree that scratching is a natural behavior for all cats and it is medically unnecessary to declaw a cat.

*The American Veterinary Medical Assoc                                                        
*American Assoc of Feline Practitioners
*American Animal Hospital Assoc
*American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
*Humane Society of the United States
*Cat Fancier Association
*The Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights (AVAR) position statement on cat declawing acknowledges behavior changes after declaw surgery:

"Cat declawing,  or onychectomy, is an amputation of a portion of a cat’s front toes and sometimes those of the back feet, as well. Declawing involves putting the cat under anesthesia and then cutting through each of the ten last joints, including skin, tendons, and nerves, thereby removing the distal phalanx (last bone) of each toe. The recovery from declawing can be painful and lengthy and may involve postoperative complications. These include infection, hemorrhage, persistent “phantom” pain, lameness, and nail regrowth, sometimes requiring additional surgery. Because scratching is a natural behavior in cats, the human caretaker should  redirect this instinctive behavior by providing environmental enrichments to alter the cat’s scratching behavior away from furniture. In addition to the substitution of an acceptable scratching post,  the use of nail caps (Soft Paws), repellent material on target areas (Sticky Paws), and more frequent trimming of cats’   nails frequently resolve the issue. Anecdotal evidence of behavior changes occurring post-onychectomy provides compelling support for the observation that declawing cats increases their likelihood of expressing litter box avoidance and aggressive biting. The studies done so far to analyze this relationship have been limited in their ability to control multiple variables and form a definitive conclusion. However, the observations of many veterinary practitioners and behaviorists give strong  support for these connections. "

DECLAW RESOURCES & ARTICLES:

 Amby.com ~ Declawing Issues and Alternatives

The Facts About Declawing ~ What You Need To Know from Max's House

declaw.lisaviolet.com Lisa Violet's Declaw MENU

A vet's view...Dr. Christianne Schelling, DVM

CATS INTERNATIONAL ~ Scratching & Declawing Info, plus How To Build Your Own Post!

CELEBRATE~^..^~CLAWS! Best Friends Community Network 

You Can't Declaw with Love Dr. Paul Rowen, DVM                                                                      

Declawing: A Rational Look Dr. Jean Hofve, DVM

declaw.com List of VETS WHO DO NOT DECLAW!

Declawing: Do You Really Understand What This Means? Long list of resources!

A clearinghouse of declaw websites and resources:  www.de-clawing.com

The Declaw Hall of Shame exposes the vets that "pimp" declaw surgery.                                                                           

"Declaw = Detoe" from Stray Pet Advocacy. Long list of excellent resources!

"The Price Of Convenience", Best Friends Animal Society

Top 9 Reasons NOT to Declaw a Cat from About.Cats.

THE PAW PROJECT (501c3)www.pawproject.com promotes public awareness to the dangers of declawing. This project was founded by Dr. Jennifer Conrad, DVM who helped to pass the 2003 West Hollywood, CA declaw ban!  San Francisco, Berkeley and Malibu have all passed citywide resolutions that condemn the practice of declawing which means the city council recognizes that it is an inhumane procedure! In 2005, Dr. Conrad moderated a Best Friends NMHP forum "What's Wrong With Declawing?"and responded to questions like:        

Does declawing keep cats in homes?,                         

But my declawed cats do fine!, and

My vet said laser surgery was better.

The WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA DECLAW BAN!  We salute Dr. Jennifer Conrad, The Paw Project, Attorney Orly Degani, and West Hollywood Mayor John Duran for their work on the WEST HOLLYWOOD DECLAW BAN!  In an Oct 18, 2007 Beverly Press article "Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Declawing", Mayor Duran said, "...From the time I introduced this ordinance, I was confident that protecting animals from mutilation was the right thing to do no matter who opposed it. Declawing amounts to amputation and we should call it what it is. Animals deserve the right to exist the same way they were born and not be "adapted" to meet people's needs...Cruelty to animals and mutilation of animals is not consistent with our civic values...Animals are not property, they are living creatures here on our planet, just as we are. I think someday people will look back and say "wow, they really did that to their animals?"" (Amy Lyons, Vol 17 No. 42, Oct 18, 2007 http://www.parklabreanewsbeverlypress.com/ ) WE THANK YOU FOR SETTING THIS PRECEDENT IN OUR COUNTRY!!

"I hold that the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man" M. Gandhi