Truth About De-Clawing

Declawing a cat is a major surgical procedure, performed under general anesthesia. It is actually amputation of the last joint on each toe, not a simple removal of the claw itself as lots of are led to think. The following article explains the procedure of declawing.

Felines walk on their toes, unlike most mammals who walk on the soles of their feet. Their musculature, joints, tendons & ligaments are all designed to distribute their body weight to their toes.

The claw is not a nail like human fingernails or toenails. It is actually a part of the last bone in a cat's toe. In the event you were to "declaw" a human in the same way a cat is declawed, you would be amputating all ten fingers at the last joint!

I found this description of the surgical procedure in a veterinary textbook: "The claw is extended by pushing up under the footpad or by grasping it with Allis tissue forceps. A scalpel blade is used to sharply dissect between the second & third phalanx over the top of the ungual crest . The distal interphalangeal joint is disarticulated (disjointed), & the deep digital flexor tendon is incised (severed). The digital footpad is not incised." This clinical explanation sounds horrific, doesn't it?

In addition to the feasible physical complications, often there's behavioral issues following this surgical procedure. The cat can become withdrawn, distant, fearful and/or aggressive, & often start biting, as this is the only means of defense left to them. Occasionally the cat will cease using the litterbox, because immediately after surgical procedure it was painful to scratch in the litter box, & now they associate that pain with the litter box. Because of the amount of stress the animal experiences after this procedure, they may become more liable to other diseases, as stress tends to compromise the immune method.

There is a actual possibility of complications after any major surgical procedure, & declawing is no exception. There is the likelihood of hemorrhage, infection, extreme pain, bone chips, feasible regrowth of deformed claw, back, muscle & joint issues, destroy to nerves, abscess & feasible lameness. If the claw does regrow, it is often deformed & yet another surgical procedure must be performed to correct this issue.