ONYCHECTOMY PART ONE

[drjeandenver]

This is malpractice from beginning to end. As georgievet pointed out, there are many problems with this--no pain meds, no IV catheter, no anesthetic monitoring, sloppy, inadequate surgical prep, just enough sedation to keep the cat down while it has ten toes amputated. I'm surprised he managed to put on gloves. This is totally unacceptable and contrary to standards of practice. As a vet, I believe this charlatan should be reported to the state board.

[georgievet3535]

oh and "nikigurl08" get yourself some education, visit pawprojectorg.

[georgievet3535]

Real nice, obviously no pre-med, no IV cath, induction drug without any pain medication in it, struggling to give the cat the injection, leave the anesthetized body on the cold sink rack, and "sterilize" the paws by rubbing them with soap? Real nice. Hack vets drive me up the wall. Who would a)record this and b)post it??

[spazitude80]

any vet that does a declawing should be shot.

[erddchick]

This is horrific and cruel , I would never do this to my cats ever , it takes just a few minuets to nip the tips of my house cats claws off to save damage to my furniture and its just lazy people who don't care about their poor cats feelings who would want this kind of procedure done.

[gothesheeep]

This is absolutely disgusting. Here in Australia it's illegal to torture, I mean, declaw cats... I'd love to see someone come and burn your finger tips off...

[CandyCrayon91]

I've had cats all my life, and yes, I got the occasional scratch when I was a child. I'd cry, yes, but I LEARNED.

It taught me how to treat the animals and what they didn't like, and would defend themselves. It's natural behavior, and it taught me to handle animals responsibly.

This is not a responsible veterinarian. A true veterinarian helps animals to stay or get healthy, not deprive them of something as essential as their claws.

It should be outlawed in the US just like in my country.

[hanwan1992]

Ridiculous 'procedure' the long term --- stereotypical behaviour caused by the inability to exhibit natural instinctive behaviour ... that behaviour is there for life

enjoy your scratch free home and the knowledge that your cat will never be the same again --mentally and physically

[DumbDuck44]

@hanwan1992 Are you this outraged by routine neutering/spaying? Castration isn't required when a vasectomy is an option. But I imagine for your personal benefit you enjoy the behavioral changes associated with it (no spraying and aggressive behaviors reduced). Or is the cat's sex drive not a powerful instinctive behavior?

Could you point us to a study that shows feline behavior altered by a routine laser declawing? we both know none exist for good reason.

[hanwan1992]

@DumbDuck44 castration and spaying no outrage. the two cant be compared. I would think that someone with your obvious intelligence would know that this prolongs the life of the animal as it prevents the risk of ovarian and testicular cancer aswell as an owner of a stud would know a dog can smell a bitch in season from miles and will do everything in his power to get to her! the simple point of your answer is one is AESTHETIC the other beneficial and aids the animal. NO COMPARRISON!

[DumbDuck44]

@hanwan1992

castration creates an obvious behavioral change in the animal that humans find beneficial and has no real benefit to the animal other than improving the human/animal relationship.

laser declaws do NOT clearly change the animals behavior, as cats still instinctively scratch away, just ineffectively, and in practice is no different than alternatives such as soft-paws to cats (which blunts them).

the purpose of the declaw is NOT just cosmetic like ear and tail clipping on boxers.

[hanwan1992]

@DumbDuck44 once again you bring in a point that has no relevance to this i do not agree with tail docking unless on working dogs such as springers due to this actually preventing further serious injury to the animal but i would never agree and see no purpose for cropping which is aesthetic. Once again you say there is no benefit for castration to the animal but as i already stated in my last post that castration prolongs the life of the animal and significantly reduces the risk of cancer etc.

[DumbDuck44]

@hanwan1992 Merely aesthetic != harmful. People punch holes in their ears/tongues/noses/etc, tattoo skin, dye hair, wax hair, etc. If it doesn't traumatize the animal, it doesn't matter if something is merely aesthetic.

My coworker's declawed kitty (front only) is as friendly as can be and doesn't have any obvious behavioral problems and climbs just fine, so again, its not clearly traumatizing to an indoor only cat. And you'd never allow one human to castrate another, so lets get realistic.

[hanwan1992]

@DumbDuck44 aesthetic =harmful ??? no. and as you state that people do these things to themselves with actual knowledge of the reason and the purpose for this it is, a cat has no knowledge of what the owner is doing or for what reason it is being done each point you make get further and further away from the relevance to this topic. cat- castration-rehoming-people? and if you think it is accetable for an 'indoor only' cat do you believe it is accepatble and not traumatic for a outdoor cat?

[DumbDuck44]

@hanwan1992 != means "does not equal".  point is simple, you wouldn't castrate a human, even for health benefits, without their permission. consent is never needed in pets. castration causes VERY obvious observable behavioral differences in the cat. declawed cats on the other hand, done at a young age, do not appear to know they can't extend their claws. they still go through all the motions normally.

no, an outdoor cat should NOT be declawed, as claws are helpful in fighting/climbing.

[hanwan1992]

@DumbDuck44 you are clearly not understanding me you can't compare castration with declawing. Declawing does not serve a purpose only that of the satisfaction of a scratch free home i have two cats neither are declawed for one it is an extra expence and in my view an uneccasary cruelty on my animals they live a perfectly happy life as indoor cats and have never caused any significant damage and have learned from a young age that it is bad and scratch furniture and people which they never do.

[DumbDuck44]

@hanwan1992 In door cats on the other hand do not have a NEED for that level of climbing (they jump/climb quite well with their back claws intact), front claw climbing would damage most furniture which is harmful to the pet/human relationship, and there is no need for a indoor cat to defend itself in a normal nurturing home.

and rough play and inadvertent defensive scratching has caused blindness and other injuries w/ other pets and children. front claws simply aren't essential for indoor life

[DumbDuck44]

And before you say that indoor cats still have SOME need for self defense, lets not forget that cats still can hiss, bite with those very sharp teeth, and the real damage in self-defense is done with the rear claws anyway (called the "gutting" motion of bite, hold, and claw kick).

Safe and virtually painfree laser surgery simply deals with the instinctual urge for cats to sharpen their front claws on objects and prevents property damage leading to a happier pet/human relationship. =)

[hanwan1992]

@DumbDuck44 i would not say they have no defence a simple arching of the back can defend a cat as i am well aware of the anatomy and behaviour of animals it is not the need for defence i am wary of it is the general health and comfort of these animals and ok then perhaps if the animal were to be in a loving home as an indoor only cat with plenty of mental stimulation then as a last resort perhaps but whichever way you look at it it is mutilation

[DumbDuck44]

@hanwan1992 Of course it is mutilation.

You are removing a perfectly healthy part of a cats natural anatomy. But no matter how you look at it, neutering is mutilation. It is by definition that.

But that doesn't mean that it isn't a positive thing to do.

Done properly by a good veterinarian, a mutilated cat with its sex organs and front claw removed is not in pain and not traumatized in any way. It is simply modified in a way that improves the human/cat relationship.

[hanwan1992]

@DumbDuck44 indoor cats and outdoor cats are the same animal they are not particularly bred to be in or out is at the owners discretion wether they want their cat to be in or out so it is ridiculous to suggest that indoor cats do not have needs any different from an outdoor cat at the end of the day it is a cat same needs same instincts just different environment.my cats are up and down scratchposts jumping from chair to chair playing everyday so please know what your on about before you lecture

[DumbDuck44]

@hanwan1992

This is not rocket science. A person living in the amazon jungle does not have the same needs as a soldier fighting in afghanistan nor a housewife in Palm Springs.

Show me ANY proof that shows that a cat has a psychological need for his/her front claws, or even so much as notices that something is missing. An outdoor cat NEEDS its front claws, not for psychological reasons, but simply because it gives defensive "swats" bite and extra traction climbing. No more, no less.

[hanwan1992]

@DumbDuck44 i would not suggest that each and every declawed cat would show signs of stereotypical behaviour although i believe many of the cats declawed do show these signs that an unaware owner would miss there is no real positive in this procedure that you can show me as your arguments are getting weaker i see that you believe in this procedure therefore i refuse to carry on with these discussions. Castration and spaying actually have a proven benefit for the animal and as a plus the owner to

[DumbDuck44]

@hanwan1992

Make it real simple. No responsible owner wants to harm his or her cat. Period.

Provide evidence that professionally performed laser claw removal from a reputable veterinarian:

1) Causes more pain than a routine castration

2) Has health risks if performed at the same time as neutering

3) Causes observable psychological trauma or behavioral changes

If you can not, then your argument is groundless.

[nikigurl08]

@hanwan1992 Believe what u wanna believe but since less vets declaw more cats are ending up in the shelters and rescues. My arguement for declawing is less ppl adopt when they can't declaw. Other arguement cat can cause cat scratch fever and in some ppl this can be very life threatening like in my neighbor who burst out in a rash over a little scratch. Other reason cats can harm other pets resulting in an a pet losing its eyes or becoming seriously harmed.

[hanwan1992]

@nikigurl08 well i live in the UK where declawing cats is almost unheard of and let me tell you no cat is denied a chance of their home because of their claws that wouldn't be considered here .. maybe people just need to be more educated and empathetic where your from

[nikigurl08]

@hanwan1992 Have fun getting cat scratch fever, havin your stuff get ripped apart. I wont have a cat with claws cuz a cat can really hurt a kid cause scratch cat fever and some ppl like my neighbor not to mention injure other pets. Ive seen indoor cats hurt each other is this humane! Or lettin the cat keep its claws so it can rip the other cats eyes out. That stuff happens too! In the UK your so afraid of hurting animals that you let them run you around. You forget cats or pets not ppl!

[hanwan1992]

@nikigurl08 ok while i am having fun getting 'scratch fever' not significantly present here ill remember that as you implied the US is not afraid to HURT animals which i find ridiculous that you would say such a thing. The UK just has brains and does not look for a reason to change an animals appearance not that i am suggesting all of the US do this but of course that is what you believe then you shouldn't own animals

[nikigurl08]

@hanwan1992 I believe an outdoor or a barn kitty should have its claws, but an indoor cat has no need for claws who does it need to protect itself from, and its doesn't need to catch it food. Plus a cat can really injure ppl and other pets, not mention make a mess of the house.

[nikigurl08]

@hanwan1992 Yea there is a difference between an indoor and outdoor cat. We let our cat choose to be either indoor or outdoor. The bigger boned cat wanted to live outside where she could hunt. Where our small cat prefered to live indoors because she was more comfortable inside. Same can be said with dogs some rather be outside most of the time where other rather be indoors except for a leisure walk.

[nikigurl08]

@hanwan1992 dude if you believe if spaying and neutering dont even start on removing animal parts. The reproductive system affects an animal mentally and physically this is the reason I wait for an animal to be at least a year before I neuter or spay. And yea cat scratch fever is a real thing, but your obviously poorly educated. Some ppl also have to have their cats declawed because their immune systems are weak and jus a simple scratch can result in death to a person.

[hanwan1992]

@nikigurl08 listen sweetheart don't patronise me i did not say it wasnt a real thing if you want to read that comment again. Neutering and spaying both have beneficial aspects to the animal and human but firstly to the animal as you should know as obviously as i am so poorly educated it must be common knowledge that it prevents cancer and procreation as there are enough unwanted animals in the world. DUDE!

[nikigurl08]

@hanwan1992 My neighbor has a weak immune system and her cat scratch her just a little and she broke out all over. That why they had her cat declawed. Plus Ive seen cats seriously injure each other. If you see a cat with intestines hangin out, you may feel a little differently. Or if you see a cat with a missing eye due to another cat clawing its eye out.

[hanwan1992]

@nikigurl08 then instead of getting an animal that could cause illness to your neighbour they should consider themselves before getting an animal so that the animal will not be further mutilated as i have already stated to the other person i was discussing this with i refuse to go any further with this as i have said all i can say so ... if you feel that this surgery should be readily available then fine i am just glad i live in a country where it is almost unheard of to do this to your pet

[SuperMrChameleon]

I really think the whole "declaw is wrong" needs to be re-evaluated. I do not deny that there was a time when it was a very painful and cruel procedure but with modern technology mixed with the cat getting it done at a young age, it really isnt wrong. My cat is as normal as any.

[Workaholic313]

Punishing an animal through amputation because it's doing what it naturally does is pretty pathetic. If you can't live with a cat as it is then just don't get one. It can take a while to teach a cat what is acceptable behavior and what isn't, but this shows just how bad the owner is. It's good that they show it because I'd never do that to my cat, laser or not. This is inhumane to do. People wouldn't voluntarily have their nails removed because they NEED them. Cats needs claws, period.

[CakeMace]

to be quite honest, either keep the cats in your house or if your going to keep them in a yard declaw them.

inhumane? probably debatable

[XOXMSperfect]

If the cat is an inside cat, and gets fed wet food at every meal, it doesn't need claws. Put it this way, if taking the claws off of a cat will give it a loving home, then I'm for it, because the alternative is to euthanize, and i'd rather see a living declawed cat than a dead one.

[SuperMrChameleon]

@XOXMSperfect So true. When I got my kitty done I started having second thoughts. My boyfriend's mom and I had a talk about this though. She has both her cats declawed and really apreciates them more because they dont hurt her when they are playing and are much more enjoyable. Same with mine. she recovered really well.

[DumbDuck44]

@Workaholic313 According to the humane society, every 8 seconds a cat is being put to death, averaging 4 million killed every year.

Many of these cats are in shelters for destructive behavior or harming another household pet (blinding a dog is not that uncommon) or child through rough play or annoyance.

If even 1 out of 4 of these could have been homed by a safe modern laser declaw which instantly cauterizes the nerves and blood vessels, thats a MILLION cats saved.

[hanwan1992]

@DumbDuck44 as you know so much you will also be aware that castration prevents procreation leading to these unwanted animals. The animal is well known for its sharp claws therefore the owner should be responsible and consider whether it will suit there lifestyle and simply teach their children how to behave around animals. If this is not their intentions an owner should refrain themselves from the need to own a cat and mutilate it for the benefit of the expensive furniture.

[DumbDuck44]

@hanwan1992

Do you believe there are ANY cats that are returned to shelters or not adopted in the first place due to fear of damaged furniture and scratched eyes of other pets or children?

If its even just one out of five, do the math on how many cats per year shelters put down that could be saved by a safe laser declaw that young cats do not recognize (they still make scratching motions), heals within a day, and is not necessary for indoor-only.

At the very least, its a great last option.

[hanwan1992]

@DumbDuck44 yes i do believe there are some cats in shelters that are not adopted and returned due to this of course i am not suggesting that everyone does it which is my point people should be aware of the animals instinctive behvaiour in order to prevent unneccasary pain being caused to that animal.

Ok then a last option but then so is amputation.

[mtp0202]

LOL. That is so funny. I am going to rush out and get my cat de-clawed and neutered (castrated) all in one hit. That will do his masculinity the world of good. Not to mention his self confidence. I can't wait for my kitty to get on of those head buckets and bang his head around mindlessly..

[wa98011]

that is a WRONG laser to use on the cat - there is no distance guide (i.e. laser beam was not focused on the target!) and there was no beam-pointer visible in the video (i.e. laser beam was not on the target). Most likely besides thermal, the collateral damage was done - you just cannot use this cheap chinese junk laser, it is not safe for the patient.

[ah3lagi]

go away, how do you know its a chinese laser or not? stop discrimiating.

[critterdocs]

good point - look at the footage starting at 5:06 - there is no distance guide and such "laser" cannot be used on humans - not in the US. Poor cat...

[catclaud]

And this person calls himself a vet??? A good vet wouldn't do this procedure, it is illegal in many parts of the (civilized) world and it's bad for the quality of live of the cat. A good vet would keep this in mind!!

[CakeMace]

That being said, only a vet could really be qualified to do this procedure, so yeah... id say he's a vet

[rossbx29]

in my case its declawing or i shoot the cat b/c he scratched the whole side of my bathroom molding all the way to the sheetrock i was going to get antifreeze and send him on his way or put a dog shocker around his neck and everytime he gets near the door ill shock him but now i know there is a easy way to declaw him i feel better for him now my kid can play with him without looking like she attempted to kill herself thank god for declawing

[catclaud]

you're a sick person....drink antifreeze yourself and see how you like that!!!

[cheetahish]

that's really pro

[sweetnflexy]

inhumane

[arthur84]

Do the research...it is in fact, quite inhumane and perverse. I think the best way to put an end to it is simply to spread awareness. Most people won't do it if they know what it entails.