Laser De-clawing

[MeriNHad]

Does anyone know much about the laser de-clawing procedure for cats? I have visited many forums on cat de-clawing and there are countless posts and opinions from cat owners that are pro de-clawing and people that are strongly against it.

We have 3 cats now, two that are between 4 to 6 years old and were de-clawed at an early age (and seem to be perfectly fine), and one 6 month old Burmese kitten (with claws still in-tact) that we just brought home this weekend. I really did not know anything about the de-clawing process before telling my boss (who has worked for a vet in the past) told me how gory the procedure is. After that, I have been doing a lot of online research. I would like to know more about the laser procedure, is it really considered a humane procedure or is it still as bad as the other methods? I have read much information on why you should or should not de-claw your cat. What I am asking for here are the medical facts regarding laser de-clawing please, not opinions on de-clawing.

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[tinkerbelle]

I got this info from the vet clinic where I work:

The laser declawing procedure is probably the most humane way to declaw your cat. With this procedure there is: (1) less bleeding (2) less swelling (3) little post-surgical pain (4) reduced risk of infection (5) no stiches. And since your kitty is only 6 months old, I think declawing will be much easier (pain wise) on him than on an older cat.

(If you PM me, I'll send you the website...i just didn't want to advertise where i work....)

 

[VeganSoprano]

Laser declawing might be more humane than traditional declawing, but I definitely wouldn't consider it humane. It is still the amputation of the cat's toes and still definitely not risk-free. Cats hide discomfort so I don't necessarily buy the claim that it's pain-free. And it's a totally unnecessary procedure - it does nothing to protect the cat's health or alleviate the overpopulation crisis. It can only harm the cat - it can't do him any good. The only beneficiaries are the furniture - inanimate objects that can't feel pain or discomfort.

It really depresses me that some vets still talk about declawing in the same breath as spay/neuter and vaccines - as though it is just part of the package. It's not.

Why not give SoftPaws a try instead? They cover the claws so they don't shred. An attractive scratching post is good too.

 

[stinkycheese]

Declawing is a disgusting, barbaric practice. If you can't handle training your cat to scratch a post, then you really should re-evaluate whether you are ready to adopt another cat. Cats are easily trained at young ages. I have never had a problem with cats who scratch outside their allowed areas. How would you like it if someone amputated your fingers at the top knuckle?

Cats scratch when they are happy. To take this ability away from them is like taking away the ability for a human to laugh or stretch. Not fair and not right. And if for some reason your cat is ever outdoors, he or she will have NO way to defend him/herself. I don't keep outdoor cats because I think it is dangerous to let cats outside, but if one of my babies got outside by accident, I would feel a little better knowing that they could defend themselves with their claws.

De-clawing is disgusting. Don't do it.

 

[kaisa]

I suppose I think declawing is inhumane. As a farm kid with a utilitarian view of animals, I'm not coming from some PETA agenda either. I've had almost every kind of pet, and every type of farm animal. This is only to establish my background as not militant about animal issues.
But don't declaw! We won't do it again for a couple of reasons. It leaves the cat defenseless if it goes outdoors...some keep the back claws on for this purpose.
Ok, primary reason for YOU to consider not declawing. Once declawed, it causes the cat to take on more biting behavior (and cat bites are nastier tan dog bites, universally get infected, std med practice is to use Augmentin for cat bites since always have Pasteurella in them).
Secondly, and most importantly...makes cat have litter box problems. Of course not all, but up to 10%. Vets like to declaw (income), like we docs like some procedures that aren't totally necessary (circumcision, entire cosmesis procedures), and vets feel they must keep clients happy.
With declawed paws, the sensation of scraping litter can be changed, causing ?irritation, making cat sometimes avoid litter and seek urinary relief elsewhere. I have tons of DVM friends (college at Iowa State...good vet school), and now at Ft Collins (also good vet school). Declawing is not such a good deal
We used to declaw, now see how easy it is to train them to scratch posts, no more urine carpet in closets.

 

[MeriNHad]

The more I read about it, the more inhumane I see it to be. I don't want to de-claw him, I'm not a materialistic person, and I would rather him stay the happy lively cat that he is now, which he may still be if we went the laser route which I thought might be better, but there is no guarantee, and it just saddens me to think of putting him through pain, because if we did it, he would be neutered, laser de-clawed, and he has an umbillical hernia that must be fixed all at the same time. I fear that he would be miserable, at least for a few days. Plus, now that I see the differences between him and my other de-clawed cats, I notice that he is so much more able to grasp and play with toys and is very agile. I am willing to live with the little scratch marks on my hands from playing with him. Another concern is that, will it be a threat to the other two front de-clawed cats if they are having cat fights? Do they have more chances of being hurt by his front claws?

Even though I said I did not want opinions, which ultimately is unavoidable on what I have come to realize is a very touchy subject, it is very interesting to me to hear that some of you as potential vets yourselves or those that have friends that are vets are very against de-clawing, which leads me to believe that I really have been in the dark about it, and just have not been told the truth by vets in the past.
My main problem is going to be convincing my husband that we do not need to get it done. Not sure how to go about that, since the other cats have had it done, and he sees that they are fine, so he is insisting that we do the supposedly less painful laser method. It has become quite a touchy subject between the two of us.

 

[medtechv79]

hahah....I've endured many a scratches and bite marks from playing with my cat. So has my fiancee. I think it comes with the territory when u have an animal. He's gotten better tho. When he bites, I yell or say a firm no or even better if he scratches I just spray him with a water bottle. That stops him. Maybe there are training programs for cats to stop them from biting or scratching up stuff.
Have u tried putting tape or something on yer furniture. Some cats don't like the feel of certain things under their claws.
You could also try one other thing I've heard if he bites u...bite him back on the ear or something that definitely stops him...but then u could get cat hair in yer mouth.
Okay....that sounds really juvenile. sorry =) I didn't declaw my cat....my vet and some others advised against it. My cat is an indoor cat so I don't have to worry about him getting into fights but if yer cat(s) do go outdoors alot its prolly best not to declaw them b/c they wouldn't have anything to protect themselves with......is he neutered yet?

 

[MeriNHad]

I have talked to my husband some more, and we have decided not to de-claw at this point. I feel very relieved that I do not have to stress about this anymore. I think things will be fine. One of the arguments that I presented to my husband was that the other cats have their back claws, which have left marks on our furniture and scratches on us when they play rough, so I don't see any harm in letting this little guy keep his front claws too. He also does not want to cause an animal unnecessary pain or anguish, and previously did not know much about what the de-clawing process entailed, either. Really, the vet that did the de-clawing on one of our other cats led us to believe that it was a very minor procedure, which I wish I would have known better at the time. It's unfortunate, I wish that more vets would accurately educate the pet owners before letting them make a decision like that.

Ok, separate issue- does anyone know anything about umbillical hernias? This kitten has an umbillical hernia, which basically just looks like an "outie" belly-button covered in fur. We were told that it could be taken care of when he gets neutered. Is this something that is painful for him before it is taken care of, or does he even feel it? I haven't found any information on it. I wanted to wait to neuter until he had been here a couple of weeks or so, and felt more comfortable and adjusted in his new home. Is it going to hurt him to wait a couple more weeks before taking care of the hernia?

 

[VeganSoprano]

Umbilical hernias are common and it's not urgent to deal with them right away. Standard practice is to repair them at the time of spay/neuter surgery (with a female it's easy because it can be fixed as a part of a midline spay). The only time you would want to fix it sooner rather than later is if it's really huge (one of my cats had one the size of a golf ball). Most hernias are small and don't really bother the cat.

I'm glad to hear you're not going to declaw your new little guy. It's the right decision. Hearing the "my other cat is declawed and he's fine" line makes me think of "well, I let my toddler ride in the car without a carseat and nothing's happened to him". If you're lucky, then good - but it's very bad if you're not.

 

[stinkycheese]

I have two cats and I have never been bitten or intentionally scratched by either. In the two years that I have had with these darlings, they have given me a total of six unintentional minor scratches, usually only when they are wiggling to get out of my hands during grooming or a bath, and accidentally scratch. The only other time is if they are nervous and they dig into me for safety. I hardly even clip their nails either, only when they are getting too long and risk breaking: maybe once every two weeks. It is quick, painless for both of us, and it keeps them from getting their claws snagged in furniture or rugs which can be painful for them and destructive on the material. Remember when clipping to avoid the quick, which contains blood vessels and can be painful if you clip too low down on the claw. Just clip off the clear tips and you should be fine.

Good for you for deciding against this barbaric practice of declawing. Vets who peform this procedure should, in my opinion, lose their license, since they are not promoting healthy thinking. Isn't it their job to, uh, make cats MORE healthy, not mutilate them?

Anyway, my point is, if you are willing to care for your cat's claws and train him, there is no reason that scratches or furniture damage should be an issue.

 

[VeganSoprano]

You should decide that your cat - a thinking, feeling being - is more important than your furniture. If your furniture is more important than the cat's well-being, you should find a new home for the cat.

 

[stinkycheese]

So according to you, cats are better off living in a ferral colony? I just took a kitten that my neighbor just let out the door as she was moving out. After 2 weeks I noticed bald patches all over this cat so I decided to take the poor guy in. This is the first cat I had ever had in my entire life and I never wanted one. I bought it a scratch post but he would much rather scratch my wall, couch, table, box spring for the bed etc. So I should just let the cat out again to the wild instead of getting a declaw done? Forget the humane society, around here its 3 days and the cat is dead.

I don't like to get nasty on these forums, but how could you think this way? First of all, what you took from my post is completely wrong. I don't think it's better to let cats run in feral packs than to give them loving homes. Key word here being "loving". You said yourself you never wanted a cat, yet you decided to take this animal in. If you are going to make the decision to be a pet guardian, then you should also be responsible enough to realize that adopting a pet takes patience, time, and love---especially a feral cat, who will be traumatized, nervous, and used to life on the streets. Simply buying a cat a scratching post is not enough to get him to use it-- there are no scratching posts in nature, how is he supposed to know? You have to train him.

Your logic is astoundingly stupid with regards to declawing the cat. Your attitude is that you must declaw the cat to keep him. That is a lose-lose situation. I don't think its better to de-claw a cat than to find him a home that will love him. You obviously don't! You said yourself you never wanted a cat and you didn't mention liking the gy at all in your post. So why do you think you're being such a martyr by caring for him? What do you want, a medal or a monument? Either find the cat a new home YOURSELF, without going to the Humane society, OR find a no-kill shelter, OR keep the cat, love him, and don't declaw him. He's a baby, right? Or pretty young? Then you won't have problems getting him a new home.

 

[MeriNHad]

Umbilical hernias are common and it's not urgent to deal with them right away. Standard practice is to repair them at the time of spay/neuter surgery (with a female it's easy because it can be fixed as a part of a midline spay). The only time you would want to fix it sooner rather than later is if it's really huge (one of my cats had one the size of a golf ball). Most hernias are small and don't really bother the cat.

I'm glad to hear you're not going to declaw your new little guy. It's the right decision. Hearing the "my other cat is declawed and he's fine" line makes me think of "well, I let my toddler ride in the car without a carseat and nothing's happened to him". If you're lucky, then good - but it's very bad if you're not.

Thanks for the information on the hernia, I was worried because I did not know anything about it, or how common they are.

I am glad about the decision not to de-claw him also, I feel much better now. It was tearing me up inside.

On another note, since many of you have had multiple pet homes, I am wondering how long it will take before our "middle child", the middle cat will become friendly towards the new cat? The oldest cat Sammy, about 6 yrs, which is an ocicat has already be-friended the little guy, and they are getting along fine. However the middle guy Charlie- he is about 4 yrs, and a mixed breed, is not getting along with him yet. It has been almost a week, and he still hisses and swats at him anytime the little one gets close. I can't remember how long it took when we first brought Charlie home as a kitten, for him and Sammy to get along, but they do great now. I do remember that Charlie was the more defensive one, Sammy has always been more accepting of other animals. Any suggestions?

 

[stinkycheese]

Your post was good until this point. Look, you are going to come across people for the rest of your life that will feel different than your views. One great example is Democrats vs Republicans. If your a Republican, are you ever going to embrace liberal ideas like pro-choice? More than likely not, but that doesn't mean they can not have a cordial relationship with most Democrats.

Comparing political ideologies and the differences therein is much different and more tame than comparing views on mutilation of a living being. I have many friends from other political parties and viewpoints, and I don't find it necessary to change them over to my ideals. But when I found out that one of my friends was going to declaw her cat, you bet your ass that I argued my point with her to the death and back. When she still decided to de-claw, that was the end of the friendship. There is a reasonable level of difference that can be tolerated amongst people. For me, mutilation of an animal goes beyond that reasonable level of difference, and I do not tolerate people who think this is an okay practice.

When you come across people that are interested in declaw, you do not have to go into ultrahyper flame mode like you did. You stated the fact that it's wrong and expressed your opinion as to why. I don't understand why you had to make such a degrading comment like you did. I do not want a medal, monument, nor do I want to be a martyr. My reasonings for wanting to declaw him is because he is ruining my furnature, the paint on the walls, and plus I got a nice scratch from him playing with me a couple days ago.

In your original post, you didn't mention that you loved your cat at all. Your reasons for wanting him declawed are superficial and selfish. I am in ultraflame mode because I think that people with your viewpoints on declawing are dangerous.

The vet that I had visited about it had mentioned about the fact that it is not a great procedure for a cat, but she doesn't look down on it for the fact that the cat will have a loving home for life. She went on to say she has 3 cats and 2 of them had to be declawed for their behaviour in the house.

What a ****ty vet! I've never met a vet who even performed a declaw procedure, let alone advocated it as a choice for her own pets!

Loving the cat does not equal no declaw.

Loving the child does not mean that you will not cut off his fingertips. If he is using his fingertips to paint on the walls or spill things or break china, then by all means, cut them off. At least you know that you still love him and now you can give him a good home because you won't have to worry about your walls.

Loving the cat, and any animal for that matter, is giving it a good home for it's life. I have done that with my 4 dogs. I have been without a pet now for about a year because of a freak accident my 2 year old yorkie had. (Went after a Bufo Toad) Next time, when your talking about someones pet, keep in mind that you are talking about someones pet and people can find comments like the ones you made extreamly hurtful. I will admit I am completly naive in caring for a cat. So far, I have read 2 books and it has been quite helpful. Hopefully, I will become a good cat owner..who knows!

You didn't show any love or affection towards this animal in your original post. If you do indeed care for this animal, then good luck raising him in a humane way.

 

[stinkycheese]

On another note, since many of you have had multiple pet homes, I am wondering how long it will take before our "middle child", the middle cat will become friendly towards the new cat? The oldest cat Sammy, about 6 yrs, which is an ocicat has already be-friended the little guy, and they are getting along fine. However the middle guy Charlie- he is about 4 yrs, and a mixed breed, is not getting along with him yet. It has been almost a week, and he still hisses and swats at him anytime the little one gets close. I can't remember how long it took when we first brought Charlie home as a kitten, for him and Sammy to get along, but they do great now. I do remember that Charlie was the more defensive one, Sammy has always been more accepting of other animals. Any suggestions?

Just give them time. Charlie is used to being the youngest cat in the house and may like that position. He probably feels threatened by having a newcomer take over his role. Because he is declawed, he can't really hurt the little guy. Just give him time and make sure that you talk to him very lovingly when the new cat is around. Pet Charlie and play with him in the presence of the new cat to help him associate good things with the presence of this kitten. Never yell at either of them, esp if they are with each other. If they fight, silently spray them with a water bottle- that way they'll realize that fighting = wetness = bad, and they'll separate to go groom themselves anyway.

Good luck.