The Declaw Hall of Shame - Write A Letter

The Declaw Hall of Shame
Write A Letter!

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Dear

I have visited your clinic's web site, and I am writing to express my dismay at the way your site promotes feline onychectomy. It is unconscionable for a veterinarian to advertise or otherwise promote this barbaric procedure.

It is ethically indefensible to force a cat to suffer multiple amputations for owner convenience, when there is no medical benefit to the cat. Declawing is banned or illegal in the UK, New Zealand, Australia, and most of Europe. The U.S. and Canada are two of the few developed countries left that allow this inhumane practice, something for which every practicing veterinarian in North America should be deeply ashamed. It is my belief that declawing should be banned in North America, and I strongly urge you to discontinue the practice altogether and to state on your web site and in your other marketing materials that you do not perform declaws.

You have, at the very least, an ethical and moral obligation to give your clients and prospective clients a full disclosure about the procedure and its implications and after-effects, so that they may make an informed choice about onychectomy.

You have an ethical obligation to educate your clients about the reasons why cats need their claws. For example:

There is no guarantee an indoor cat won't escape and end up outside, even with precautions. Without claws to defend it, a cat is at the mercy of predators, and will have difficulty escaping up a tree or defending itself face to face if confronted with a threat from another animal.

Cats are digitigrade. They walk on their toes, and amputating them changes their balance and increases the risk of arthritis as the cat gets older.

Cats use their claws to scratch, exercising and toning their muscles - something they can't do effectively without claws.

Scratching is a healthy way for a cat to relieve stress.

You have an ethical obligation to describe the procedure to your clients so that they will be able to fully grasp its implications. For example, using the phrase "removal of the claw at the distal phalanx" is not acceptable, because most people don't understand exactly what a "distal phalanx" is. Your web site should describe declawing as exactly what it is, in plain English: "The amputation of the cat's toes at the first joint." Anything less is potentially misleading, if not downright dishonest.

You have an ethical obligation to fully disclose any and all potential side effects and long-term after-effects of the procedure. For example:

Many cats suffer from chronic pain in their paws after being declawed, and are at higher risk for developing arthritis in the long term. A study of 163 cats that underwent onychectomy, published in the Jul/Aug 1994 Journal of Veterinary Surgery, showed that 50% suffered from immediate postoperative complications such as pain, hemorrhage, and lameness; and long-term complications, including prolonged lameness, were found in nearly 20% of the 121 cats who were followed up on in the study.
Declawing a cat frequently results in the cat developing behavioral problems. In a recent study published in the January, 2001 JAVMA, 33% of 39 cats that underwent onychectomy developed "at least" one behavior problem immediately after surgery, with the most common problems being house soiling and biting. Many declawed cats are dumped in shelters as a consequence of developing post-onychectomy behavioral problems; a recent national survey of shelters obtained from the NW Louisiana Humane Society indicates that approximately 70% of cats turned in to shelters for behavioral problems are declawed. It is clear that declawing a cat by no means guarantees it a home for life; it can, and frequently does, result in abandonment at a shelter or, in some cases, euthanization.

Finally, you have an ethical obligation to educate your clients about alternatives to declawing, such as scratching posts, regular nail trimming, and even "Soft Paws", and to strongly encourage them to choose these alternatives rather than proceeding with the onychectomy.

Your clients trust you to do what is best for their pets and they trust you to fully inform them about the risks and implications of any medical or surgical procedure. It is therefore your responsibility and duty to educate people, and do so with the benefit of the cat in mind, not the convenience of owners or your own pocketbook. You have a obligation to first do no harm, and that includes educating your clients so that they will choose humane alternatives rather than an excruciatingly painful surgery which is inflicted on the cat solely for owner convenience.

What I would like to see on your web site is an article that:

Explains declawing in a truthful, accurate, and easy to understand manner, using terms people are familiar with, i.e. "Declawing is the amputation of a cat's toes at the first joint."
Informs people of the behavioral and physical risks involved.
Talks at length about the many humane alternatives.
Provides instruction on how to choose an appropriate scratching post, on the proper placement of scratching posts, and on methods of training the cat to use them.
Talks about the world view on declawing and describes how it is banned or illegal in many countries, and is frowned upon by most humane organizations in the U.S., including the Humane Society of the United States, as well as by the Cat Fancier's Association.
Makes no reference at all to the "benefits" of declawing or in any way implies that owner convenience is sufficient reason to declaw a cat; and makes no statement that you recommend declawing or that you think that it's acceptable to mutilate a cat in this way.

There is a growing movement of people in North America who firmly believe that declawing is nothing more than animal abuse, who boycott veterinarians who perform the procedure, and who will encourage others to boycott them as well. I urge you to bear this in mind and to have the courage to take a leadership role among your peers in abandoning, or at least discouraging, this barbaric practice.

Sincerely,

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