DECLAWING IN CATS

Overview
Declawing, or onychectomy, is a surgical procedure performed in cats to prevent destructive behaviour, such as scratching the furniture. This procedure is usually performed by general practitioners, often at the time of spay or neuter.

Should Your Cat Be Declawed?
The American Veterinary Medical Association position statement on the declawing of domestic cats is: “Declawing of domestic cats should be considered only after attempts have been made to prevent the cat from using its claws destructively or when its clawing presents a zoonotic risk for its owner(s). The AVMA believes it is the obligation of veterinarians to provide cat owners with complete education with regard to feline onychectomy”.

The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association position statement is that the CVMA “recognizes that onychectomy is an option for domestic cats that would otherwise be denied a home or face euthanasia”. Declawing is not performed in Australia or the United Kingdom and has recently been banned in West Hollywood, California and in the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador. The procedure is controversial because it is a surgical procedure that is performed with no direct health benefit to the cat. Another point of view is that in some cases, destructive cats are not considered acceptable pets and will be euthanized or abandoned without declawing.

The Declaw Procedure
The declaw procedure involves removing the third phalanx (the last bone and its associated claw) from each toe (digit) on both forelegs. There are several different techniques for accomplishing this. The third phalanx can be amputated from the digit by using a scalpel blade (Figure 1), sterile nail clippers or with a laser (Figures 2 and 3). The laser has been reported to cause less hemorrhage, swelling and pain. This has not been proven, however laser declawing is an acceptable method.

Because each digit is amputated through the joint, this procedure is painful and requires the appropriate treatment of pain before, during and after the procedure. Options for pain treatment include:

• local anesthetics (“numbing”) of the feet before surgery
• the use of fentanyl patches which allow Fentanyl, a potent narcotic to be absorbed through the skin and provide pain relief for 3-5 days
• injectable or oral pain killers administered postoperatively

How well a cat does after a declaw procedure will depend on the surgical technique, pain killers used, the cat's age and weight (older and heavier cats will generally not do as well) as well as individual variation. Potential complications of a declaw procedure include: excessive bleeding from the declaw sites, infection of the incisions or long-term residual lameness.

When Is A Declaw Procedure Not Appropriate?
Declawing a cat may not be appropriate in the following situations:

• Cats that are not destructive. That is, cats that are not actively scratching the furniture. Cats and kittens that have their nails trimmed regularly will generally not damage furniture merely by jumping on it or sitting on it. This procedure should not be performed routinely in all cats and should not be considered unless it has been established that the cat is destructive and is not responsive to behavioral management. Likewise, kitten play behaviour such as running, jumping and climbing are often outgrown quickly and are not a reason for a declaw procedure.
• Cats that will spend any amount of time outdoors. The claws on the forefeet are a cat's primary defense mechanism and are also used when climbing to get away from a hostile situation. The declaw will limit a cat's ability to defend themselves against encounters with other cats, dogs and wildlife.
• Cats that are very old or overweight. These cats will likely have more pain postoperatively and a slower recovery. Careful consideration should be given to other options.
• Cats with aggressive behaviour. Cats that exhibit aggression are not good candidates for a declaw procedure. If the primary problem is the cat attacking family members, behavioral modification should be attempted before a declaw procedure. Declawed cats with aggression problems will learn quickly that their front feet are not effective weapons and will start to bite and use their hind feet. Treating the underlying aggression is much more likely to result in a happy outcome. Behavioral modification may involve training, medication or getting a playmate for the cat.

What Alternative Options Are Available?
There are several alternatives to a declaw procedure. All of the alternatives require that the cat is trained from an early age.

Behavioral modification
Much like dogs, cats need to be trained so that they learn what behaviours are acceptable and unacceptable in the home. Dogs need to be house-trained, whereas cats need to learn which areas they are allowed to scratch. Scratching behaviour is a completely normal territorial marking behavior and is performed by all cats, even declawed cats. It is essential that cats have at least one scratching post or cat condo that they like, in an area of the home where they like spending time. Cats should have positive reinforcement when they scratch their scratching post such as praise, treats, catnip or attention. When cats are scratching areas that are not appropriate, they need negative reinforcement, such as squirting them with a water gun, using loud noises or applying double-sided tape or tin foil to the area that the cat is scratching. Directly yelling at a cat when they are scratching the furniture is unlikely to be effective and cannot be enforced when you are not home.

Regular nail trims
This is a very effective method of maintaining short, blunt nails that are much less likely to damage the home. Cats' nails should be trimmed every 1-2 weeks. It is very important to start trimming your cat's nails and handling their feet when they are very young, so that they get used to regular nail trims.

Nail Caps (Figures 4-6)
There are commercially available soft rubber nail covers that are applied over the nail with glue. They are easy to apply and can be applied by your veterinarian or you can learn to apply them yourself. Soft Paws are inexpensive and can provide a short-term solution while attempting behavioral modification or long-term management for destructive behavior. Nail caps need to be removed and reapplied every 4-8 weeks, depending on how fast the cat's nails grow. They effectively prevent the cat from using their claws, so cats with nail caps should remain indoors. For more information on Soft Paws®, visitwww.softpaws.com.

Deep Digital Flexor Tendonectomy
This is a surgical procedure that offers an alternative to a declaw procedure. It involves removing a small segment of the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT). The DDFT retracts and extends the claws. If this tendon is cut, the claws are permanently retracted and cannot cause damage when cats scratch. The advantage to this procedure is that it is less painful, because it involves cutting the skin and the tendon, but does not affect the joint. The main disadvantage of this procedure is that because the nails do not extend normally, they cannot be worn down and will continue to grow. If the nails are not trimmed on a regular basis, they will continue to grown until they grow into the footpad, which is extremely painful. This procedure should not be performed in cats where regular nail trims are not possible.

Summary
A declaw is a procedure that is performed by general practitioners to prevent destructive behaviours in cats. The procedure is quick and simple, but can have complications and is painful. A declaw procedure should not be performed without careful consideration of the reasons for performing this procedure and the other options that are available. It is important to start training kittens early to learn appropriate scratching behaviour and to tolerate regular nail trims, so that as many options are available to you as possible. These options include: behavioral modification, regular nail trimming, Soft Paws, tendonectomy and declaw.

—Sarah Boston, DVM, DVSc
Diplomate ACVS

Posted 8/13/2004