Selective Declaw on Polydactyl Cat

I have a cat that is almost exactly 1 year old now. For a while, we've been having a lot of problems with a specific claw that she has. It is a claw that grows between the main part of her foot and the extra "thumb" toe that she has on the front feet.  It looks like this:


It has always been a problem clipping it since it seems to be just really thick and fleshy compared to the other claws. We were managing to clip it before, but more recently it has become obviously painful for her. She will scream when this claw is clipped and will bite (not to the point of breaking skin). I've also noticed that she messes with the claw herself when she is grooming and will chew on it as if it is bugging her. We cannot keep it clipped back really short since the quick just keeps extending out further as the claw grows making it more likely for it to bother her when she walks. She hates having it touched at all so I worry it might be hurting her all of the time.

The picture above was taken a few months back when the nail was still manageable. Now it looks much different. It seems to have dried blood down the bottom of it (possibly from her chewing it) and it is longer. The quick is at the very end of it. I clipped a tiny sliver off of it today and she screeched about even that much of it. I will try to get a picture of it later to compare, but its too dark right now to do so.

I've been reading on the internet that in cases where a claw causes pain and discomfort many vets suggest a selective declaw (I think that's what its called) where she would only have this claw removed and possibly the one on her other foot that is similar, but not currently an obvious problem. I plan to have a vet look at it to see what options we might have but wanted some advice in the meantime.

I was hoping someone else might have experience with this procedure. I myself am against declawing as a whole, but taking off a claw that is causing pain and discomfort to an otherwise healthy cat seems like it may fall into the "medically necessary" category. I worry about having her have to go under for this procedure and of course potential lasting effects. 

Do you feel that it would be reasonable to have this claw (and its partner in crime) removed? Has anyone else done this? What were the lasting effects if any and was it worth it?

I'm sorry you and your baby are going through that, that sounds quite unpleasant!

I don't personally have experience with that sort of situation, I would agree that a selective declawed may be the most merciful option for you and your kitty. What you're dealing with sounds really traumatic for both of you guys so having these issues ongoing can't be psychologically beneficial.

I adopted an adult cat that is declawed on all 4 paws and he doesn't even seem to know, he paws the walls and furniture with glee! Now I would never recommend 4 paw declawing, but I do think cats can recover and I think in your case those problem claws doing more harm than good.

I found a polydactyl kitten over a decade ago that had the same problem, and the vet removed two claws, IIRC, that were cutting into the pads of his feet. Other than the initial pain following surgery, he did fine and is still living with my parents' former neighbors.

Declawing is illegal in Germany, where I live, but exceptions are definitely made,e.g., in the case of a club foot or when a claw is causing discomfort or an unhealthy gait.

I managed to get some pictures of the claw. I am so glad that she was cooperative this morning. 

Here is where it is on her foot:


Here's a good picture of it. You can see the black down the bottom of it (dried blood I think).


This one shows how the claw is flaking around the bottom from her chewing on it:


This is the one on the other foot. It is much more normal but she doesn't like having this one clipped either. I think both are just much more sensitive claws. 


One thing I just thought of is that I signed an agreement not to declaw when I got her from the shelter. I assume this wouldn't be breaking that agreement since it is more medically needed? I am just really worried about having her undergo surgery if it isn't needed especially one that is so potentially painful. I don't want her to have to suffer in pain from the claw as it is now either though. 

It sounds like this might be medically necessary, but of course a vet's going to be the one to determine that. I don't think this would be breaking the agreement with the shelter, either. If the declaw needs to happen, do your research very well to make sure the vet you choose is up to date on the latest surgical techniques and equipment! This can make a huge difference in the amount of pain she is in during the recovery and the risk of potential problems occurring later on.

(I know for dog nails to get the quick to recede, you need to cut at an angle backwards like this: 


but I'm not sure if the same principle works for cat nails because they work a bit differently.)

I've always cut them at an angle (when she allows me). I have no idea if this pushes quicks back like it does on dogs though. I do it out of habit from clipping dog nails. I read at one time the cats quicks are more challenging to get to recede since cats retract their claws and don't walk on them the way dogs do. 

I have been researching vets since my normal vet doesn't do surgery like this. Just dentals and spay & neuter. All I've learned is that we have a lot of really bad vets around here.   

It seems that the most logical thing would be to go to a vet that does declaws normally, which is something I wouldn't normally do. It is a moral problem for me to support a vet that does declaw surgeries normally, but if this is needed for my poor girl, I would want a vet that would know what they were doing. Its a conundrum. 

it seems to be necessary in this case, especially if your cat is in chronic pain or discomfort. i think i would have it done if it were my cat and i'm totally against declawing..

So far this is the only vet I've found in the area who has good reviews and mentions doing declaws: http://alpineviewvet.com/snohomish-veterinary-services/surgery/ 

They do declaws as part of regular services.   

Any thoughts?

Look for an orthopedic vet. That will be more complicated than a normal de-claw, and orthopedic vets specialize in that kind of thing.

I have been having a hard time finding an orthopedic vet specifically. I found one place where a vet specializes in orthopedics, but I am unsure if he actually works on cats... I sent them an email to ask.

If you trust your current vet, can you ask them to recommend someone?  Or even ask the rescue what they think?  I agree that you're doing the right thing for your kitty given the circumstances.

I could try asking them. I don't think the rescue would know as they specialize in dogs and just happen to sometimes adopt out cats. They know just enough to tell people not to declaw though so that is good.   

I found a vet nearby that has good reviews and has vets that specialize in orthopedic surgery.  I have an appointment on Friday for them to look at her paws and see what we should do from here.

I am really nervous about the appointment that we have today. I have researched this vet intensely. Everything on paper looks good.

It has been a really long time since I went to a more normal vet (our standard vet is a farm vet) so I'm unsure what to expect. I am crossing my fingers that everything works out and they can help us make a decision on what to do. I clipped her claws yesterday (skipping the weird ones this time). She was so afraid I would clip the ones that hurt her. It broke my heart.

So the vet said it would probably be good to have those claws removed. She is also a bit worried about the thumbs themselves. Apparently, one of them doesn't have the normal level of extension that it should, which might also be causing her pain or later cause her pain. She is going to send me a quote on removal of those toes, though she said we can wait and do them until they seem to be bugging her more. The vet was really nice and they didn't try to pressure us into anything. They said they wanted us to think about it.

I worry a bit about the idea of removing her whole toe. It sounds terrible for a cat to have to undergo especially when they do so much with their paws. 

I don't know what to do. 

That's a tough decision. Did the vet talk about the size of the incision and recovery time? Do the toes she'd amputate bear weight? I'd tend to think declawing now and then having to amputate later would be worse than going straight for removal of the toes.

I had a poly for years with 2 claws very difficult to get to and I opted not to declaw him because to me I would be doing it to convenience me because it was just a pain trimming his nails. There would be weeks I went without trimming them and he was just fine. I wouldn't do it. Leaving them in is not the health risk as vets often say it is. As long as you check them periodically to assure they are not affecting the pad they are fine staying in. it's still a surgery and I think you need to look at what are the health concerns of keeping them in. Have they been digging into the pads? Have there been repeated infections? Is the cat unable to walk? I feel pretty strong about not doing it unless there is a medical reason.

jcat said:

That's a tough decision. Did the vet talk about the size of the incision and recovery time? Do the toes she'd amputate bear weight? I'd tend to think declawing now and then having to amputate later would be worse than going straight for removal of the toes.

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The toes do currently bear weight at least partially, because of the way that she walks.  I guess the problem with taking just the claws is similar to the problems with a normal declaw. There is the potential for bone spurs growing back. Also since these toes have two joints, it might be harder to remove them without removing the thumbs as well. If they took the whole toe It would be closer to a dewclaw removal like they do for dogs as puppies. They would remove all of the joints and pieces of the underdeveloped toe in the middle and the thumb. Less chance for claw regrowth or anything like that. Recovery time is around two weeks. Softer litter and cone for the first part of course. 

hexiesfriend said:

I had a poly for years with 2 claws very difficult to get to and I opted not to declaw him because to me I would be doing it to convenience me because it was just a pain trimming his nails. There would be weeks I went without trimming them and he was just fine. I wouldn't do it. Leaving them in is not the health risk as vets often say it is. As long as you check them periodically to assure they are not affecting the pad they are fine staying in. it's still a surgery and I think you need to look at what are the health concerns of keeping them in. Have they been digging into the pads? Have there been repeated infections? Is the cat unable to walk? I feel pretty strong about not doing it unless there is a medical reason.

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I wouldn't be thinking of having them taken off if they weren't causing her pain. She chews at them all the time and makes them bleed. The vet said that she has seen cats actually rip them off when they do this, which would cause pain and suffering of course. She's always been totally calm with having her claws clipped, but now she panics when I get close to these particular claws. When the claws get long (since I hate having to make her cry when I clip them) then she starts to walk strangely and it is clear they are poking into her other toe.

I'm sorry I missed that, I'm a bad reader. Every single vet my cat Hexie (that's him a above) treated with suggested they be removed even without symptoms I though you were in the same boat. If they were causing the pain and fear your cat is now experiencing I would have had them removed on Hexie. I think having that extra toe will take any pressure off that area and your kitty will be fine. I'm sorry I misunderstood.

hexiesfriend said:

I'm sorry I missed that, I'm a bad reader. Every single vet my cat Hexie (that's him a above) treated with suggested they be removed even without symptoms I though you were in the same boat. If they were causing the pain and fear your cat is now experiencing I would have had them removed on Hexie. I think having that extra toe will take any pressure off that area and your kitty will be fine. I'm sorry I misunderstood.

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No worries! I've read a lot of stories online where it was removed for practically no reason at all. This vet was suggesting having all her extra toes removed! I flatly said no to the back ones since they're not giving her problems. I am going to call on Monday to talk more with them about the specific procedure for just taking the extra claws between the toes. I really want to know the pros and cons for removing the toes vs removing just the two claws that are being a problem. I know they thought it might be more of a problem to just take the claws because of the way the bones for these claws are within the muscles controlling the thumbs so I'd like more information.

They just sent me the estimate. It looks like they are very thorough and even include laser therapy after the surgery and lots of pain medications (more than I've ever taken after surgery).