New Here...

I was recommended to come to your website by one of the ladies at imom. I recently had my kitten declawed at the recommendation of the vet that I took him to. I have never been a cat owner before. I really know nothing about cats. When the Vet told me about the procedure he didnt explain that he would be removing the first joint in Lukes toe. He told me it would be a painless procedure with little or no side effects. The vet techs backed him up and said it was extremly humane. After the ladies at imom found out that Luke was neutered and declawed, they gave me a website to look at about declawing. When I read through the site I was horrified. I dont want to use that Vet again for anything that Luke needs. Im trying to find a new vet, one that doesnt believe in declawing, and who would give me a detailed explanation for anything he/she wanted to do with Luke. I came to this website for help. Does anyone here know of any really good vets in the Fort Rucker Alabama area?

Awww darlin', so sorry to hear this happened to you! This will probably be moved to health and nutrition, where more folks who know more stuff usually frequent. But welcome to TCS, and good luck with your search for a good vet!

http://declaw.lisaviolet.com/ This is a really good site for info on declawing, don't know if it has any info on vets sorry and am sorry for your kitty.

Welcome to TCS. There are members from all over the USA, so hopefully someone else knows a vet you can go to.

Katie

Here's a list of vets who do not declaw:

http://www.declaw.com/list.asp

It isn't a totally complete list. I had a very similar situation as you with my Trent. They asked like "Do you want fries with that?" and then lied when I asked what declawing entailed. When I went looking for another vet one of the questions was their position on declawing. The vet I chose said he actively discouraged declawing and tried to help with scratching issues, and absolutely would not for any reason declaw any cat over 6 months of age because of the pain issues and the extended amount of time needed for recovery on older cats. If you don't get any concrete recomendations here, look at the vet practices websites (I initially liked that they linked to a very informative article about declawing from their website that didn't sugar coat it) to narrow the field, and then set up an appointment with no animals to meet the vet and interview them. If they answer your questions honestly, show you all of their facilities including holding areas and surgical areas (if they aren't in use, obviously), and you feel good about them then you can chalk them up as a good match.

I will move this to Health & Nutrition for you.

Not everyone feels declawing is horrible. If done properly the animal is given pain medication a day before, during and after the surgery and then watched for days to make sure they are able to function before going home. Granted, not all vets are the same and there are diffrent methods of declawing, some are noticeable worse (in my opinion) then others.

I do agree it is horrible your vet did not fully explain what it was they were doing and the risks involved or possible side effects. You learned a lesson about what it means to be a cat owner though and it is obvious you are very concerned about their well being. At the very least, your pet is sure to get excellent care for the rest of its life now that you have found this website and are learning more about cats. I wish you all the best of luck in finding a vet that is upfront and honest with you before doing anything to your furry friend.

I also hope you find that your cat is problem free and healthy and happy. I have a cute little girl (KC) and she has no front claws but is extreamly nimble with her paws none the less. I have not noticed any negative side effects with her because of declawing and she is a sweetheart. Good luck with yours, claws or no, cats are still great companions and little darlings.

I am so sorry to hear you had this experience. I think it is criminal that the vet would do such a thing without explaining it to you. Of course, I personally am vehemently opposed to declawing in any case. But the main thing is that the vet should have explained it to you. Main thing now is that you do not be too hard on yourself about it - you did not know. This kitty will have a good life with you, because you really care about him. Just do not ever let him outdoors (I am sure you already know this) because he will not be able to defend himself or climb a tree or fence in order to escape a dog or other danger outside. Good luck finding a better vet.

Hi & Welcome to TCS!!!!!!