Cat declaw complication

carolina

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sugarcatmom

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I have had my nails removed on my feet and how they declaw cats is the same way they declaw humans. and I still have my knuckles 
Might want to do some research on that:  http://www.pawproject.org/faqs/

What is declawing?



Declawing is a series of bone amputations. Declawing is more accurately described by the term de-knuckling  and is not merely the removal of the claws, as the term "declawing" implies. In humans, fingernails grow from the skin, but in animals that hunt prey, the claws grow from the bone; therefore, the last bone is amputated so the claw cannot re-grow. The last bone of each of the ten front toes of a cat's paw is amputated. Also, the tendons, nerves, and ligaments that enable normal function and movement of the paw are severed. An analogous procedure applied to humans would be cutting off each finger at the last joint.

Declawing, also known as onychectomy  (än-ik-ek-tō-mē), is a major surgical and potentially crippling procedure that robs an animal of its primary means of defense. Declawed animals may be at increased risk of injury or death, if attacked by other animals. They are deprived of their normal, instinctual behavioral impulses to use their claws to climb, exercise, and mark territory with the scent glands in their paws.
 

claire cooper

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alright I get it sorry I offended you all. But there is nothing I can do about it now .. Plus I strongly believe that cats should not go outside to roam around that is just wrong now how to do I get my self off this site please. 
 

peaches08

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Pain is subjective, meaning I cannot measure someone else's pain like I can their pulse, temperature, and etc. As far as grades of pain, bone pain is one of the worst forms of pain. It's possible there is a nerve problem (bones are highly innervated), infection brewing (swelling is not always present), or even bone death which can cause pain as well. Hope you find a solution.
 

mrblanche

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At our shelter, we actively discourage declawing, but we don't refuse to adopt out cats to people who say they're going to do it.  Adopted in a loving home is better than ending up going through that dark room in the back and out into the dumpster in the freezer.

In fact, we often have declawed cats at the shelter, and they are rarely euthanized, because we always have people coming in looking for a declawed cat.  So, in our case, it can be a lifesaver (if the cat is otherwise healthy and reasonably tempered).

We HAVE seen the occasional bad declaw, and we've had to have one of the vets we work with clean up the mess.
 

barb58

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I have a feral cat I call "Momma".  She has had trouble with her front paws forever. I was able to catch her outside last month and she was supposed to be spayed but she had three kittens the night before her appointment. Her front feet are horrible. The nails are grown in what looks like a snail shell form. They are clearly into the pads of her feet. She has an appointment tomorrow for the vet to check her to see if her milk is dried up enough so she can be spayed and he will more than likely declaw the bad nails. I don't know if they can only do the bad nails or if they have to do all of them in the front. I do not like declawing. I think she may also have a form of feline dwarfism. Her legs are a lot shorter in the front than the back. She is such a sweet cat.

The top of her paw gets a sore and pus every so often. I am not sure if this is because of the nails or not.
 

peaches08

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I have a feral cat I call "Momma".  She has had trouble with her front paws forever. I was able to catch her outside last month and she was supposed to be spayed but she had three kittens the night before her appointment. Her front feet are horrible. The nails are grown in what looks like a snail shell form. They are clearly into the pads of her feet. She has an appointment tomorrow for the vet to check her to see if her milk is dried up enough so she can be spayed and he will more than likely declaw the bad nails. I don't know if they can only do the bad nails or if they have to do all of them in the front. I do not like declawing. I think she may also have a form of feline dwarfism. Her legs are a lot shorter in the front than the back. She is such a sweet cat.
The top of her paw gets a sore and pus every so often. I am not sure if this is because of the nails or not.
I hope your vet can get her paws sorted out. Like you, I believe cats should have claws. However one of my cats has dewclaws on her hind legs (she's a polydactyl) and those claws curve very sharply toward her toes. So far I've been able to keep them trimmed so that they don't cause a problem. I wonder if trimming your girls claws while under anesthesia might be worth a try? Let us know how it goes!
 

barb58

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I am going to ask if that is possible to trim them back and maybe put her on an antibiotic. Maybe since she is inside and I have tree stumps in here, she may be able to keep the claws trimmed. I don't know if I will be able to trim her nails after the surgery. Right now I did get one of the  normal nails trimmed. She is still a feral so, I don't know how she will be if she starts to feel better. She may not allow me to clip them. That could cause a real problem. I will see what he says tomorrow.
 

dawn barer

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A cat that has been declawed can experience pain for up to 1 year  Ask your veterinarian for oral pain medication like buprenorphine  If still painful you may need ex-rays to be taken.
 

rlev

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Hey alcoom. How is your cat doing? My cat just had to get her claws removed. I chose the laser surgery since it is less invasive and about half a week has passed since her surgery. This morning she started holding her left paw up but she has no swelling, bleedind, or puss. I'm kind of lost as to what to do now. I want to take her to the vet but she is absolutely terrified leaving my house. She has been through enough at this point so I don't want to cause more stress if it is unneeded. What did you end up doing?
 

klfhadfield

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I have to say Declawing is so cruel and maybe if people spent a little time training their cat they wouldn't have to declaw them. My mom has a Ragdoll and the previous owner declawed all 4 paws,declawing needs to be banned. I would love to declaw the owners and see how they like it, claws are important to a cat.  I think Vets need to start thinking about the animal and not the dollar signs.
 

Winchester

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With all due respect, you are posting to an old thread and the OP may not even be here anymore. TCS is, and has always been, anti declaw, so you're preaching to the choir here. 
 
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klfhadfield

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My comment was not aimed at any one person,it is aimed at those who think its fine, I simply think Vets need to take responsibility for doing this and experience has shown they are the teachers.  I feel very bad for the cats but also the owner who thinks its ok to do this.  I am glad the owner you referred to trying to help the kitty.
 

IbsuZanne

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Hey everyone. I'm sure you all have united and strong feelings about declawing, but I know the facts and I am not interested in hearing them from you. Here is the situation... My kitties name is Mya. She is 1 year old. At age 6 months, she was declawed. The surgery went fine except 6 months later a couple of her paws started regrowing the claws. We took her back to the same vet who offered to re due the paws for free. She ended up having complications like her bone sticking out a little and the glue wouldn't hold because she chewed it constantly. She was in a cone for almost 2 weeks. A month later her paws look really good, but my concern is that she constantly hold up her front paws. She isn't eating much, and sleeps more than normal. She also won't play or anything. I know, I know "it's because she hates you for what you did to her". I do not need these types of responses, I need to know if anyone had similar experiences or knows the possible causes. We are worried about her contantly licking her paws still and holding them up even though they look FINE from the outside. Let me know if you an help. Is it nerve damage or is this somewhat normal>??
I realize I am several years behind the original thread but thought I would post in case it helps someone else’s suffering cat. We declawed our cat and she would also sit holding both paws in the air afterwards. We tried everything. It was a nightmare. After much research I found an article on ‘pain wind up’ which solved it. Opioids do not work because the pain because those target the brain. Nerve damage is pain is an endless loop between the nerve and spinal cord. We gave her a nerve drug (gabapentin) and it stopped almost immediately. She is six now and still holds her left paw up a lot but it’s nothing like it was. If you are considering declaw, don’t. It’s as awful as they say. I can’t believe we did that to our little girl. Worst mistake I’ve ever made.
 
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