Complications of an onychectomy in a kitten : a discussion of the pros, cons and ethical considerations of the "declaw" procedure

Abstract

Onychectomy, or the declaw procedure, is a controversial practice with many groups and websites devoted to expressing negative sentiment about this surgery. In contrast, a large portion of the veterinary community recognizes its potential benefits to the cats and the owners. Hundreds of thousands of cats are relinquished annually to shelters for agggression or destruction of property, and behavior modification is not feasible for all owners. Deep digital flexor tendenectomy, guillotine amputation, scalpel dissection, and laser removal are all current surgical options. Each method has inherent pros and cons; but, if performed by an experienced practitioner, then complications are usually mild and postoperative pain can be easily managed. Despite anecdotal lore, there is no statistically significant evidence that declawed cats are more prone to biting or house soiling after the procedure. After a brief case report of a kitten's postoperative complications with a CO-2 laser declaw, the aforementioned topic will be addressed in a general literature review.