| Homepage | Web Directory | Article Directory | Bid Directory |
Articles. News. Information. | |
Category of Information, News & Articles |
|
|
|
The Truth About Declawing
There seems to be an alarming trend to have cats declawed...whether it's due to personal convenience, apartment house rules and regulations, or simple lack of knowledge on the part of responsible pet owners. There are many fine vets out there that actively discourage declawing, but there are also many who perform this surgery on a regular basis while never completely informing the pet owner what this really entails nor explaining the possible dangers of the procedure. If people were more informed, perhaps this trend would reverse itself. Declawing a cat is a major surgical procedure, performed under general anesthesia. It is actually amputation of the last joint on each toe, not a simple removal of the claw itself as many are led to believe. The following article explains the procedure of declawing. Cats walk on their toes, unlike most mammals who walk on the soles of their feet. Their musculature, joints, tendons and ligaments are all designed to distribute their body weight to their toes. The claw is not a nail like human fingernails or toenails. It is actually a part of the last bone in a cat's toe. If you were to "declaw" a human in the same way a cat is declawed, you would be amputating all 10 fingers at the last joint! I found this description of the surgery in a veterinary textbook: "The claw is extended by pushing up under the footpad or by grasping it with Allis tissue forceps. A scalpel blade is used to sharply dissect between the second and third phalanx over the top of the ungual crest . The distal interphalangeal joint is disarticulated (disjointed), and the deep digital flexor tendon is incised (severed). The digital footpad is not incised." This clinical explanation sounds horrific, doesn't it? There is a real possibility of complications after any major surgery, and declawing is no exception. There is the possibility of hemorrhage, infection, extreme pain, bone chips, possible regrowth of deformed claw, back, muscle and joint problems, damage to nerves, abscess and possible lameness. If the claw does regrow, it is often deformed and yet another surgery must be performed to correct this problem. In addition to the possible physical complications, often there are behavioral problems following this surgery. The cat can become withdrawn, distant, fearful and/or aggressive, and often start biting, as this is the only means of defense left to them. Occasionally the cat will stop using the litterbox, because immediately after surgery it was painful to scratch in the litter box, and now they associate that pain with the litter box. Because of the amount of stress the animal experiences after this procedure, they may become more prone to other diseases, as stress tends to compromise the immune system. The animal is in extreme pain following the surgery, and rarely do veterinarians offer any sort of pain medication for the cat. There are alternatives to having your cat declawed...such as claw covers, scratching posts, regular trimming of the claws and behavior modification. Many countries have banned declawing as an abusive practice which causes unnecessary pain and trauma to the animal. A veterinary textbook by Turner and Bateson on the biology of cat behavior concludes a short section on scratching behavior with the following statement: "The operative removal of the claws, as is sometimes practiced to protect furniture and curtains, is an act of abuse and should be forbidden by law in all, not just a few countries." Unfortunately, declawing is not banned in the United States at this time. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) says it is their policy to "recommend considering such surgery only if concerted behavior modification efforts have failed and euthanasia is pending." Declawing a cat is an abusive practice. Being informed of a procedure and possible complications should be the goal of every responsible pet owner. Cait Isaacs
MORE RESOURCES:
Pets - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Approach: The Third of 6 Keys To Building A Life Long Partnership With Your Horse In horse training or natural horsemanship, Approach is nothing more than a technique or method used in helping your horse to understand what it is you want him to do.I feel it's important to point out at this time that one of the major reasons people fail to achieve excellence with their horse is that they are not mentally, emotionally and physically fit. My Dog Won't Stop Digging - What Can I Do? Lonely, bored, tired of eating that same old stick, then maybe you would like to dig yourself a hole.When it comes to the canine thought process this could be the reason why Scraps keeps tearing up your finely groomed lawn. Your First Cichlid Aquarium So you're thinking about trying cichlids. A good choice. Are Westhighland Terriers the Right Dogs for You? You can look at westhighland terriers and know if it is the right size for your yard, home, or lifestyle, but a little more in-depth knowledge is necessary to determine if westies have the personality for you.Westie terriers are exuberant little dogs, but owners do report that they are usually content to lie at their side throughout the day. Pet Vitamins are Essential for Your Dogs Health Vitamins for Pets - How Essential Are They?A vitamin supplement for pets is essential to your pet's wellbeing unless you're already feeding your pet its natural raw diet in precisely the proportions it would eat in the wild. If not, your pet is, to a greater or lesser extent, deficient in vitamins which it needs for optimal health. My Tips to Take Care of a New Dog So you're bringing home that cute little puppy from the best breeder after doing all that research, or you found the most adorable "mutt" at the pound, where you were just going to look, you swore. And now you realize that you weren't as prepared as you thought. DOG ID TAGS-Identify and Protect Your Dog With Any of These Methods The American Humane Society estimated that last year alone; fifteen million dogs entered its shelters. Not even twenty percent of these dogs' owners were ever contacted. Shut The Door Buddy: Simple Dog Tricks To Teach and Impress The shutting and opening door trick can be taught to all dog breeds. The only consideration maybe would be asking small size dogs to close large or heavy doors which are beyond their physical capabilities. Is A Boxer Dog The Right Pet For You? Having a boxer dog as a pet, although low-maintenance, require your consistent attention, exercise, human interaction, consistent obedience training and lots of love. You cannot leave them to their own design for too long or they will get lonely, bored and into trouble. Vaccinations Cause Vaccinosis - Your Pet is Being Harmed Annual Vaccinations for Your Dog?Are they really necessary? - In a word, NO!You probably receive an annual reminder from your vet that your dog is due for his/her annual checkup and vaccinations. I do. The ABCs of Beaks Beaks, Bills, Face Knives, Beakers - whatever we want to call them, they are an integral part of our Hookbills! So, let's break the beak down into some understandable lessons:A. Anatomy - What is a beak? It is not "dead" material, like hair or fingernails - rather, it is a living organ, the tip of which contains a bundle of sensitive nerves. Your Kids Want a Pet, You Dont Want To Pet Anything "Mom, can we get a puppy?" Who hasn't heard that line before? The kids think it's time for an addition to the family, but you know you don't have time for a family pet.We've got the perfect solution to make everyone happy!! Hermit Crabs!!Now before you start to panic because you just heard the word "crab", just listen! They're not that bad. Garbage-Raiding Dogs: One Simple Solution to the Problem Got a mischevious mutt on your hands? Then you may know this scenario. You walk in the door and your pal greets you with elated tail wagging, wiggling and sloppy doggy kisses. Goldfish Tips - Keeping The Aquarium Clean You do clean your house don't you? Well you have to clean your Goldfish's house too and it's a lot simpler! Cleaning and maintaining a goldfish tank is a must because this breed is really dirty. Even a teenager's room would be better than a goldfish tank that's left alone for a week! The Goldfish are descendants of the scavenger Carp fish and that makes them scavengers too. Round Pen: The Great Equalizer Although many horsemen and trainers extol the virtues of the round pen, many horse owners still overlook just how powerful such a pen can be in developing or maintaining a relationship with a horse. This is a shame because it is truly what I call the Great Equalizer in a horse-human relationship. Dog Pile - Please Pick It Up I really do not hope your are eating something, but did you know that you can get a fake dog pile in long or round bits for a joke. My younger son had initiated this research of mine, by asking why I pick up the dog's business, even though he had done it on the grass. 3 Tips For Dealing With Dog Emergencies Have you ever thought about what you need to do should your dog - or another dog - ever suffer a serious, life-threatening injury? What if they have a severe allergy to an insect bite or a bee sting? It's great to know your vet's phone number, but what if something happens during off hours? What if you don't know where the closest emergency animal clinic is located?Augh! Enough with the questions already, right? Any emergency is stressful and scary, and one involving that furry little four-legged member of your family is no exception. The toughest of owners can be instantly reduced to helpless balls of mush if something's wrong with their dogs and they can't figure out what to do. Tips on Sexing Discus Fish Do you have some adult discus fish and want to know whether they are male or female. In this article I'm going to share with you some of the tips and techniques you can use to determine the gender of your discus or those you wish to buy. Small Dogs - Different Breeds, Different Personalities Small dog breeds are great pets, but since their personalities are all different, it's a good idea to look at their individual characteristics to see if they fit with your lifestyle.Pomeranians:Pomeranians developed from a much larger dog breed and seem to have retained the mellow character. Introducing a Cat to Your Children Are cats and children a good mix?So, you had a cat in the family when you were a kid. And you are thinking that the addition of a cat into your home would make a terrific family pet, and would give your children the pleasure of loving and caring for an animal.
|
| Home | Sitemap | |
| © 2006 eInfoJunction.com | Homepage | Web Directory | Article Directory| Bid Directory |
