There is a new method available for declawing cats: laser declawing.  A local Bucks County, PA vet discusses laser declawing below.

The Basics

Declawing first became popular in the 70’s. It was initially thought to be a great way to keep cats from scratching their humans or their furniture. (It’s worth noting that sometimes the dew claw is removed in dogs: this is usually to prevent it from getting caught on things.) Over time, more and more people realized that the traditional methods of declawing weren’t very much fun for our feline friends. It is, after all, amputation of the last bone in the digit. In recent years, traditional declawing has become illegal in some places.

Laser Declaw

As the name suggests, laser declawing is a form of declawing that uses a laser to remove the claws. As with the traditional method, the claw is cut off below the third toe bone. The newer method is generally considered both safer and more humane than traditional declawing. One of the main reasons for this is that the laser seals nerve endings and small blood vessels. This reduces pain and bleeding. In addition, we provide a comprehensive pain management protocol to make your cats recovery as pain-free as possible. Paws are bandaged at the time of surgery to protect them overnight, then the bandages are removed the next morning after surgery to make sure there is no bleeding before going home. (Adults Cats will keep bandages on longer). The cat will use a special litter for a week to prevent small granules of litter from getting into the incisions. Recovery time is also much shorter in comparison to the regular method. There is also no chance of the claw growing back.

Tips

While laser declaws are a wonderful alternative to traditional methods, it is still a big procedure, and not one that should be taken lightly. A big concern here is that kitties are left quite defenseless without their claws. For that reason, we don’t recommend declawing cats that are allowed to go outdoors. 

Are you interested in laser declaw? Contact us, your Bucks County, PA vet clinic, today!