Onychectomy

Onychectomy is the act of surgically removing the claws, most often of a household cat, though occasionally of other animals such as circus lions or dancing bears. This process involves amputating all or part of the distal phalanx, or end bone, of the animal's toes the equivalent of cutting off the end of a human finger at its first joint under anesthesia, and is popularly known as declawing.

Declawing is rare outside of North America, being considered an act of animal cruelty in many Western countries (see "Legal Status" below).

The amputation of the distal phalanx is indicated in case of chronic inflammatory processes, tumours, persistent and severe infections and gangrene that are limited to the distal phalanx. The procedure is is usually limited to the affected claw, leaving the healthy claws intact.

In North America, declawing is additionally performed as a preventative to damage to humans and their possessions in the case of housecats.

As stated in the intro, declawing essentially consists of amputation of the first phalanx of the paw digit(s). Medical declawing is usually limited to the affected digit, whereas non-medical declawing is usually performed on all digits of the front paws, although some veterinarians will also perform declawing of the hind paws for non-medical reasons.

Despite its prevalence in North America, no standard practices exist regarding the surgical techniques or cutting tools used, the administration of post-operative analgesics or other follow-up care, or the optimal age or other attributes of cats undergoing the procedure.

Legal status

Declawing is uncommon outside North America, and laws governing its practice vary. Many European countries prohibit or significantly restrict the practice, as do Australia, Brazil, Israel, New Zealand, Japan and Turkey. The list below gives an overview of the situation in different parts of the world.

Australia

In Australia, legislation concerning animal welfare is enacted at the state level and is highly inconsistent. There are ongoing efforts to develop a National Animal Welfare Act; in its current state, the bill would prohibit the declawing of cats except for medical reasons. However, some pro-wildlife campaigners advocate declawing (and possibly defanging) to protect native wildlife from pet cats.

Europe

In many European countries the practice is forbidden under the terms of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals , unless there is a medical indication for the procedure, or a veterinarian considers it beneficial to the animal.

Some European countries go further, such as Finland, the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland, where declawing cats for non-medical reasons is always illegal under their laws against cruelty to animals.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, declawing was outlawed by the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which explicitly prohibited "interference with the sensitive tissues or bone structure of the animal, otherwise than for the purposes of its medical treatment".

Even before the 2006 Act, however, declawing was extremely uncommon, to the extent that most people had never seen a declawed cat. The procedure was considered cruel by almost all British vets, who refused to perform it except on medical grounds. The Guide to Professional Conduct of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons stated that declawing was "only acceptable where, in the opinion of the veterinary surgeon, injury to the animal is likely to occur during normal activity. It is not acceptable if carried out for the convenience of the owner ... the removal of claws, particularly those which are weight-bearing, to preclude damage to furnishings is not acceptable."

North America

Although widely practiced, declawing is ethically controversial within the North American veterinary community. Many North American veterinarians are critical of the procedure and some refuse to perform it. The two leading national animal protection organization in the US, the Humane Society of the United State and the American Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, each strongly discourage or condemn the procedure.The Humane Society of the United States and other animal advocacy groups have supported legislation banning or restricting declawing.Major opposition to attempts to ban or restrict declawing has come from veterinary trade organizations, such as the California Veterinary Medical Association.

Declawing was outlawed in West Hollywood, California, in 2003, the first such ban is the US. The California Veterinary Medical Association challenged the law in court, leading to a court ruling that temporarily suspended the law. In June 2007, the California appeals court overturned the 2006 ruling, thus reinstating the law banning declawing in West Hollywood. The CVMA's court challenge held that West Hollywood had overstepped its municipal authority by enacting an ordinance that infringed on licensed professionals%u2019 state-granted rights. It did not address declawing as an animal welfare issue.

In 2004, California became the first state in the USA to enact a state-wide ban on the declawing of wild and exotic cats.

In 2006, the United States Department of Agriculture enacted a ban on declawing of all wild and exotic animals held by USDA-licensed owners.

In April 2007, the city of Norfolk, Virginia outlawed declawing.

Alternatives to declawing

Tendonectomy is a surgical alternative to declawing sometimes practiced in North America. This surgery involves cutting the deep digital flexor tendon of each claw, resulting in the cat being unable to move its distal phalanges. Without the ability to expose its claws, the cat is unable to wear down or groom its claws. For this reason, the cat subsequently requires a lifetime of regular nail clippings to prevent its claws from growing into its paw pads. A 1998 study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association comparing cats undergoing onychectomy to cats undergoing tendonectomy found that, although the cats undergoing tendonectomy appeared to suffer less pain immediately post-operatively, there was no significant difference in postoperative lameness, bleeding, or infection between the two groups. The American Veterinary Medical Association and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association explicitly do not recommend this surgery as an alternative to declawing.

One popular, non-surgical alternative to declawing available through veterinarians is the application of vinyl nail caps (marketed in the US under brand names such as Soft Paws and Soft Claws) that are affixed to the claws with nontoxic glue, requiring periodic replacement when the cat sheds its claw sheaths (usually every four to six weeks, depending on the cat's scratching habits).

Other alternatives to declawing due to scratching also include the use of scratching posts, regular nail trimming, training (for example, deterrence with a water pistol), or a natural pheromone supplement that will deter the animal from scratching where the substance has been sprayed.