To ban or not to ban? More people believing declawing is animal abuse

[kestrel91316]

14. I did it only very rarely, when I felt it was the only appropriate solution. I averaged 2/year.

Now, of course, I am legally barred from doing it unless there is medical justification. The city of Los Angeles passed an ordinance banning it. So people who want declaws just go down the street a ways for it.

Cities and counties are now banned by state law from regulating the practice of veterinary medicine, so we won't see any additional localities trying to tell me how to do my job.. I support that change.

Properly performed declaws DO NOT cause any permanent physical or psychological harm to cats. We have really good pain meds for use in cats in the immediate post-op period. That said, I always considered it a LAST resort and absolutely never a first choice, and never to be done for frivolous reasons. I lost MANY clients over the years for refusing to do them on demand and instead only when I felt all other options had proved fruitless. Oh, and I always refused 4-paw declaws.

I managed to piss off everyone. Not only those many people I said no to, but also the folks who oppose them under all circumstances. Cest la vie.

ETA: I have been in practice 31 years, 21 of those in an exclusive feline practice, and I have never seen litter avoidance develop post-declaw. When litter avoidance occurs, it is invariably due to husbandry issues or it's breed-related (Persians are noted for this).