Declawing (Onychectomy) Position Statement
Declawing of domestic cats should be considered only after attempts have been made to prevent the cat from using its claws destructively or when clawing presents a significant health risk for people within the household.
As with any elective surgery, the client should be advised of all advantages, disadvantages, and available options. Veterinarians have an obligation to provide cat owners with complete education with regard to declawing prior to performing the procedure. The following points are the foundation for full understanding and disclosure regarding declawing:
Scratching is a normal feline behavior, is a means for cats to mark their territory both visually and with scent, and is used for claw conditioning ("husk" removal) and stretching activity.
Prior to considering declawing, owners should attempt to manage undesirable scratching by providing suitable implements for normal scratching behavior. Examples are scratching posts, cardboard boxes, lumber or logs, and carpet or fabric remnants affixed to stationary objects. Implements should be tall or long enough to allow full stretching, and be firmly anchored to provide necessary resistance to scratching. Cats should be positively reinforced in the use of these implements. In addition, appropriate claw care, consisting of trimming the claws every one to two weeks, should be provided.
Declawing is not a medically necessary procedure in most cases. While rare in occurrence, there are inherent risks and complications with any surgical procedure including, but not limited to, anesthetic complications, side effects associated with analgesics, hemorrhage, and infection.
Declawing of the forefeet is usually sufficient.
Declawed cats should be housed indoors.
In households where cats come into contact with immunocompromised people, client education about potential disease transmission should be provided, ideally by both verbal and written methods, and documented. Declawing may warrant consideration.
Scientific studies indicate that cats with destructive clawing behavior are more likely to be euthanized, or more readily relinquished, released, or abandoned, thereby contributing to the homeless cat population. Where scratching behavior is an issue as to whether or not a particular cat can remain as an acceptable household pet in a particular home, declawing may warrant consideration.
If declawing is performed, safe and effective anesthetic agents should always be used. Furthermore, the use of safe and effective peri-operative analgesics for an appropriate length of time is imperative.
Ear Cropping/Tail Docking Position Statement
Ear cropping and/or tail docking in pets for cosmetic reasons are not medically indicated nor of benefit to the patient. These procedures cause pain and distress, and, as with all surgical procedures, are accompanied by inherent risks of anesthetic complications, hemorrhage, and infection. Therefore, the American Animal Hospital Association opposes both the cropping of ears and the docking of tails when done solely for cosmetic reasons. Veterinarians should counsel and educate pet owners that these procedures should not be performed unless medically necessary. The American Animal Hospital Association also encourages the elimination of ear cropping and tail docking from breed standards. |
