Laser Declawing Cats

Laser declawing cats isn't as benign as it may sound. The laser can cause injury. And declawing by any method can have lifelong consequences for the cat's health and quality of life.

Paws come with claws for a reason. Taking them away can affect your cat's personality and can cause difficult-to-resolve behavior issues. It can also affect the cat's posture and her ability to balance when she lands after a jump. Some veterinarians believe declawed cats live with chronic, lifelong pain.

That said, if you're thinking about declawing your cat, here are some things to know about laser declaw surgery.

Declawing a Cat Can Have Unexpected Consequences

Declawing your cat may protect your furniture, but it can cause problems that are far worse than a shredded couch.

Litter Box Aversion: A 2001 study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) says more than 15 percent of declawed cats stop using their litter boxes. Although no one knows why some declawed cats develop a litter box aversion, one theory suggests that digging in the litter box is painful immediately after declaw surgery, and some cats always associate the litter box with that pain.

Biting: The JAVMA study also found that nearly 18 percent of declawed cats either started to bite or bit more frequently after being declawing.

Loss of Balance: Without claws to provide a strong foothold and pinpoint contact on surfaces, many declawed cats have difficulty balancing in narrow spaces or regaining their balance after jumping, says veterinarian Christianne Schelling.

Arthritis: The altered gait of a declawed cat can put stress on leg joints and spine, leading to damage and arthritis, veterinarian Jean Hofve says on her website, Littlebigcat.com.

Chronic Pain: Veterinarian James Gaynor, a diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Anesthesiologists, told a 2005 North American Veterinary Conference "it is becoming more and more apparent" that many declawed cats suffer from chronic pain.

Declawing Involves Amputating The Top Digits Of The Cat's Toes

While laser declawing may cause less bleeding and postoperative pain, the end result of laser declawing cats or performing the surgery with a scalpel or guillotine clipper is the same. The veterinarian amputates the top digit of each of the cat's toes. Whatever method your veterinarian chooses, declawing a cat is far more than a "manicure." It's major surgery, and it will have a profound effect on the way your cat does things for the rest of her life.

The Procedure Can Cause Severe Burns

Laser declawing generally takes longer than the scalpel and guillotine clipper methods, requiring the cats to be under anesthesia longer. There are always risks to anesthetizing a cat. Another risk of laser declawing is thermal necrosis or burns.

Veterinarian Wendy Brooks, education director for the website VeterinaryPartner.com, warns that not all veterinarians receive adequate training in operating laser machines. "A laser is a sophisticated piece of medical equipment and there is a learning curve involved before it can be utilized perfectly," she says. Before allowing a veterinarian to laser declaw your cat, she suggests asking how many laser declaws the veterinarian has done and asking to visit a recovering patient in the hospital.

Since the equipment is expensive, Brooks adds, laser declawing usually costs more than other methods.

A Look At How Cats Are Declawed

Lasers generate intense heat at specific wavelengths. These wavelengths are selectively absorbed into the water found in skin and other soft tissue and vaporize the cells. The surgeon, or veterinarian, can achieve very precise results by controlling the extent to which the wavelength is absorbed by surrounding tissue.

A cat undergoing laser declaw surgery must be anesthetized. The veterinarian then amputates the last bone of each toe by using the laser’s small beam of intense light to cut through the tissue by heating and vaporizing it. As it cuts, the laser seals small blood vessels and nerve endings around the cuts, causing less bleeding and postoperative pain than the scalpel or guillotine clipper methods of declawing cats do.

Cats who have been laser declawed usually spend at least one night in the hospital.

Newly Declawed Cats Need To Be Confined To Avoid Injury

Most veterinarians recommend replacing normal cat litter with shredded newspaper for the first few days after a cat has been laser declawed. Since exercise should be restricted, and the cat should not jump, it may need to be confined. Jumping off tabletops or counters may cause bleeding and pain.

Saving Your Couch And Your Cats' Claws, Too

Scratching is natural for a cat, but that doesn't mean the cat has to shred your rugs and couch. If you provide a suitable alternative, the cat will leave your furniture and rugs alone. Most cats love tall, stable scratching posts, especially if the post is located at the entrance to the cat's favorite room. Most cats are also willing to use wide corrugated cardboard scratching pads. These, too, should be placed near the entrances to rooms the cat uses often. Other scratching materials cats enjoy include cardboard cartons, thick pieces of wood and doormats.

To protect young children and elderly people from cat scratches, try Soft Paws. These plastic nail caps cover the cat's claws so it can scratch normally without doing any damage. Keeping your cat's nail trimmed protects furniture and people, too.

These are high-quality, durable scratchers that are sure to please your cat. You won't find scratchers this enticing and satisfying at the pet supply chain stores!