About Laser Cat Declawing

Pet cats will always have an innate need to claw. However, the destruction of furniture and scratching of carpet, objects, and even people can often cause problems between pet and owner. Of the many ways to deal with clawing in cats, one of the most commonly known is declawing. Recently, a laser procedure for declawing has become available.

  1. Function

    • Laser cat declawing is performed much the same way that traditional surgical declawing is. Rather than a scalpel, a laser is used to disarticulate the third toe bone of the cat. Cat's toes have three knuckles. This procedure effectively removes the toe from the last knuckle onward, removing both the claw and the bone from which it grew.

    Effects

    • After any declawing procedure, the cat may be in pain. General anesthesia is used during the procedure and pain medication is often administered afterward. Cat owners are also required to try and limit their cat's activity for several days after the procedure. Young cats tend to bounce back from the procedure fairly quickly. They may even resume scratching behaviors on scratching posts and other objects, though their claws are gone.

    Benefits

    • The benefits of laser removal are less bleeding and purportedly less pain. As it cuts, the laser seals off blood vessels and nerves in the area. For this reason, bandages are often unnecessary after this procedure. If you choose to declaw a cat, it is easiest at a younger age. With all methods, the process is more difficult with older cats and will more frequently result in recurring pain.

    Considerations

    • It is important to consider all of the alternatives before choosing any method of declawing. Both the traditional surgical method, and the laser removal method, sever the first joint from each of the cat's toes. This can be a painful process for the cat in even the best circumstances. All cats have a natural instinct to claw. However, some possible solutions include providing plenty of scratching posts for your cat and discouraging scratching on furniture by using plastic or tape to cover it. There are also a variety of rubber or plastic caps that can be placed over your cat's claws to make scratching more difficult.

    Warning

    • Laser declawing is a relatively new procedure. For this reason, is it not always taught in veterinary schools. Daylong seminars are often held to educate new veterinary practices about the use of their new laser equipment. However, inexperienced users may cause accidents with this equipment resulting in burned tissue and a slower healing process. Some recent veterinary studies have also indicated that laser declawing may not offer any definite benefits over the traditional method and can frequently cause the same amount of pain, swelling and discomfort.