My Label's Prayer......EDUCATE...DON'T AMPUTATE Now you might wonder why I have chosen to include this subject in this site, It's for the very fact that I feel so strongly about our Beautiful cats being subjected to such horror's, There is no need for this to happen any where. Remember, my home is a Multi cat household where all my cats have their nails trimmed. It's quick, easy, and very painless to do. Practise does make it perfect. To explain a little to you, unlike most Animals who walk on the soles of the paws or feet, cats are digitigrade, which means they walk on their toes. Their back, shoulder, paw's, leg joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves are naturally designed to support and distribute the cat's weight across its toes as it walks, runs and climbs. A cat's claws are used for balance, for exercising, and for stretching the muscles in their legs, back, shoulders, and paws. They stretch these muscles by digging their claws into a surface and pulling back against their own claw hold similar to isometric exercising for humans. This is the only way a cat can exercise, stretch and tone the muscles of its back and shoulders. The toes help the foot meet the ground at a precise angle to keep the leg, shoulder and back muscles and joints in proper alignment. Removal of the last digits of the toes drastically alters the conformation of their feet and causes the feet to meet the ground at an unnatural angle that can cause back pain similar to that in humans caused by wearing improper shoes. Understanding De-clawing The anatomy of the feline claw must be understood before one can appreciate the severity of de-clawing The cat's claw is not a nail as is a human fingernail; it is part of the last bone (distal phalanx) in the cat's toe. The cat’s claw arises from the unguicular crest and unguicular process in the distal phalanx of the paw. (see pic 1. at the bottom of page) Most of the germinal cells that produce the claw are situated in the dorsal aspect of the ungual crest. This region must be removed completely, or re-growth of a vestigial claw and abcessation results. The only way to be sure all of the germinal cells are removed is to amputate the entire distal phalanx at the joint. Contrary to most people's understanding, de-clawing consists of amputating not just the claws, but also the whole phalanx (up to the joint), including bones, ligaments, and tendons! To remove the claw, the bone, nerve, joint capsule, collateral ligaments, and the extensor and flexor tendons must all be amputated. Thus de-clawing is not a “simple”, single surgery but, painful amputations of the third phalanx up to the last joint of each toe. A graphic comparison in human terms would be the cutting off of a person's finger at the last joint of each finger. The claw is extended by pushing up under the footpad or by grasping it with Allis tissue forceps. A scalpel blade is used to sharply dissect between the second and third phalanx over the top of the ungual crest. The distal interphalangeal joint is disarticulated (disjointed), and the deep digital flexor tendon is incised (severed). The digital footpad is not incised. If a nail trimmer is used, the ring of the instrument is placed in the groove between the second phalanx and the ungual crest. The blade is positioned just in front of the footpad. The blade is pushed through the soft tissues over the flexor process. With the ring of the nail trimmer in position behind the ungual crest, the blade is released just slightly so that traction applied to the claw causes the flexor process to slip out and above the blade. At this point, the flexor tendon can be incised and disarticulation of the joint (disjointing) completed. Both techniques effectively remove the entire third phalanx. Psychological Behavioural Complications. Some cats are so shocked by de-clawing that their personalities change. Cats who were lively and friendly have become withdrawn and introverted after being de-clawed. Others deprived of their primary means of defence, become nervous, fearful, and/or aggressive, often resorting to their only remaining means of defence, their teeth. In some cases, when de-clawed cats use the litter box after surgery, their feet are so tender they associate their new pain with the box...permanently, resulting in a life-long aversion to using the litter box. Other de-clawed cats that can no longer mark with their claws, they mark with urine instead resulting in inappropriate elimination problems, which in many cases, results in relinquishment of the cats to shelters and ultimately euthanasia of the cats surrendered to shelters are surrendered because of behavioral problems that developed after the cats were de-clawed Many de-clawed cats become so traumatized by this painful mutilation that they end up spending their maladjusted lives perched on top of doors and refrigerators, out of reach of real and imaginary predators against whom they no longer have any adequate defence. A cat relies on its claws as its primary means of defence. Removing the claws makes a cat feel defenceless. The constant state of stress caused by a feeling of defencelessness may make some de-clawed cats more prone to disease. Stress leads to a myriad of physical and psychological disorders including suppression of the immune system, cystitis, and irritable bowel syndrome. (IBS) .
   |
