Declawing (onychectomy) is the surgical removal of the nail bed.
In cats the nail or claw is produced by a piece of bone called the ungal process located at the end of each toe. This bony process must be removed in its entirety to prevent regrowth of the nail and to optimize healing. Our surgical technique is designed to minimize the size of the wound and the post-operative discomfort in order to expedite the healing process. Some of our clinics offer laser declaws to further minimize pain, inflammation, and bleeding as well as speed the healing process.
Declaw surgery requires special considerations because of the nature of the procedure, location of the incision site, and grooming habits of cats. Most surgeons elect not to use sutures (stitches) to close declaw incisions. Most cats would chew and tear stitches out causing open wounds and infection. Instead, a special type of tissue glue is used to minimize problems secondary to normal grooming behavior. In addition, the surgery site itself (on the tip and contact surface of the feet) poses additional risks and warrants specialized post-operative care. The surgical wounds must withstand the pressure and trauma of weight bearing soon after surgery as well as contamination from floor surfaces and litter boxes. This means bandage therapy, special cat litter, medications, and close post-surgical observation by us and the owner following discharge are all important.
Following the procedure, the patient remains hospitalized for 1-2 days to ensure that proper healing is taking place. The bandages are removed the second day and patients are confined to minimize pressure on the feet and to monitor for problems such as chewing, bleeding, excessive pain, etc. Patients are generally discharged on the third day.
