A cat forum. CatBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » CatBanter forum » Cat Newsgroups » Cat health & behaviour
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

declawing



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #121  
Old August 11th 03, 07:54 PM
Arjun Ray
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In , "bewtifulfreak"
wrote:
| "Arjun Ray" wrote in message
|

| Thus, declawing requires amputation of the distal phalanx. The
| problem with partial amputation (yes, sawing through rather than
| disjointing) is that claw regrowth can happen - almost always in
| misshapen form.
|
| You mean with the laser declawing?

It's my understanding that the laser is only doing what used to be done
with guillotine-like scissors (i.e. cut through the tendons, cartilage,
etc, connecting the distal phalanx to the rest of the finger/toe, to
disjoint it). I suppose it's more "surgical" in that sense.

Declawing has had evolution in its procedures: things like "scraping out
the claw root" and "sawing off enough of the bone" are older approaches
which have failed - due to unacceptable incidence of claw regrowth - and
have been abandoned in favor of complete disjointing, which is actually
a "simpler" procedure overall. Whether it's done with a knife-edge or a
light beam is a quiddity.

| This sounds at *least* as bad as having the toe taken completely off!

Well, for a cat, that's basically what it is. We walk on our feet,
distributing the load from toes to heel. A cat walks on its distal
phalanges. The bone is at an angle to the second phalanx, not end on as
in our fingers or toes, sort of like a shoe, and lies flat along its
length when the cat walks, with the other bones arranged upward in an
arc.

Removing that bone transfers the entire pressure onto the point of the
now exposed second phalanx. The adaptation is to the increase the arc
from the wrist downward to make as much of the second (and even the
third) phalanx lie flat along the ground. In heavier cats (such as the
big cats) this can lead to collapse all the way up to the wrist. See
this before-after video of a lion whose suffering was alleviated by
reconstructive surgery:

http://www.gt.net/~pproject/naala/kona.mov

(It's referenced from http://www.pawproject.com/html/default.asp )


  #122  
Old August 11th 03, 07:54 PM
Arjun Ray
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In , "bewtifulfreak"
wrote:
| "Arjun Ray" wrote in message
|

| Thus, declawing requires amputation of the distal phalanx. The
| problem with partial amputation (yes, sawing through rather than
| disjointing) is that claw regrowth can happen - almost always in
| misshapen form.
|
| You mean with the laser declawing?

It's my understanding that the laser is only doing what used to be done
with guillotine-like scissors (i.e. cut through the tendons, cartilage,
etc, connecting the distal phalanx to the rest of the finger/toe, to
disjoint it). I suppose it's more "surgical" in that sense.

Declawing has had evolution in its procedures: things like "scraping out
the claw root" and "sawing off enough of the bone" are older approaches
which have failed - due to unacceptable incidence of claw regrowth - and
have been abandoned in favor of complete disjointing, which is actually
a "simpler" procedure overall. Whether it's done with a knife-edge or a
light beam is a quiddity.

| This sounds at *least* as bad as having the toe taken completely off!

Well, for a cat, that's basically what it is. We walk on our feet,
distributing the load from toes to heel. A cat walks on its distal
phalanges. The bone is at an angle to the second phalanx, not end on as
in our fingers or toes, sort of like a shoe, and lies flat along its
length when the cat walks, with the other bones arranged upward in an
arc.

Removing that bone transfers the entire pressure onto the point of the
now exposed second phalanx. The adaptation is to the increase the arc
from the wrist downward to make as much of the second (and even the
third) phalanx lie flat along the ground. In heavier cats (such as the
big cats) this can lead to collapse all the way up to the wrist. See
this before-after video of a lion whose suffering was alleviated by
reconstructive surgery:

http://www.gt.net/~pproject/naala/kona.mov

(It's referenced from http://www.pawproject.com/html/default.asp )


  #125  
Old August 11th 03, 09:03 PM
bewtifulfreak
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Karen Chuplis" wrote in message
...

You forgot:

I'd lay you BIG odds that declawing is not done in those countries either.
Especially poor nations. Declawing is a "luxury" item just as it is
"unnecessary". You *really* think that Nigerians haul their cats off to

the
vet for declawing? More fantasy.


Thank you, Karen, for saying what I was thinking but couldn't quite put into
words.

Ann

--

http://www.angelfire.com/ca/bewtifulfreak





  #126  
Old August 11th 03, 09:03 PM
bewtifulfreak
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Karen Chuplis" wrote in message
...

You forgot:

I'd lay you BIG odds that declawing is not done in those countries either.
Especially poor nations. Declawing is a "luxury" item just as it is
"unnecessary". You *really* think that Nigerians haul their cats off to

the
vet for declawing? More fantasy.


Thank you, Karen, for saying what I was thinking but couldn't quite put into
words.

Ann

--

http://www.angelfire.com/ca/bewtifulfreak





  #129  
Old August 11th 03, 09:07 PM
bewtifulfreak
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Arjun Ray" wrote in message
...
In , "bewtifulfreak"
wrote:


| This sounds at *least* as bad as having the toe taken completely off!

Well, for a cat, that's basically what it is.


Of course. What I meant is that having the claw removed only at the base
and then having it grow back all skewed and deformed sounds just as, if not
more, painful than having the whole toe removed. But no matter how it's
done, besides the surgical pain, it can clearly cause a lot of discomfort in
making the cat walk in ways it's muscles weren't made to. The example's
been used before, but if we had to walk without our toes, not only would we
be off balance, but it would put undue pressure on the front of the foot.


See
this before-after video of a lion whose suffering was alleviated by
reconstructive surgery:


I'm not able to access it at the moment for some reason, but will try again
later.

Thank you again for explaining things in such detail.

Ann

--

http://www.angelfire.com/ca/bewtifulfreak





  #130  
Old August 11th 03, 09:07 PM
bewtifulfreak
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Arjun Ray" wrote in message
...
In , "bewtifulfreak"
wrote:


| This sounds at *least* as bad as having the toe taken completely off!

Well, for a cat, that's basically what it is.


Of course. What I meant is that having the claw removed only at the base
and then having it grow back all skewed and deformed sounds just as, if not
more, painful than having the whole toe removed. But no matter how it's
done, besides the surgical pain, it can clearly cause a lot of discomfort in
making the cat walk in ways it's muscles weren't made to. The example's
been used before, but if we had to walk without our toes, not only would we
be off balance, but it would put undue pressure on the front of the foot.


See
this before-after video of a lion whose suffering was alleviated by
reconstructive surgery:


I'm not able to access it at the moment for some reason, but will try again
later.

Thank you again for explaining things in such detail.

Ann

--

http://www.angelfire.com/ca/bewtifulfreak





 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Bad Neighbors & Morganna Update Ginger-lyn Summer Cat anecdotes 335 October 30th 04 05:21 AM
myMSN says declawing is an option... jen.d Cat anecdotes 8 November 9th 03 07:13 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 02:39 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 CatBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.