Cats in surgery today

(-L. wrote in message . com...
(...)

The truth is, however, that *many* people use the "declaw this cat or
I will put it down" blackmail threat when they approach their vets for
declawing. IME, if the vet is resistant at all, this is usually what
is thrown out as a retort. Sad, but true.

TBH, in these cases I think the vet should be able to say 'Go on then
- they're your morals, and it'll be your guilt', or somesuch.


My stance is that a cat that resides in such a home is better off
surrended to a shelter where it gets a chance to be placed in a
loving, permanent home -

Quite possibly. However, this is a different stance than saying that
declawed cats would be better off dead!

because if someone is willing to euthanize a
cat for clawing it is unlikely they will be tolerant of other cat
behaviors.

Yes.

Steve.

In article ,
enlightened us with...

Yes, but there's a big difference between disagreeing with declawing
and suggesting that all declawed cats would be better off dead.


Which is better - a life in constant pain, or death?

How might we know if a cat is in constant pain? They don't exactly tell us
about it. Stalwart creatures that they are, might they not just learn to live
with it, seeing as how they don't have much of a choice?

How many cats who are declawed experience constant pain? We don't know. Maybe
all. Maybe none. Maybe 50%.

What if it's not severe pain, but more of a "phantom" pain, like amputees say
they get?
What if it comes and goes?

There are so many things we don't know about declawing because the cats can't
tell us.
I wouldn't say that all cats who are declawed are better off dead, but I
would say that I myself would rather be dead than live a life of constant
pain.

Just rambling. Sorry.

--
--
~kaeli~
If a book about failures doesn't sell, is it a success?
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace

In article ,
enlightened us with...

Yes, but there's a big difference between disagreeing with declawing
and suggesting that all declawed cats would be better off dead.


Which is better - a life in constant pain, or death?

How might we know if a cat is in constant pain? They don't exactly tell us
about it. Stalwart creatures that they are, might they not just learn to live
with it, seeing as how they don't have much of a choice?

How many cats who are declawed experience constant pain? We don't know. Maybe
all. Maybe none. Maybe 50%.

What if it's not severe pain, but more of a "phantom" pain, like amputees say
they get?
What if it comes and goes?

There are so many things we don't know about declawing because the cats can't
tell us.
I wouldn't say that all cats who are declawed are better off dead, but I
would say that I myself would rather be dead than live a life of constant
pain.

Just rambling. Sorry.

--
--
~kaeli~
If a book about failures doesn't sell, is it a success?
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace

"kaeli" wrote in message
...

How might we know if a cat is in constant pain? They don't exactly tell us
about it. Stalwart creatures that they are, might they not just learn to
live
with it, seeing as how they don't have much of a choice?

How many cats who are declawed experience constant pain? We don't know.
Maybe
all. Maybe none. Maybe 50%.

Here's an excerpt from the chapter on onychectomy in Small Animal Surgery
(2nd ed) by Theresa Welch Fossum - one of the most widely used surgical
texts. Doesn't say "constant" pain - but temporary is bad enough since
there's no medical benefit for the cat:

"Complications (i.e., pain, hemorrhage, pad damage, lameness, swelling,
infection, claw regrowth, second phalanx protrusion, and palmargrade stance)
occur in 50% of patients. "


There's also the matter of privation that never seems to get the attention
it deserves. Cats enjoy scratching.

Phil

"kaeli" wrote in message
...

How might we know if a cat is in constant pain? They don't exactly tell us
about it. Stalwart creatures that they are, might they not just learn to
live
with it, seeing as how they don't have much of a choice?

How many cats who are declawed experience constant pain? We don't know.
Maybe
all. Maybe none. Maybe 50%.

Here's an excerpt from the chapter on onychectomy in Small Animal Surgery
(2nd ed) by Theresa Welch Fossum - one of the most widely used surgical
texts. Doesn't say "constant" pain - but temporary is bad enough since
there's no medical benefit for the cat:

"Complications (i.e., pain, hemorrhage, pad damage, lameness, swelling,
infection, claw regrowth, second phalanx protrusion, and palmargrade stance)
occur in 50% of patients. "


There's also the matter of privation that never seems to get the attention
it deserves. Cats enjoy scratching.

Phil

There's also the matter of privation that never seems to get the attention
it deserves. Cats enjoy scratching.

Phil

Yeah, that's a point that sometimes gets lost in the fray. Cats enjoy their
claws. They scratch because it exercises their limbs and paws, and it just
plain feels good. It's shameful to take that away from them.

Sherry

There's also the matter of privation that never seems to get the attention
it deserves. Cats enjoy scratching.

Phil

Yeah, that's a point that sometimes gets lost in the fray. Cats enjoy their
claws. They scratch because it exercises their limbs and paws, and it just
plain feels good. It's shameful to take that away from them.

Sherry

"Sherry " wrote in message
...
There's also the matter of privation that never seems to get the
attention
it deserves. Cats enjoy scratching.

Phil

Yeah, that's a point that sometimes gets lost in the fray. Cats enjoy
their
claws. They scratch because it exercises their limbs and paws, and it just
plain feels good. It's shameful to take that away from them.

Sherry

I really get ****ed of every time I hear a declawer say "my cat still
scratches". Yeah, they go through the motion from instinct but they don't
get the enjoyment or benefit from digging their claws in and pulling back.
Its like doing a chin up without the bar or rowing without the oars.

The declawing surveys only address the clients' attitude towards the cats'
behavior. As long as the cat doesn't develop behavior or medical problems
that affect the owner, they're satisfied. What about the cat?

I think its a horrible thing to do to a trusting, sensitive individual.

Phil

"Sherry " wrote in message
...
There's also the matter of privation that never seems to get the
attention
it deserves. Cats enjoy scratching.

Phil

Yeah, that's a point that sometimes gets lost in the fray. Cats enjoy
their
claws. They scratch because it exercises their limbs and paws, and it just
plain feels good. It's shameful to take that away from them.

Sherry

I really get ****ed of every time I hear a declawer say "my cat still
scratches". Yeah, they go through the motion from instinct but they don't
get the enjoyment or benefit from digging their claws in and pulling back.
Its like doing a chin up without the bar or rowing without the oars.

The declawing surveys only address the clients' attitude towards the cats'
behavior. As long as the cat doesn't develop behavior or medical problems
that affect the owner, they're satisfied. What about the cat?

I think its a horrible thing to do to a trusting, sensitive individual.

Phil

(Steve G) wrote in message . com...
(-L. wrote in message . com...
(...)

The truth is, however, that *many* people use the "declaw this cat or
I will put it down" blackmail threat when they approach their vets for
declawing. IME, if the vet is resistant at all, this is usually what
is thrown out as a retort. Sad, but true.

TBH, in these cases I think the vet should be able to say 'Go on then
- they're your morals, and it'll be your guilt', or somesuch.

IME, vets aren't reluctant to declaw when the "euth or declaw" line is
used. They declaw. The vet I worked for, I estimate made about
90-100K income on declaws every year.



My stance is that a cat that resides in such a home is better off
surrended to a shelter where it gets a chance to be placed in a
loving, permanent home -

Quite possibly. However, this is a different stance than saying that
declawed cats would be better off dead!

Yet, as I said before, many cats are MUCH better off dead than living
in their miserable declawed state.

-L.