If you are interested in declawing your cat or if you have recently scheduled the procedure with our hospital, please read the following information. We want you to know that there are many different methods used to declaw cats and it is important to be informed as to what is involved with this procedure.

Declawing a cat involves amputating part of the "finger" which in cats is mostly comprised of claw. Your fingertip is mostly bone and your nail isn't connected to the bone as it is in cats. Whether people personally agree with declawing or not it is important to understand exactly what is being done to your cat. For many cats and families, declawing is a viable option to keep a cat indoors vs. relinquishing to a shelter or keeping it outside.

THE DECLAWING PROCESS
Many veterinarians use a scalpel blade or nail trimmers to remove the claw. A tourniquet is used to reduce blood loss during the procedure. At Grandview Animal Hospital we insist all cats are declawed with a laser. There is no blood loss (at all!) and the use of a tourniquet is not required. We understand this is more costly for the owner but feel it is the ideal way to declaw a cat. Nerve endings and blood vessels are cauterized by the laser translating to less pain and no bleeding for your cat. Our hope is that owners educate themselves before scheduling a declaw and understand how to make the procedure and recovery easier for their cat.

Depending on your cat's weight, the type of pain medication sent home may vary. We work aggressively to control stress, anxiety and pain before, during and after the procedure. Our basic protocol and the availability of the Safety & Comfort package allows us to be confident your cat has excellent pain control. We recommend pre-anesthetic laboratory testing to ensure that your cat is a good candidate for anesthesia. We recommend placement of an IV catheter to allow immediate IV access in case of emergency, avoid unnecessary needle sticks and facilitate IV fluid administration. We are able to deliver pain medication at a very slow but constant rate, allowing much needed rest for the first 24 hours after surgery. Cats over 8 pounds may stay hospitalized for an additional day.

Please note that when admitted you may need to discuss the cost of additional items such as vaccinations, ResQ microchip, fecal testing, feline leukemia and FIV testing. These are not included in the price of the procedure and may not have been included in the price that you were quoted. All cats must have a current annual examination and appropriate feline vaccinations to be admitted for surgery.

If you would like an EXACT quote, please call our office at (816) 761-5071. We are here to answer any questions regarding your pet's upcoming surgery. Please ask! Also, please view the helpful surgery information section for additional questions/answers.

Please allow 5-15 minutes for the check-in process when your pet is dropped off. You may have a quicker check-in if you have filled out and brought with you the Hospital Authorization Form.