The post that I refer to, on a forum at The Cat Site (a competitor, by the way!), is a story based on first hand experience of what might happen when cats are declawed.
The sort of declaw complication described does not always happen, granted (as far as we know). But American vets do not know how often it happens. Importantly, they don’t seem to care how often it happens. And it does happen quite a lot, I believe.
In this instance a kitten, Mya, was declawed at 6 months of age. The surgery “went fine” the owner says. Mr. Vet no doubt said it went fine too and told the client (the human) that all will be well. The usual clichés.
Then after 6 months Mya started to regrow her claws in two places. This is a common complaint. The vet operated on her again! More pain and distress. Then Mya had bone sticking out a little and “the glue wouldn’t hold because she chewed it constantly” (surprised?). She chewed because she felt pain/discomfort. That is the obvious reason.
Now Mya holds up her front paws. She sleeps a lot. She won’t play. She constantly licks her paws. The paws look fine “from the outside”. The owner is concerned and asks for advice but also asks that people do not criticise him or her. She is frightened of being criticised.
The responses say that Mya is suffering from phantom pain and nerve damage. It won’t do away, they say
This is an example of the hidden truth behind the facade presented by the vets who delcaw.
This is the post on The Cat Site: Cat Claw Complication. I would not normally link to a competitor for obvious reasons but in the interests of the cat and the truth I have.
What will the cat’s owner do now? He has a cat in permanent pain and both the human and the cat are distressed. All because the human made a bad, cruel and ignorant decision.