Dr. Ron Gaskin is a good vet who performs declaw repair surgeries

by Susan
(Calif, USA)

I am very impressed with veterinarian Ron Gaskin of Main Street Veterinary Services in Shakopee, MN and want to recognize him as a good vet.

He is a good vet for many reasons, most important to me is the fact that he doesn’t declaw cats and is listed on Dr. Schellings list of humane vets that don’t declaw.

I came to know Dr. Gaskin after he took the time to leave a very truthful comment after an article about declawing in an effort to educate the public about the lifelong, injurious effects this painful, irreversible surgery has that amputates the cats Third Phalanx finger bone/claw digits (another reason he is a good vet!). His comment said:

“Facts about declawing: Declawing the cat causes hyperflexion of the phalanges I and II. This leads to the cat walking on its digit 2 & 3 bone ends. These cats are very painful. Digital dental x-rays of the front digits show the pathology and painful changes in black and white. They bite and act out a painful creature. Litter box problems are very common as the litter hurts their feet more. Obesity and activity exacerbate the problem. Anatomically; the deep digit flexor tendon on phalange II is unopposed by any extensor tendon. Vets are NOT trained to look for these changes in a declawed cat. Many declawed cats in pain go misdiagnosed as “behavioral problems”. A very few vets know how to relieve the pain with surgery. Saying that declawing will keep the cat a good home is an oxymoron and emotional black mail. Do not declaw your cat!”

I was so captured by this comment that I contacted Dr. Gaskin after reading it and he gave me permission to post it on this website so others can be educated as well. I found out many more wonderful things about him including the fact that he rehabilitates declawed cats by performing declaw repair surgeries where he “releases the tension and cramping of the flexor tendons, stops them (declawed cats) from walking on the bone ends and the tendon associated cramping muscles.” You can see videos of a surgery he performed on a cat named Raven on his website: Main Street Vet Service: Declaw Repair Surgery.

Main Street Veterinary clinic saved this beautiful Raven from being euthanized. She came to them as a very sick diabetic & declawed cat with personality and litterbox problems. Her humans wanted to dispose of her so Main Street Veterinary clinic saved Raven from being euthanized.

Above is a picture of Raven before her declaw repair surgery. Dr. Gaskin said, “notice the position of the knuckles of her front feet. This position puts her amputated toes on the hard surface first.”

Above is Raven’s radiograph which “illustrate the extreme acute angle between phalange 2 and phalange 1. Also notice the foamy look on the end of phalange 2 on digits 2 & 3 (major weight bearing digits). This foamy look is chronic damage to the cartilage & bone end from walking on the amputated toe tips.”

Since the surgery Raven is in a new, loving home where she runs, plays, and uses the litterbox again – a much more comfortable and painless life thanks to the declaw repair surgery Dr. Gaskin and his vet tech Alex performed. But Dr. Gaskin is quick to say,”it would be much better to just not do the declaw surgery in the first place. The evidence is being collected and is growing that declaws do hurt cats.”

Dr. Gaskin has done several declaw repair surgeries and thanks Oklahoma veterinarian Dr Letrisa Miller for first opening his eyes to the problems declawed cats endure. He is also successful at getting diabetic cats into remission and has more information about cat diabetes on his website: Feline Diabetes.

Thank you to Dr. Gaskin for being a such good vet, and to Megan his gifted vet assistant for her commitment as well to declaw awareness through her powerful Stop Declaw website.

We need more veterinary teams spreading the truth about declawing in America like those at Main Street Veterinary Service!

Main Street Veterinary Service
536 E. 1st Avenue
Ronald W. Gaskin, DVM
Shakopee, MN 55379
Phone: (952) 445-5222
Fax: (952) 496-1755
www.msvets.com

**If you live with a declawed cat, please read Dr. Gaskin’s list of indicators that the cat may need declaw repair surgery.

Susan

From Dr. Ron Gaskin is a good vet who performs declaw repair surgeries to Declawing Cats

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Dr. Ron Gaskin is a good vet who performs declaw repair surgeries

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Jul 03, 2011 cat owner/lover
by: Nancy Robison

I live in the country of Holland and here declawing is illegal within the whole country. it is considered cruelty to animals… thank goodness.


Jan 19, 2011 Vincent
by: Ruth

I have a few tears for Vincent every time I do my data and shelter counts and see him still sitting in that small cage. What chance has he of a home or surgery to help his poor mutilated paws ?
I think it must be a no kill shelter he’s in as he’s been there for months now.
I wish we could magic him to England.
It’s dreadful to see the thousands of declawed kittens and cats unwanted through no fault of their own.
Dr Jean is doing great things with her studies but no matter what, even when declawing is banned it’s too late for all of them.
Too late for poor Vincent.


Jan 18, 2011 Worse than I thought
by: Ruth (Monty’s Mom)

I knew declawing was bad, but I didn’t know there was a flexor tendon unopposed by any extensor tendon. Don’t tell me vets don’t know this fact of cat anatomy and the consequences thereof. Ruth (Kattaddorra) posted an article about Vincent, a poor declawed cat, and he was sitting in the same posture as the cat shown in this article. Vincent could probably benefit from this surgery also.


Aug 29, 2010 What a great progress for our little friends
by: hiboute

I always thought declawing a cat was an heresy and horribly cruel. I’m so happy people who love cats help them to have a normal life again.
Thanks for them.


Aug 23, 2010 almost didnt read
by: kathy

I almost didnt read this page when I saw the title. I hate the horrors of declawing. I know you all know I worked in a vets office and could not be in the office when he performed this cruel and senseless operation. What this vet is doing is incredible. Anything to help any declawed cat is a god send. I hope he keeps up his good work.


Aug 23, 2010 To anonymous
by: Ruth

That is a wonderful example of how a clinic should be !
Yes it proves vets don’t have to mutilate cats to stay in business.
We neeed a list of all the clinics like this one to encourage people to go to them and boycott the
corrupt ones !
Is this one on the Hall of Fame I wonder ?

Kattaddorra signature Ruth


Aug 22, 2010 Another Good Vet Hospital in U.S.
by: Anonymous

I would like to submit the Cat Clinic of Roswell, Georgia, USA, as a good vet clinic that does not declaw and actively educates their clientele about the negative effects of declawing, as well as humane alternatives. Their website is www.catclinicofroswell.com. They provide FREE claw trimming without appointments, include a Declawing Fact Sheet on their website, and have as their motto “Four Paws With Claws”! This is an example of feline medicine done RIGHT in the U.S. And somehow, they still manage to stay in business! Imagine that! 😉


Aug 18, 2010 Good vet
by: Carol

This is what being a good vet is all about.
Alleviating the suffering of animals but even more,not causing the animal to suffer in the first place by the barbaric amputation of their toe ends.


Aug 18, 2010 Thanks Susan
by: Rose

It’s always nice to hear some good news and Dr Gaskin’s kindness and compassion are certainly heart warming.
It baffles me when all vets train in the same way and they must know the pain animals feel,how come some keep on making money from causing cats pain by crippling them day after day.Yet the ones like Dr Gaskin are true to their profession and to what they learned about how to help animals.
It doesn’t make sense.


Aug 17, 2010 Dr. Gaskin you’re a star
by: Michele S.

How heartwarming to come across a vet who genuinely cares about the health and happiness of cats. There are far too many vets in North America willing to ignore the fact that declawing is recognised as an act of animal cruelty in at least 38 countries, so it’s refreshing to come across one who isn’t afraid to speak the truth. More than that, he and his team are using their skills to relieve the suffering of declawed cats.

Dr Gaskin and his colleagues are the kind of vets that every owner should choose for their pet.


Aug 17, 2010 Thank you so much
by: Leah

Dr Gaskin is a true hero in a world of otherwise butchering vets. Thank goodness he has compassion and common sense. Vets that de-claw? If you are reading this he puts you to shame he IS a vet. You are not worthy of your position, you abuse your power and you sicken me and many others


Aug 17, 2010 We need more vets like Dr. Gaskin!
by: Susan

Thank you for posting this article Michael!

It’s so good to know that there are vets in America like Dr. Gaskin who are actually telling the TRUTH about declawing and the injuries that the paws sustain for the rest of the cats life – thank you Dr. Gaskin and his whole team!

Poor Raven, and every single declawed cat in the world, for the needless pain and suffering they endure which so many hide without any complaints, just as cats do. There is absolutely no way that any declawed cat is “fine” the way so many Americans have brainwashed themselves into believing to justify crippling their pets paws for life.

One little correction, I live in Ohio and only WISH I lived in California where declawing is illegal in 8 cities. Yep, you can go to jail for declawing a cat in those cities, but where I live in the Midwest, painfully amputating a cats 3rd Phalanx bone & crippling their paws for life is pandered, encouraged, and advertised by most every vet here as routine cat care.


Aug 17, 2010 I admire Dr Gaskin
by: Ruth

Thank you for this very informative article Susan.I admire Dr Gaskin very much and here it is in black and white for all those to see who think declawing is acceptable.Dr Gaskin is obviously a veterinarian who sticks to his oath to harm no animal.
For there to be the need for him to re-operate on cats that other vets have mutilated is beyond disgraceful.
How can other vets go on declawing when it’s plain to see what damage it does, I wonder.
Any vet making money out of this cat abuse is nothing short of a criminal and going completely against the care and compassion vets are supposed to have for all animals.

Kattaddorra signature Ruth


Aug 17, 2010 Thank you Dr Gaskin
by: Barbara

How wonderful it is to read about a veterinarian who lives up to his oath and who cares so deeply about animals that he has taken the time to learn how to help cats disabled by declawing to have lives less filled with pain and misery and to write about it so that the ignorant may be educated. A gentleman like this does much to restore ones faith that good will triumph over evil!
Thank you Susan for writing about Dr Gaskin and his staff.

Barbara avatar


Aug 17, 2010 Thanks
by: Michael

Thanks for taking the time to prepare this, Susan. Praising and recognising good vets is as powerful as crticising bad vets in our mission to save cats from the abuse that is called declawing.

Michael Avatar


4 thoughts on “Dr. Ron Gaskin is a good vet who performs declaw repair surgeries”

  1. The author of the best comment will receive an Amazon gift of their choice at Christmas! Please comment as they can add to the article and pass on your valuable experience.
  2. These comments truly make me cry. I saw the worst case I have ever seen in 18 years of this declaw research. The previous vets started amputating her infected P2s. I am beside myself, but we will alleviate this cats pain! We will save it’s remaining toes.
    We are published on Sage publishing!! Just look up declaw salvage surgery

    Reply
  3. Thank you, good doctor! We know there are good doctors out there! And we praise them for all the good work they do, for their big hearts, their healing hands.

    Reply

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