Money Grubbing Online Vets

Mary H - I fail to see how Michael's remark about "almost all the vets in America" can be construed as an Anti-Americam insult. He was clearly talking about a special group of professionals, not about all Americans.
For sure other countries have serious animal welfare issues too, but what has that to do with the issue at hand? Do you mean that declawing cannot be discussed until the other countries have cleaned up their act? Or that only people from countries with a perfect animal welfare record should be allowed into the discussion? In that case very little would be discussed, I'm afraid...
Anyway, you still haven't told us where in the USA you have problem locating a declawing vet. Just curious.

No one is attacking the people in the USA as a whole, just the ones who think declawing is acceptable and the vets who agree to do this despicable operation!
There are people in Canada who do this too.It doesn't matter where they are,
for example if it was happening in our country we'd be ashamed of those who did it and we'd certainly have been trying to do something to stop it long before now.
It's just that it's happening more in the USA,have you ever seen the lists of USA vets offering it ?
If you are trying to do something about it, fair enough, so are we and many more people who truly care about cats!We are not wasting our time nitpicking other people's words,we are educating as many people as we can, collecting true stories of cats suffering, collecting statistics and collecting signatures against it.
Anyone who doesnt try to do something about cruelty ,is in fact condoning it. Are we to sit back and ignore the plight of cats just in case we upset someone in that country ? I've been called some dreadful names for trying to help stamp out ignorance and cruelty,but it's no good taking the huff,because then the animal abusers have won !
We are all singing from the same song sheet for goodness sake, albeit in different accents !

It is the exact wording that was used in a post, very anti-American, that was upsetting. NO ONE is arguing the ills of declawing for Heaven's sake!
Seriously, people, if folks who are lobbying against declawing (worldwide) are busy attacking the culture of a Country the other is coming from, how can we EVER expect to get anywhere with changing laws and opinions anywhere else?!! What on Earth makes you think attacking America's ethics ~as if we, Americans, all share one mind and no one thinks individually~ is going to help the situation? One thing you can count on in America... we all have our OWN opinions and we WILL voice them.
Get off your 'high horses' people! Declawing is a huge problem, and yet, the tip of the iceberg! Let's (EVERYONE) get our priorities straight as a group that is FOR the rights of the Animals. Period. Otherwise we waste this entire time finger pointing and arguing amongst ourselves over extremely rude and unnecessary insults. Such a waste of time and so petty. I would expect more from this community as cruelty to fellow humans is no better than cruelty to animals, is it?

We're all in agreement that acts of animal abuse take place in every country. But how on earth can we expect to stamp out animal cruelty in our communities when vets (with all their knowledge of anatomy) are routinely amputating cat's toes and persuading clients that their cats will not feel pain or be adversely affected?

I don't understand why some people view an anti-declawing opinion as a personal attack on American citizens from foreigners. It is a fact that only in North America and some Middle Eastern states are vets continuing to promote and perform declawing. Consider this; in the 38 countries where declawing is banned, it wasn't due to the action of animal rights campaigners - it was the vets themselves who refused to perform the procedure. As a result, millions of cat owners take it for granted that scratching is natural behaviour which needs to be accomodated in the form of a scratching post or pad.

If North American vets aren't declawing for financial gain, is it because they underestimate the willingness of American citizens to provide similar claw training for their cats? Vets love to use the "death or declaw" argument as a justification for declawing - that's how little they think people care for their cats. Don't American cat owners find that insinutation insulting?

I don't know whereabouts Mary H. lives (maybe she is in the progressive state of California) but the truth is that the vast majority of vets in the USA are in favour of declawing. Otherwise the practise would become redundant, just like it had in European countries long before legislation got around to banning it.

Michele (UK)

The site couldn't be anything BUT American or Canadian because they are the only countries who allow premeditated abuse in the form of amputating almost half of healthy paws for no other reason than the owner's sofa. I agree there is animal abuse in every country and it's hateful that so many animals are badly treated,but this doesn't lessen the crime of paying someone to chop those toes off, or of advertising and giving discounts on a procedure that is supposed to be last resort. It isn't a kitty-manicure it is ten seperate amputations with attending pain and risk. As I see it, if you're not part of the solution i.e fighting against declawing and camaigning for a total ban, the way our USA friends on here are, then you're part of the problem by either defending what these vile people do or being apathetic and not doing anything to stop the rot. Never mind patriotism, the important thing here is the cats keeping their toe ends, you cannot deny that USA vets are out there touting for this filthy business, just look around you, you'll see plenty of them pimping their services on the Internet.

Mary H., where is it that you live that you have difficulty finding a vet that perfoms declaws? Everywhere where I have lived in the USA, it is (sadly) very difficult to find a vet that does NOT declaw. Most promote declawing and even have the office staff "upselling" declaws when someone makes an appointment to have their kitten neutered. Until it is made illegal, those money hungry vets will continue to mislead the public about declawing and will continue to laugh all the way to the bank. I find this disgusting and actively work and speak out against declawing to anyone who will listen.

I think the agruement over American vets is very immature, and although I'm Australian and my say will probably just be dismissed my most people, it looks to me as though we are begin to create a stereotype of our American friends. Firstly vets spend 8 years+ doing intense study to become vets, after all that I would call their position a passion, not a source of getting a few more dollars. Secondly I'd like to see proof that this money goes to the vets, someone also has to host the website, and I'd be surprised if there was no advertising on that site. And finally, animal abuse happens all over the world, not just in America.

Here in Australia declawing of cats is prohibited unless in emergancies. But animal abuse happens here, just like everywhere else. And there's only one way to stop it, and that's by getting out there and doing something about it, not arguing over which country has the cruelest vets!!

Mary, I can go online now and within 5 minutes find at least 50 vets anywhere within the USA who are actively advertising their declaw surgeries - for kittens along with spay/neuter/vaccinate packages. It's EASY to find vets who declaw because such a large number of them are doing it!

Yep every country in the world has issues of animal abuse and those who are genuine and active troops in the fight against abuse and ignorance ARE out there fighting.

The example you use makes you look as if you are more upset that we mention YOUR country AMERICA as host to legal mutilation than the actual issue at hand - that mutilating cats for convenience is wrong!

I'm happy and more than willing to own up the failings of the UK in stopping animal abuse. We Brits have a HEALTHY sense of self deprecation and are more than willing to own up to our problems. Ask anyone in the world about how difficult it is for americans to ever admit to being wrong and EVERYONE in the world knows what a problem americans have owning up to their failings.

Your country is widely known as a modern country with totally backward animal welfare laws.

At least we have legislation (both in the UK and Europe) that covers ALL mutilation of animals. Yep, we have hateful vivisection companies, yes, we have companies that breed genetically clean animals for vivisection too, but we don't mind getting our hands dirty - we go out on the streets, we set up tables and show our people what is going on. We OWN UP to the problem and fight it.

We will fight animal abuse in whichever country it is happening.

What are YOU doing apart from taking it all personally?

Mary I find any act of cruelty to animals disgusting and have fought for over 40 years against it for animals all over the world, as have many other people who care about them.
And although we have a Pet Welfare Law in the UK now there is still much to do to stop animal abuse as there are ignorant and cruel people who disregard laws.
Any cruelty to animals shocks, disgusts and sickens me but I don't find cruelty to animals due to ignorance, as shocking,disgusting and sickening as the cruelty of declawing. As I said before, declawing is pre meditated abuse and the very people who do it are the ones trained to help animals, not to harm them.
What else but greed for money motivates them to advertise discounts for this unneccessary operation ? Do you know how many people are carrying a burden of guilt at the sight of their declawed cats suffering mentally and physically ? They were not told that declawing is the amputation of the cats toe ends along with the claws.Once those toe joints have gone they can never be put back.Who but money grabbing vets get their receptionists to offer declawing when someone phones to book a neutering appointment ?
This abuse of cats should not happen, we need to stop it just as much as we need to stop any other cruelty in any country at all.
There are good and bad people all over the world,we can only do what we can to stop cruelty where we can. I'm sure you must agree with that!

Ruth,

Are you familiar with the KAO Corp, operating in the UK?

Unfortunately, NO Country is beyond reproach when it comes to deliberate cruelty to animals. Not even yours. I find this sort of thing every bit as shocking and disgusting/sickening as the subject of declawing, don't you?

You can find any kind of garbage you want on the internet. Doesn't mean it is a legitamate business. Surely you know this. The USA, and the issue of declawing, is not the only culprit.

People living in glass houses and throwing stones... you get my meaning?

That is absolutely disgusting. I wonder if some sort of question could be set up by an 'undercover expert'who exposes crimes ? Because this surely must be against the law, offering advice for different amounts of money and apparently the answer given depends on how much you pay for it ! Surely it's against the AVMA policy to promote neuter/declaw packages by stating it would cost less than 2 seperate operations ?
Mary, are you out on the streets educating people about the cruely of declawing ?Yes we have animal abuse in our country too,but if we had pre meditated abuse like declawing happening every day,we would do something about it. We'd educate people,we'd protest and get up petitions.As you use anti declaw vets yourself, get them on side,here's a petition to begin with,only 12 USA vets have signed so far,
for all we've contacted many
petition
It's the biggest on-line and helped the Paw Project with the recent bans in California.It started in England and has signatures from all over the world, most USA petitions to ban declawing,are abandoned after a while !
If everyone who feels strongly about this DID something about it,the corrupt vets might take notice.We are not against all Americans,we don't tar you all with the same brush,what we do is care about cats and can't believe this mutilation of them is allowed to go on !

Many of us ARE fighting for this, all over the USA. You must know that Animal rights is not a single-nation issue. Every Country has their troubles but I think it's safe to assume all contributors to this page love cats/animals and are not the 'enemy' regardless of where it is they call home.

Michael,

The comment you made about "most of the vets in America" was extremely insulting, to say the least. I can tell you, being an American, that it takes some searching to find a Veterinarian that is willing to do a cat de-claw. Neither of the Vets I use will do this surgery and will a strongly argue against it, should the subject arise ~ contrary to the many posts I've seen lately with comments on all greedy American Vets and on our society as a whole.

Sincerely,

Mary Heller
USA

Many sites will automatically display any numerical figure pertaining to money in the currency of the country the enquiry originated from - hence the answer to Babz appearing in GB Pounds Sterling.

Anonymous, if you are so fed up of all the "bashing" and see the issue of declawing as purely one of nation bashing, why don't you do something about getting declawing banned in your country? If you truely love cats, which I assume you must at least like them or you wouldn't read or post here, surely joining the campaign to get the barbaric practice of crippling cats for cash and convenience made illegal would be a logical and positive step for you.

Good post Babz - I think many of the "vets" who answer questions on sites like that aren't necessarily practicing or are ignorant of what the procedure actually entails. There HAS to be something dodgy about them if they need to make money answering questions online!!

What a moron that person is.Bad enough all the nitwits on Y/A, but someone would rather pay for this information,albeit wrong, then to pick up and phone and get the info for free?And correct me if I'm mistaken, but I found that mutilating is more costly then spaying.Here in the US, you are generally charged anywhere from $35.00 to $120.00 for spaying,at a clinic.The costs I found from the vet for mutilating started at $100.00 (w/discount){shudder},and technique used and went as high as $450.00.
Good for you Babz!They probably would have rejected your question, or refused to answer it.Jerks!Please keep us up dated.

Michael,
Where do you get that this was an American site? We do not deal in pounds, for one thing. Getting a bit tired of all the bashing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!