The declawing surgery (onychectomy) is performed under general anesthesia, just like spays and neuters. A scalpel, laser, or sterilized nail clippers are used to remove the nail and nail bed. The nail bed is embedded in the last bone of the toe, called the third phalanx. This bone is very small in cats. So that you can have an idea, here is a picture of a real cat skeleton from a veterinary school, and a close up of its paw. The next picture has highlighted, in blue, what is removed during the declaw. Notice that the cat does not support any weight on this bone normally.
 
There is a diagram of a cat's paw at www.geocities.com/declawing which helps in understanding this pictures.
Many people wonder which method of declawing is best. Using a nail clipper to remove the claw is not used very often anymore and is not teached in vet schools anymore. It is faster, but is also associated with some complications, like bone splinters left in the foot. With the scalpel and the laser this risk is eliminated as there is no bone cut in the middle anymore. The surgery done using a scalpel alone takes longer than with the laser. The animal is under anesthesia longer and there is a little more bleeding. However, bleeding is not a very major problem. There is more bleeding associated with a spay than a declawing, and bleeding from a spay is minimal to start with. The pro of using the scalpel over the laser is that the incision heals faster and a sooner return to normal. Using a laser eliminates bleeding almost totally, surgery is quicker, and there is less risk of infections. However, total healing takes longer, and if the veterinarian is unexperienced there can be unnecesary tissue burn. Both methods are acceptable ways of declawing a cat.
Analgesia is given to each cat after declawings (and spays too). It can be an injection right after the surgery before the cat wakes up, a time-release fentanyl patch, or both, depending on the clinic's preference. Many clinics and newer vets also give local anesthesia to the cat's paw after the surgery, so when the cat wakes up doesn't feel the paw for many hours. Cats with the local blocks start acting normally as soon as the general anesthesia wears off. |